Blink, and you miss a new opening. That’s the frightening pace at which bars and restaurants are debuting in London at the moment. Despite the cost of living crisis, 2023 has gone into fifth gear and there’s no stopping it. For bon vivants with the bandwidth to keep up, this year’s revived bar scene has been a breath of fresh air. But for thirsty nine-to-fivers who lack the required fluid social life, the laundry list of new bars to visit could well spill into 2024 at this rate. Of course, there are worse problems to have.
What’s most exciting is the diversity of new bar openings. London in 2023 has loosened its neck tie and unbuttoned a couple of shirt buttons with fresh live music venues and cocktail bars that aren’t afraid to be loud, proud and crowded. The speakeasies and restaurant bars are still flourishing, but so are some clubby cocktail lounges and outright nightclubs.
