Like some of London’s other veteran bar talents, Matthias Ingelmann is a certified hustler — but not one of those Instagram types who promise they’ve got the trick to growing your following. Ingelmann is the impressive kind, who keeps his head down and just gets stuff done.
While managing the bars at Kol and its mezcaleria in 2021, he launched his own fig leaf liqueur brand, Parafante, with former colleague and bartender Graziano Madeo. A year later, he launched verjus importer IV Drinks with Matt Varona, the beverage manager of MJMK (who own Kol), to bring London’s bars and restaurants a verjus that didn’t cost the earth.
And while he may not (yet) be a multi-millionaire media mogul, but he’s got so much on that he’s seemingly inching closer and closer to having to intentionally pencil “lunchtime” into his hectic diary — especially seeing as Lisboeta and Casa do Frango are also under his remit in his current role. By the time MJMK’s newest Mexican restaurant concept Fonda opens (read all about that here), Ingelmann will surely be one of London’s busiest bartenders.
That’s all to say that the German native, as a result of his diverse professional experiences, clearly knows a thing or two about drinks — including where to drink them around town. With his refined palate, he can point any bar guest in the right direction of a fine Irish Coffee or memorable dinner. But he can also steer you in the direction of one epic London bar crawl that will likely leave you horizontal and hangin’ the next day if you decide to embark on it. So, literally, pick your poison — here are Ingelmann’s tips for going out in London.
If you could only have one drink in London for the rest of your life, which would it be and where?
Irish coffee at the George (55 Great Portland Street, W1W 7LQ, thegeorge.london). Firstly, it’s located right in the middle of our group's restaurants and bars, so it's super convenient for me to get to. But it’s also just the perfect drink for all occasions: after work, day off, before work, whenever you need it. The Irish coffee in general is one of the best drinks of all time, but the version at the George is just incredible. Smooth, velvety, they get the ratio of alcohol to sweetness to coffee perfectly right. Great temperature. And the Guinness reduction just adds the right amount of extra to the drink!
What's your most memorable meal in London?
Humo in Mayfair (12 St George Street, W1S 2FB, humolondon.com). Stunning venue, very good food, and Miller Prada is also just a great guy. They use high quality ingredients on the menu, the cooking is on point, and the whole experience of sitting at the counter and seeing the chefs do their job is great. I went there last year for my birthday and it was worth every penny.
Where is your favourite place to go for a nightcap?
Bourbon and a beer at Slim Jim Liquor Store (112 Upper Street, N1 1QN, slimjimsliquorstore.com) in Angel. Open until 3am, it’s a great dive bar with no fancy cocktails, just the right mix of “we give a f***” attitude and quality product. The music is great too. It’s just the place to be after a long day and shift, relax, and drink anywhere between one-to-seven boilermakers (depending on the day).
Where do you go to eat and drink when you need to cure a hangover?
Norman’s Café (167 Junction Road, N19 5PZ, normanscafe.co.uk). Firstly, because it’s close to where I live. And second, it's the perfect version of a proper cafe. There is nothing better than curing your hangover with a great English breakfast. Have a coffee, a full English, and maybe sneak in a little Negroni after.
What is London's best bar crawl?
Start with a French 75 or their version of an Irish coffee at Three Sheets (510b Kingsland Road, E8 4AB, threesheets-bar.com). Then go down Kingsland Road to the One Hundred Shoreditch hotel and have a drink from the seasonal cocktail list at Seed Library (100 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ, seedlibraryshoreditch.com). After that, head over to Equal Parts (245 Hackney Road, E2 8NA, equalpartslondon.com) and have a flight of amaro, followed by a visit down the road to Satan’s Whiskers (343 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9RA, satanswhiskers.com) where you must have at least one Red Hook (but you pretty much can’t go wrong with their cocktails). And end your night at the Sun Tavern (441 Bethnal Green Road, E2 0AN, thesuntavern.co.uk). It’s open late with great beer and Irish whiskeys. Have the house lager and some Green Spot.
In general, east London is great for bar crawls because you have so many amazing bars so close to each other. This is just a small selection of bars, all very different with their own personality.
What is your guilty pleasure cocktail?
A Grasshopper. A lot of cream with mint and chocolate, add some mezcal to make it perfect. Full-bodied, rich, but fresh at the same time — like a whole dessert in a cocktail glass.
What is one bar in London that doesn't get nearly as much love as it should?
Little Mercies in Crouch End (20 Broadway Parade, N8 9DE, littlemercies.co.uk). I think it’s very brave to open a bar so far away from the centre of town. But mostly, the drinks are very, very good, and the food is great too. They have an ever-changing cocktail list and I should go there much more often!
