Whistling Shop

This is quite a spacious speakeasy bar located downstairs, with a main room and bar in front which was reserved for a private function, thereby lending the back room and bar to the public. Arriving early guaranteed us a seat as it was soon filling up on a Friday night.

Every space is well used and there are different tables and booths that cater to the patron. Comfy seats, a couch, a private room, a large sharing table and other little stools that grace the bar.

The waitress took the time to explain the menu which is laid out to guide you towards their specialty drinks based on fruits, spices, herbs, etc. There is also a classic menu for general spirits and beers.

We went with two types of Old Fashioned - one with the house bourbon and the other with a special peanut butter and jam whiskey. It was fun to try a different take on it although we preferred the original.

Overall it's a good spot for a quiet conversation during the week or perhaps a louder one on weekends if you are ready to kick back a couple and not concerned with price.

Really friendly staff serve well composed cocktails in a lovely space that is not overcrowded. Servings are generous for the price and our cocktail waiter was well informed and very helpful.

However, for a location that has reputedly one of the best gin selections in London (evidenced by the extensive list) the signature cocktail list is surprisingly lacking in depth in this regard (and no choice of gin offered on those cocktails that do use a gun base). The signature cocktails menu is, itself, a bit gimmicky by appearance. The gin flight is a nice cocktail but it's perhaps a little bit of an odd decision to have a mix of cocktails that really requires you to drink the most challenging flavours last, lest it overpowers the other drinks. The twisted sisters cocktail was great.

Now *this* is a cocktail bar. A small menu of sample concoctions that merely crack open the floodgate of options with a huge selection of sprits, homemade bitters, sodas, and a variety of other ingredients eagerly awaiting you behind the bar. (Not to mention skilled bartenders, because, you know, they're involved as well.)

Not for those who tend to favour umbrellas or pineapples in their drinks, but if you're up for a liquid nitrogen chocolate cake or dragon popcorn, this might just be your new spot. It's dark. It's sultry. It's fantastically low-key. The devil is in the deep inhales...

The Whistling Shop is a gorgeous bar which seriously impresses when you walk in (would be great for a date). The menu is kind of a challenge to read, partly because it is so dark and partly because it is full of stuff I'd never heard of - there is a even a glossary although we were all still a bit bewildered! Staff were very sweet, although our poor server was new and was struggling to answer our questions.

Drinks are very expensive, cocktails listed on the menu start at about £9.50. The vodka martini was kind of awesome - sort of like drinking delicious petrol. I tried a gun barrel gin with lemon seltzer - the gin came in a separate glass so you could try it - mine had a smoked almonds and cherry flavour which gave it a nice hint of sweetness. I dumped my gin in the seltzer after a few sips which I then regretted because I couldn't taste it any more. The seltzer itself was absolutely delicious - one of the most delightful refreshing soft drinks I've had in a long time. So I would suggest you enjoy them separately! There didn't seem to be much in the way of food - a colleague ordered a cheeseboard which didn't look particularly impressive for £12 although I liked the cute old plates that came with it. Anyway, I would definitely recommend this place: fun, fancy and worth checking out.

Whistling Shop was my second London cocktail bar experience. The first two things I noticed looking through the menu were: 1. Short list, which is augmented by some barrel aged drinks on a later page and 2. There are a lot of words I don't understand in relationship to my cocktails.

Immediately, I headed to the bars for answers about irradiation, photo-synthesis, barrel aging, bacteriums, their Kaboom still, etc. There are mad scientists lurking behind this bar and they have an off-site laboratory. They do some unusual treatments to their drinks. Browse through their online menu to understand this. The great thing is that Ben is perfectly willing to answer your questions and he does this quite thoroughly.

I only had one cocktail, The Irradiation Cocktail, shared the meat and cheese boards with friends, and sampled drinks from the aforementioned friends. The Irradiation Cocktail was very drinkable. I swore I was merely sipping this herbaceous drink, but it disappeared too rapidly. I also got to sample their chocolate wine (way too sweet for me) and a special French Whisky which sits behind the bar.

The cocktails aren't dressed fancy, but they use expensive "threads" through their laboratory experiments. I was assured there is a difference between a treated and non-treated cocktail, but the treated cocktails didn't amaze me. Their customer service did, though. Other drinks do feature unusual flavor profiles. They also have a Monkey to Man cocktail that isn't finished yet, though its on the menu.

If you're in the mood for some unusual flavors, want to spend a little more, and enjoy being treated well, come to the Whistling Shop.

We walked in and were seated at the group table. However the rest of the place was fairly empty. We wanted to finish the night with a nice cocktail.
Cocktail list wasn't intriguing so we asked about gin and tonics. However our waitress left us again and didn't come back for a while. We left without a drink.

The decor was a typical "speakeasy" set in the basement on worship street. Accessible by city folk on their way to shoreditch. I must say I am tired of the typical suspender wearing cocktail bars charging too much for a drink (9-12£). This bar was just that. And Without service on a Tuesday night with no crowds.

I always have a great time here; no, the awesomest time. Not sure why ... maybe the semi pretentious nature of this place somehow trickles down to your senses and tingles them every which way, or perhaps because the somewhat erudite waiters and bar tenders lend an easy welcome to the place, or perhaps because I just have the funnest of friends.

The space is adequate, roomy; I never feel too claustrophobic although its a cellar bar. However, like any place in London it's never an idea to show up as part of a mob unless you have a definitive reservation.

The experience could be a bit overwhelming when you look at the fancy, well thought out and planned, and one might remark somewhat overdone, menu. You're almost certain to look at the menu and say, "How cool is that?!" The drinks are expensive. They're about as expensive as the bar in the Shard, without the view. Between £10-13 per drink. That's gotta be expensive. Especially since they're just a tad above average (let me know if you disagree). That having said, the Twisted Sisters, the Flip Inside out and Ferzi Fizz, are among my favourites, and are highly recommended.

My issues with Whistling Shop are logistical and pricing related. So while I wouldn't be in a hurry to go back, but it would definitely be in the radar if I were in the area.

Cocktail list was a bit odd, none really appealed to me completely but all of them were surprisingly balanced and turned out impressive. The oolong tea cocktail was my favourite (could've done without the dish rag presentation) although the whisky sour one was very interesting and complex.

Gin selection is one of the most impressive I've seen outside of Gin-specific bars.

Downside is the service being slow, the drink selection not presented in a very clear way especially considering how dimly lit the bar is and the (off-menu) old fashioned wasn't good.

Price is reasonable (£10-£11). It's a basement bar but phones do have mobile data reception and relatively spacious to accommodate groups of 6-8.

Now this... is a pub. You heard me. You can glam up a cellar, make it smell of lavender and get a swanky looking menu, but still, it's a pub, not a speakeasy and not a cocktail bar.

The staff were friendly enough and when I came in there was an air of confidence from the man behind the bar. I ordered my Aviation and he popped off to make it. He came back 5 minutes later to announce he had no maraschino. So, that'll be a "No" to the Aviation then. Browsing the menu I select one of their hot seasonal drinks. Oh wait, they haven't turned the hob on yet so even though they are on the menu you can't actually have them.

Okay, maybe I was just unlucky, but with all the excitement and hype over this place I left thinking I just didn't want to go back again. It's certainly not as classy as the Night Jar and not quite as cosy as Happiness Forgets. Saying that, I wouldn't not show up to a friends party here, I might just not suggest bringing a friend here to impress them.

It's also a bit of a shame that this place is already filling up with Liverpool Street suits, giving it a "douchie" vibe (sorry to use such an American term here) too. OKay rant over, I'm heading to another bar for a drink.

'What are you doing this weekend?' Drinking x 3.

In order to get reacquainted with my fair London town, I must pay a visit to my favourite drinking dens and discover some new sources of boozy downfall. Upon hearing of The Whistling Shop on Worship Street, I knew it was a must. Words like libation and emporium are tossed about freely on their website, jostling up against the promises of laboratory and rotary evaporated drinks. You don't have to ask me twice, guvnor.

All kitted up in Victorian butcher garb, the barmen are a bit rough around the edges but politely offer cocktail menus and passed my first test, the cocktail recommendation. At a cocktail bar, NEVER choose your first drink yourself, get them to recommend you something based off your likes and dislikes, you'll get the real measure of how good they are. Bartenders who say 'oh everything is good' are shit.

I drank a totally clear Tin and Jonic with Grand Marnier and lemon that didn't blow me away but was a good starter for 4 in the afternoon. My friend had the Panacea, whiskey, honey and lavender with a frothy sage dust sprinkle. Very good. Their gin fizz slid down easy and left me a little tipsy as I left. After two drinks, we were both tipsy, a rarity for me. Shows they don't skimp on the liquor.

The Whistling Shop is huge, loads of space for you and your gin swizzing friends.