THERE is a bar in Soho that is the perfect place to go to for a dose of British charm. It isn’t much like any other that Australians frequent in London, but there is a particular appeal that this bar can offer and it adds to the plethora of vintage pleasures you can find in the English capital.
Bourne and Hollingsworth, which sits below the pavement in a basement on Rathbone Place (just off Oxford St), serves a selection of its cocktails in true English-style: floral patterned tea cups (pinkies out ladies). Such divine drinks on the menu include Chimps Tea with a shortbread biscuit for dipping, which seems odd but is seriously delicious, and Gardener’s Tea Break with its crust-less cucumber finger sandwich to accompany. You can sip your cocktail and act ‘all proper’ while sat alongside the decorative wallpaper and lace tablecloths.
If you’re like any other Aussie female you’ll love what Bourne and Hollingsworth has to offer as an alternative place to visit when you’re in the mood for an after-work drinks session that is much more charming and attractive than the old English pub down the road; not to mention the stodgy English businessmen that usually come as standard at such pubs.
The whole drinking alcohol out of teacups thing is quite a novelty that they makes their bar quite unlike any other; and it is sure to attract Australians in droves, if not just for the curiosity factor. Andrian Stirling, who has lived in London for seven years working in the bar industry says she has never come across another bar that can match Bourne and Hollingsworth’s originality and uncommonly friendly atmosphere. “There is something about walking into a space that holds all the comfort and warmth of a living room which brings out the best in people.”
This is definitely one bar to visit for a relaxed weeknight drink, just make sure you get there before the crowds.