Bar Amercain

"Bar Américain is an honest-to-goodness cocktail bar for grown-ups. Walking down the stairs at Brasserie Zédel near Piccadilly, it feels like you’ve turned up in a bar in 1930s Paris, complete with framed old pictures and comfy seats all over the place. The bartenders serve classics and will make your drink flawlessly, and while you can arguably get a better cocktail elsewhere in Soho, the atmosphere here is hard to beat. We wouldn’t judge you for nipping next door for a late-night dessert at the brasserie either." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing

"If you enjoy blaming dating apps and social media for ruining your love life, then this one’s for you. When you step into Bar Américain, it all feels very 1920s Paris. You know, back when you couldn’t stalk and inevitably judge their Spotify playlists before meeting them. The art deco paintings and cocktail menu will definitely get the conversation flowing. If it goes terribly, you can blame it on the vodka. If it goes really well, you can head next door to Brasserie Zédel for an old-school dinner date." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, sinead cranna

"Bar Américain is not the kind of bar you stumble into and demand something that sounds like it could be a Formula One sponsor. No. Shame on you. This is a bar that doesn’t even let you take pictures with the flash on, such is their commitment to providing an old-school cocktail experience. A leather-packed basement situation in the same glamorous Soho building that houses Brasserie Zédel, the cocktails here are faultless. You’re in safe hands for any of the classics but in this setting an Old Fashioned just makes sense." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, daisy meager

"It’s only been open a few years, but the Bar Américain has the feel of a cocktailing institution. Located in a basement near Piccadilly Circus (and attached to the inexpensive Brasserie Zedel), it’s one of those fast-moving, high-volume places that runs like clockwork. The classics are correct, the service is brisk and courteous, and there’s usually live jazz wafting around." - Emma Hughes, Anna Sulan Masing, Richard Godwin

"Looking for a late-night speakeasy? This one's a charmer. The Bar Americain's fairly hidden from the street, but when you get down there, it's like going back in time. You find a 1930s, art deco wonder, with white-jacketed cocktail waiters and an air of, well, illicit fun. The cocktails are classic—aviations, gimlets—and the bar menu is absolutely delicious, especially the fat chips (otherwise known as fries) which come with aioli."