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The best time of day is surely aperitivo hour. Luckily, you won’t have to be sunning yourself on the Amalfi Coast to get a bit of la dolce vita this summer, because London is home to a fabulous number of Italian bars and restaurants serving up delicious spritz, salty snacks and, of course, negronis.
So where should you go in the city to find the best concoction of gin, Campari and vermouth? Time Out asked seven bar experts – including Tayer + Elementary’s Monica Berg, Carina Soto Velásquez from Hackney cocktail bar Equal Parts, and co-owner of Three Sheets Max Venning – to name the number one negroni in the capital.
According to the experts, London’s best negroni can be found at Bar Italia, an Italian coffee shop with a super late licence in Soho. Kicking back with a negroni at this authentic caff is less about fancy ingredients or innovative twists, and more about soaking up the vibes.
‘If you want a negroni like how you’d have it in Italy, go to a divey place like Bar Italia,’ said Missy Flynn, cocktail expert and co-founder of the American-inspired Rita’s in Soho.
‘The negroni is so simple, the most important thing is to have the right ratio and enough dilution. Most simple Italian restaurants and cafés should make a good one.’
‘Bar Italia is somewhere you can go after work. It’s inexpensive, you can just stop in and have one outside. It’s fun.’
Mixologist Mr Lyan also said some of the best negronis could be found at London’s casual Italian eateries, particularly Bar Italia.
‘The good thing about a negroni is it's fairly bulletproof,’ he said. ‘Bar Italia in Soho is ace for grabbing one, it feels really stripped back and you can enjoy the simplicity of what it is.’
Honourable mentions go to runners up Tayer + Elementary in Shoreditch and Bar Termini in Soho, which both received two nominations from our expert panel.
The tiny wood-panelled Soho spot Bar Termini was recommended by Monica Berg and Carina Soto Velásquez. As a negroni specialist, Termini is known for serving innovative twists on the classic drink. Be warned: these bevvies come strong, as they are served straight up in coupettes.
Both Gabriel Pryce from Rita’s and Mr Lyan shouted our Old Street cocktail bar Tayer + Elementary for its unusual and ‘genius’ takes on the negroni, which include flavours like rhubarb and vetiver.
Also nominated for the best negroni in London was steak restaurant Hawksmoor for its cherry version of the tipple, chosen by Stephanie Randle-Solley from Exale Brewing. St John Smithfield was named the best place to sip the drink by Max Venning, and Swift’s Coral Anderson said the capital’s best was found at Frank’s, the French-styled bar underneath the St James’s brasserie Maison François.
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