Tony Conigliaro has been the name to check on the London cocktail scene since he opened Bar Termini, a tiny Soho institution best-known for its great coffee and even greater negronis. He’s also the man behind 69 Colebrooke Row in Islington, and the east London cocktail laboratory The Drink Factory, where he devises combinations that are more akin to science than libation mixing.
His latest opening on Kingsland Road in Hackney, is more polished than the others, almost gallery-like in its minimalism, with just one central polished concrete counter that encourages guests to mingle. Around it hang artworks referencing Warhol’s Silver Factory.
The restaurant space overlooking the bar is warmer, and has a Japanese izakaya feel to both the design – a collaboration between Conigliaro, Sofia Lympari from Studioprototype and Benny Robinson of Machine17 – and the menu, which was developed by chef Rob Roy Cameron.
Expect a fusion of contemporary cooking techniques with authentic Japanese flavours in dishes such as a katsu sandwich with beef, pickle & bulldog sauce. Designed to be shared, the menu works perfectly with the cocktails – of which Snow, a technically mind-boggling blend of distilled chalk, clay, flint and enoki mushroom should be tried to be believed.
ADDRESS
538 Kingsland Road
-
Design beyond humans: a new exhibition argues that the world doesn’t revolve around us‘More Than Human’ at London's Design Museum (until 5 October 2025) asks what happens when design focuses on the perspectives and needs of other species, from bees to seaweed
-
Tuneshine is a new way of bringing back the lost art of the album coverThe compact Tuneshine screen uses LED tech to illuminate the artwork of whatever you’re currently streaming
-
Inside the new theatre at Jacob’s Pillow and its ‘magic box’, part of a pioneering complex designed for danceJacob’s Pillow welcomes the reborn Doris Duke Theatre by Mecanoo, a new space that has just opened in the beloved Berkshires cultural hub for the summer season
-
Is this London’s slickest burger joint?Already proven in Paris, Dumbo’s smash-hit formula of precision, confidence, and simplicity arrives in Shoreditch – and yes, it’s worth the wait
-
Canal is a new west London restaurant with a suntrap terraceAt Canal, the new restaurant at Mason & Fifth’s Westbourne Park hotel, expect modern European breakfast, lunch and dinner from the team behind Crispin and Bistro Freddie
-
This hidden London culinary haven is a refreshing take on the steakhouseMr Porter, a new steakhouse, bar and lounge in central London's swish Mayfair, is a hidden haven of strong flavours and minimalist dining
-
A European-style café opens next to London’s Saatchi GalleryDesigned by Dion & Arles, Cafe Linea serves fresh pâtisseries, global dishes and sparkling wines in a stunning Grade II-listed setting
-
Ready to unplug? Sign up for this digital detox retreat in CornwallOffline escape provider Unplugged has partnered with Cabilla Cornwall to offer a phone-free, nature-immersive group experience on Bodmin Moor
-
Anya Hindmarch’s Ice Cream Project is London’s tastiest (and weirdest) summer traditionThe cult pop-up has returned, transforming a Belgravia corner into a sleek, steel-clad shrine to British pantry nostalgia
-
The best bars in London for bartending greatnessFrom chic hotel cocktail classics to game-changing flavour combinations, our resident drinks correspondent, Neil Ridley, explores ten of the best bars in London
-
NoMad London’s new restaurant fast-tracks you to New York’s jazz ageMartin Brudnizki Design Studio conjures up old-world glamour at Twenty8 NoMad, where the menu features nearly as many martini variations as main courses
