Double Standard

You descend into Double Standard knowing you're in the hands of people who understand how to make a proper cocktail bar feel like somewhere you actually want to spend an evening. Tucked beneath The Standard hotel on Argyle Street (you know, that converted Victorian warehouse near King's Cross), it's got the low ceilings, moody lighting, and well-curated drinks list you'd expect from somewhere with hotel backing and actual craft behind it. The crowd skews young-professional and genuinely interested in what's in their glass—no hen parties, no generic mojitos. Staff know their stuff without being insufferable about it, which is genuinely rare in London right now.