Portobello Rd Distillery @ The Star

You're walking down Portobello Road, past the vintage shops and market stalls, and you duck into The Star—a Victorian pub that's been given the Portobello Rd Distillery treatment without losing any of its soul. The bar here takes itself seriously about spirits; they're making their own stuff, which means you're getting cocktails built on something with actual character rather than whatever's on the well. It's the kind of place where you can chat to the person behind the bar and they won't make you feel daft for asking what goes into things.