Simmons Bar | Shoreditch

Walk into Simmons on Curtain Road and you'll clock immediately that this isn't trying to be clever for the sake of it. The space has that industrial Shoreditch feel—exposed brick, decent lighting, room to actually have a conversation—but it's the bar team that makes it tick. You're getting classically trained cocktails made with proper technique and quality spirits, the kind of place where the bartenders remember regulars and genuinely care about what's in your glass. It's become exactly what Shoreditch needed: somewhere you can grab a proper drink without the posturing, whether that's an old fashioned done right or something more inventive. The crowd's mixed, the prices won't destroy your bank account (cocktails around £10–14), and it actually feels like a neighbourhood spot rather than a tourist trap.