The New York Bar

You're walking into a proper cocktail bar that actually takes itself seriously—the kind of place where they know the difference between a Sazerac and a Sidecar, and they'll judge you fondly if you ask for a mojito. The New York Bar sits inside the Rubens Hotel, all dark wood, brass fittings, and the kind of lighting that makes everyone look better than they have any right to. It's the opposite of the Instagram-bait cocktail bars cluttering up Soho; instead, you get classic drinks done well, competent bartenders who chat without trying too hard, and a quieter room than you'd expect so close to Victoria Station.