The Social

You're descending into a packed basement on Little Portland Street, shoulders brushing with everyone from media types to actual locals who've been coming here for years. The vibe is properly social (the clue's in the name)—no velvet ropes, no pretension, just well-made cocktails and the kind of atmosphere that makes strangers become drinking buddies by 10pm. There's live music most nights, which means you're either swaying along to something excellent or squinting through cigarette smoke trying to spot the band. It's the sort of place where you'd come for one drink and somehow it's last orders.