Sustainable Sips: 8 Eco-Friendly Bars In London
London is known for its thriving bar scene, however as more and more of us strive to make better, more environmentally conscious menu choices, we’re also seeking out eco-friendly options when it comes to our drinks. Fortunately, there are a growing number of sustainable restaurants and bars in London that are offering a guilt-free, greener way to enjoy a night out on the town.
From locally-sourced ingredients to zero-waste policies, these are the eco-friendly bars in London that are paving the way to a more sustainable drinking culture.
Eve Bar
Head to Covent Garden for eco-friendly cocktails, courtesy of Chef Adam Handling. Located in the basement of his restaurant, Frog, Eve Bar’s cocktails give new life to leftover ingredients from the Michelin-starred kitchen upstairs, meaning waste is minimised and everything is used to its fullest potential.
The new menu, ‘Technique’, features boundary-pushing cocktails that showcase five different theatrical techniques, as well as shining a light on the bar’s zero-waste ethos, like the Fully Discarded with hazelnut distilled Discarded vodka, martini bitters, suze, red grape and apple shrub; or the Chicken Butter Old Fashioned made with chicken butter washed truffle Michter’s Sour Mash, Metaxa 12 Stars, poppy seed Peychaud’s bitters, and Morveren Cornish absinthe. It’s the perfect spot for cocktail enthusiasts who value sustainability.
Where: 34 Southampton St, London WC2E 7HF
Website: www.evebar.co.uk
Cocktails give new life to leftover ingredients from the Michelin-starred kitchen upstairs.
Viajante87
Notting Hill’s newest bar Viajante87 is an ode to all things green, where it’s not only the cocktails that are eco-friendly, but the bar itself is made from recycled glass and the interior walls are covered in upcycled cork. It sets the bar high by making sustainability a cornerstone of its experiential cocktail menu, with a zero-waste drinks philosophy at the heart of the innovative agave-based creations. It’s a must for anyone looking for a sustainable London cocktail bar who truly wants to make a positive impact on the environment.
Signature sips include the Frida, made with La Familia tequila extra anejo, citrus sherbert, chamomile-oregano syrup, rosemary bitters, plum liquor, and champagne; and the Viajante Martini with tequila reposado, bell peppers, fermented mead and green tea sherry.
Where: 87 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3JZ
Website: www.viajantebar.com
Nightjar
A speakeasy to rival all other speakeasies, Nightjar is the acclaimed London basement bar that takes us all the way back to the pre-Prohibition era, serving up creative cocktails that are works of art. But it’s not only the presentation that’s impressive – the utmost attention is given to sustainability and waste reduction in how they approach their cocktails too.
Leftover ingredients like mint leaves, papaya and kumquats are dehydrated and infused in alcohol, and when edible leaves start to go bad, they’re dried, powdered and mixed with icing sugar to use as aromatic dusting.
Where: 129 City Rd, London EC1V 1JB
Website:www.barnightjar.com
Nine Lives
This popular Bermondsey neighbourhood bar is committed to its seasonal, zero-waste menu where all ingredients are sourced from eco-friendly suppliers and local urban gardens. Signature sips include the Tropicalifornication made with Discarded banana rum, pineapple plantation rum, bitters, lime and egg white; and the Lemon Song with Nine Lives Limoncello, elderflower, lemon, prosecco and soda.
There’s also seasonal and sustainable seafood tacos served up from their taco truck to enjoy al-fresco style.
Where: 8 Holyrood St, London SE1 2EL
Website: www.ninelivesbar.com
Native at Brown’s
This restaurant, hidden inside Brown’s luxury department store, may seem like an unlikely spot to find an eco-friendly bar, but Native’s cocktails are doing just as much good as their foraged menu, with everything they make centred around wild, foraged ingredients.
Highlights include the Compostopolitan with limoncello, discarded grape skin vodka and bramley apple; and the Milk Punch, made with rum, waste whey, foraged herbs and waste citrus.
Where: Browns 39, Brook St, London W1K 4JE
Website: www.nativerestaurant.co.uk
The Spread Eagle
This delightful traditional pub comes with a twist as London’s first fully vegan watering hole. Go for a Sunday roast of beetroot wellington or a cashew nut roast, and stay for guilt-free drinks, with all their house wines, vodka and gin arriving in refill packs to minimise waste and their impact on the environment.
There’s 100% vegan draughts, small batch wines, and vegan twists on classic cocktails, and in the kitchen, sustainability is key, with an emphasis on foraging, minimal waste and a roster of local suppliers.
Where: 224 Homerton High St, London E9 6AS
Website:www.thespreadeaglelondon.co.uk
London’s first fully vegan watering hole.
The Culpeper
Not only is the Culpeper known for its top quality food and beautiful rooftop views – said rooftop is home to a garden where the East London pub grows as much of their own food for their menu as they possibly can, whether that’s a part of a dish or a garnish for a drink.
An incredible spot come summer, book a table, sit back and relax with a Whisky Smash (whisky, lemon and rooftop mint) as you soak up the skyline views.
Where: 40 Commercial St, London E1 6TB
Website:www.theculpeper.com
Garden-to-cocktail drinks and beautiful rooftop views.
Midnight Apothecary
Nestled in a secret garden at the Brunel Museum, Midnight Apothecary is a cosy, magical oasis in the heart of the city – perfect for drinking cocktails and toasting marshmallows over the campfire. The bar specialises in botanical cocktails made from hand-foraged herbs and plants grown both in the garden and locally, showcasing a true garden-to-glass experience.
Delicious botanical-based cocktails include the Woodland Martini with Douglas fir vodka, smoked sage and wild vermouth with angelica seed bitters; or the Bonfire of the Vani-Teas, with burnt bergamot, scented geranium tea, Jensen’s Bermondsey Dry and campari.
Where: Railway Ave, London SE16 4LF
Website: www.themidnightapothecary.co.uk