Bars in London are usually a good bet for an entertaining evening. Some nights you might just want a quiet and familiar place to have drinks, but other times a more exotic experience might be just what you need.

Have you ever tried shochu?

Shochu is a Japanese liquor made from grains such as rice, barley, or sweet potatoes. Unlike sake, which is a brewed rice wine, shochu is distilled and as a result it more closely resembles vodka than sake. Once considered an “old man’s drink”, it has recently become quite popular with the younger set, largely because it is lower in calories (and alcohol content) than many other distilled liquors.

Shochu is often flavoured with things like lychees, plums, or citrus fruit, and as you might expect, the place to go for shochu in London is the Shochu Lounge. This bar is located in a stylishly decorated area beneath the Roka Restaurant, and its subterranean charm is distinctly Japanese.

Patrons can sit at a massive wooden slab of a bar and watch the bartenders hacking off bits from a giant chunk of solid ice to chill the drinks they prepare. The décor is a modern take on a rustic Japanese shop with traditional barrels, buckets, and cloth-covered jars lining the wall.

Those new to drinking shochu should be sure to ask the bartenders for advice; they will most likely let you sample a few kinds for free.

Real aficionados can purchase a large pot of their favourite variety of shochu for about £200, and the restaurant will tag it with your name and keep it in a glass cabinet for you to enjoy whenever you stop in. Those with smaller budgets or less exotic taste buds won’t be disappointed by the more conventional offerings at Shochu Lounge.

The drinks menu is inspired, with a variety of unusual martinis and trendy cocktails served with a Japanese twist.

Bars in London with a Japanese theme are rare, and none do it as well as Shochu.

Visiting Shochu Lounge

Address: Shochu Lounge, 37 Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, W1T 1RR

Telephone: 020 7580 6464

Opening Times

Lunch: Tuesday to Friday 12:00 - 15:30 | Monday 17:00 - 00:00, Tuesday to Friday 12:00 - 00:00, Saturday 17:00 - 00:00, Sunday 18:00 - 00:00

Photo courtesy: Ewan-M

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