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13 Places To Go For A Drink When You’re Not Drinking

You could nurse a glass of lime and soda in any London pub. But when you’re off the booze, these are the places to go for a really great non-alcoholic drink.
13 Places To Go For A Drink When You’re Not Drinking image

photo credit: Photo: Karolina Wiercigroch

The non-alcoholic section of the drinks menu can be a sad place. No one wants to shell out a tenner for some Ribena in a martini glass. That’s why we’ve put together this guide, to help you avoid a lifetime of overly sweet mocktails. Whether you like to sip on a 0% beer while propped up at the bar, or maybe you’re more of a velvet booth and fig leaf fizz person—there are plenty of great options for non-drinkers in the city. You just have to know where to look.


BEST BARS WHEN YOU'RE NOT DRINKING

photo credit: Atelier Coupette

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Soho

$$$$Perfect For:Drinking Good CocktailsDrinks & A Light BiteImpressing Out of Towners
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Atelier Coupette is a small Soho bar ideal for trying several cocktails without bankrupting yourself in the process. Pours are smaller and prices are lower—the idea is to explore the menu and try several drinks which is easy when everything is tasty and creative. There are great options for non-drinkers, like the carob and coconut vermouth with yerba mate and the spicy chipotle honey. Choose a table towards the back if you're coming with a group or pitch up at the small counter if you fancy a chat with the bartenders.


The non-alcoholic section of this Soho spot’s menu is packed full of fun and interesting drinks. We’re talking herbal shrub and spiced citrus cocktails, 0% lager, and even fancy booze-free wine. Swift has a polished feel so you can let your hair down without ending up in the armpit of someone who smells like they’ve just had a make-out sesh with a brewery. It’s classy, cool, and even affordable, with most mocktails coming in around the £8 mark.


Little Bat is one of those bars that has got that whole modern Hemingway thing going on. Old books lining the shelves, little leather stools, an aura of casual debauchery that can quite quickly descend into actual debauchery after a few convincing, booze-free gimlets. This Islington liquor lounge also has a pineapple and passionfruit number that’s perfect if you’re in the market for something that’ll make you feel like you’re on a cruise. Drink several, then comfort your mate who is 80% whisky and 20% convinced they should steal the profound portrait of a Jack Russell by the entrance.


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The Coral Room will make you feel fabulous. Think a cosmopolitan wunderkind with a deep understanding of why hyaluronic acid is good for your skin and drinking two bottles of cava isn’t. Inside The Bloomsbury Hotel in Bloomsbury, this place is an absolute no-brainer for a round of sophisticated or celebratory drinks, including go-to booze-free spirits from AEcorn and Seedlip.


photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

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Skylight Peckham serves non-alcoholic drinks with a view of the whole of London. Hit up this huge rooftop restaurant and bar for drinks like an apple and blackberry nojito. Yes, they do go pun-heavy but their non-alcoholic options are worth the slight cringe you might have when ordering. The views really are quite something and they have live jazz events throughout the week.


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Royale @ East London Liquor Company

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East London Liquor Co. is where you want to be right now. No, really. This distillery and bar in Bow Wharf is not only home to some truly exceptional roast chicken courtesy of Royale, they also serve no-booze cocktails. The pear sour and the carrot and pineapple tepache are both worth a go, plus they also serve bottles of Brooklyn Brewery’s zero-alcohol Special Effects beer.


Nightjar in Shoreditch is a slick speakeasy serving creative virgin cocktails—think kirsch elixir with cold brew coffee. And in case you still want to get a bit of a buzz on without finding you’re missing a shoe come 8am, there are low-alcohol alternatives too.


Just because you’re not drinking, doesn’t mean that you don’t want a slice of the fun. The Arts Theatre Club in Soho is a smallish spot that gets jam-packed most nights, and then gets progressively rowdier as the night goes on. They do virgin takes on a handful of classic cocktails, but, if you’re after something a little more special, there’s also a ‘jungle cooler’ which involves a whole lot of pressed pineapple juice, passionfruit syrup, and coconut cream. Or just tell the bartenders what flavours you like and they’ll whip something up for you.


photo credit: Karolina Wiercigroch

$$$$Perfect For:Happy Hour

Maybe it was that break-up. Or maybe you just watched that RSPCA puppy advert at a particularly sensitive moment. Whatever the reason, you’re having a lot of feelings right now. What you need is one of the comfy armchairs at the cocktail lounge at The Zetter in Clerkenwell. This place serves plenty of cocktails in case your mates are happy on the hard stuff, but it also has the kind of cosy feel where you wouldn’t be at all surprised if your favourite grandparent appeared, grabbed a seat by the fire, and joined you for a fig leaf fizz.


BEST RESTAURANTS WHEN YOU'RE NOT DRINKING

Mildreds is a casual, vegan restaurant in Soho that has some great booze-free spritzes on their drinks list. From morning to night, this place is pretty much always busy, but as a back-up they have equally upbeat spots in Camden, Dalston, Covent Garden, and King’s Cross. We recommend pairing your pink citrus spritz with a plate of nachos—they’re some of our favourites in London.


Mezcal is all fun and games until you’re leaving your partner voice notes comparing your love to Bonnie and Clyde’s while slurring, “I steal kebab for you babe, any kebab”. Good times. Anyway, Decimo is a big, Mexican and Spanish-influenced party restaurant on the 10th floor of The Standard, London hotel in King’s Cross. And their selection of alcohol-free drinks—amarico highball, clover fizz, an agave and pink grapefruit number—are just as good as their margaritas.


Rovi is a restaurant of many talents. This place is perfect, whether you’re looking to keep it kind of healthy with a celeriac shawarma that’ll make your soul swell, or just in search of a drink and snack at their comfortable bar. There are also booze-free cocktails, with ingredients that sound like they’ll probably be good for you. There’s a teetotal take on a G&T on offer, but our favourite is the seasonal fruit iced tea.


At Dishoom, as well as top Indian dishes, a selection of chai drinks, and several lassis to choose from, there are also alcohol-free takes on classic cocktails. From a sober negroni to a dry espresso martini, all of their teetotal drinks have all the drama of a cocktail, so there’s zero risk of feeling left out. The menu is the same at all of the Dishoom locations, but the King’s Cross outpost is your best bet to avoid the queues.


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