The Watergate

If you need a slick, stylish spot that’s as good for impressing mates and dates as it is making you feel like the kind of person who orders venison loin on the reg, The Watergate is it. While the pretty European-leaning dishes add to the scene, they aren’t the reason you come here. On any given night, the moodily lit bar and small plates spot in Deptford is filled with people who want to look cool and drink grown-up cocktails. There are the “we aren’t like normal parents, we’re cool parents” types discussing Pantone paint shades over moreish salt cod croquettes. Over by the exposed brickwork, under dangly orb lights, there’s probably a date playing out. Eyes are locked over an oozing, crispy hen’s egg and chicory salad which is picked at in a way that hopefully conveys ‘stable, datable, no priors’.