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Time Out
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The best bar in London for a first date, according to bartending experts
When choosing a bar for a first date, it has to be perfect. Said drinkery shouldn't be too loud, or too ostentatious, and it ideally will provide some sort of distraction if things aren't going so well. Luckily, London has myriad cosy wine bars, romantic nooks and quirky drinking dens that will give you plenty of things to talk about should you and your date run out of conversation (it happens!). But which of these sultry spots is the best? Time Out asked industry experts including Lyaness ' Mr Lyan, Max Venning of Three Sheets, and co-owners of Rita's Missy Flynn and Gabriel Pryce, to recommend their favourite bars in the city, so that in turn we could come up with the definitive ranking of the best drinking spots for date night. Here's what they said. According to the experts, London's best bar for a first date is Three Sheets Soho. Three Sheets Soho is the second outpost of the Dalston-based cocktail bar, and opened last year. 'Three Sheets Soho is chic, buzzy and welcoming,' said Coral Anderson, managing director of Swift, a cocktail bar with branches in Soho, London Bridge and Borough. 'You will never walk in and find it dead. The seating is perfect for two people, even if it's at the bar.' Anderson recommended ordering the salted plum highball, and if you're feeling fancy 'you can get the best value glass of Dom Perignon in London'. 'Three Sheets has a little bit of everything for everyone,' said Monica Berg, co-owner of Tayēr + Elementary. 'It's a good all-rounder in a central London location. It's not too loud so it's easy to have a chat. 'It's very welcoming and relaxed, but at the same time signals that you're making an effort. 'I always start with the French 75.' Runners up included listening bar Mu in Dalston, shouted out by Carina Soto Velásquez, co-owner of Equal Parts; wine bar Bruno in Victoria Park, recommended by Exale Brewing's Stephanie Randle-Solley; Quality Wines in Farringdon, approved by Missy and Gabriel of Rita's; and 42 – the in-house cocktail bar at Michelin star restaurant Gymkhana in Mayfair, nominated by Mr Lyan, particularly for its human-sized paintings of cats. The best bars in London for 2025.
Time Out
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The best dive bar in London, according to bartending experts
Finding a good dive bar in London can be tricky. It has to be sufficiently dingy, a little bit grubby, and bar orders should ideally only be one syllable – we're talking beers, shots, and maybe crisps. London might have an abundance of pubs, ranging from the old-fashioned variety to sleek hipster haunts, but when it comes to a proper dive, choices can be limited. That's why Time Out asked seven different bar industry insiders – including Coral Anderson from cocktail bar Swift, Mr Lyan of the acclaimed Lyaness, and Carina Soto Velásquez, co-owner of what we've just named London's best bar, Equal Parts – to recommend their favourite dive bar in the city, so we could come up with the definitive answer to the question of London's best. According to the experts, the best dive bar in the city is Blondies in Clapton. The east London metal haunt has been open since 2015, and is famous for its packed-out gigs, as well as outrageously OTT Halloween decorations every October. 'Blondies is sweaty, chaotic, charming, very loud and just brilliant,' said Stephanie Randle-Solley from Exale Brewing, an independent brewery and taproom in Walthamstow. 'They have really great gigs, so make sure to check their listings,' she added, remembering a particularly raucous night when she saw Australian punk duo Mannequin Death Squad play in the tiny room. Randle-Solley recommended ordering the Blondies lager, the in-house beer that's made at the bar's Leytonstone taproom. Blondies Brewery was recently put under a licence review after noise complaints, and has been crowdfunding to save its future ever since. 'It's not particularly high ABV, it's an easy gig drink,' said Randle-Solley about the brew. Max Venning, co-founder of Three Sheets in Dalston and Soho also nominated Blondies as the best dive bar in London. 'It's a great grungey rock and roll dive,' he said, also pointing out the live music, or what he calls 'mad gigs'. Runners up included the legendary Oxford Street boozer Bradley's Spanish Bar, chosen by Missy Flynn and Gabriel Pryce from Rita's; the Americana-esque Rasputin's in Hackney, known for its £7 martinis and recommended by Coral Anderson; and The Victoria, a late-night pub and gig venue in Dalston, chosen by Mr Lyan. An honourable mention goes to Slim Jim's Liquor Store in Islington, also known for its gigs – Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong even put on an impromptu show there in 2023 – whiskies and 3am licence, which was also shouted out by Venning and Mr Lyan. The best bars in London for 2025.
Time Out
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The best bar in London for a first date, according to experts
When choosing a bar for a first date, it has to be perfect. Said drinkery shouldn't be too loud, or too ostentatious, and it ideally will provide some sort of distraction if things aren't going so well. Luckily, London has myriad cosy wine bars, romantic nooks and quirky drinking dens that will give you plenty of things to talk about should you and your date run out of conversation (it happens!). But which of these sultry spots is the best? Time Out asked industry experts including Lyaness ' Mr Lyan, Max Venning of Three Sheets, and co-owners of Rita's Missy Flynn and Gabriel Pryce, to recommend their favourite bars in the city, so that in turn we could come up with the definitive ranking of the best drinking spots for date night. Here's what they said. According to the experts, London's best bar for a first date is Three Sheets Soho. Three Sheets Soho is the second outpost of the Dalston-based cocktail bar, and opened last year. 'Three Sheets Soho is chic, buzzy and welcoming,' said Coral Anderson, managing director of Swift, a cocktail bar with branches in Soho, London Bridge and Borough. 'You will never walk in and find it dead. The seating is perfect for two people, even if it's at the bar.' Anderson recommended ordering the salted plum highball, and if you're feeling fancy 'you can get the best value glass of Dom Perignon in London'. 'Three Sheets has a little bit of everything for everyone,' said Monica Berg, co-owner of Tayēr + Elementary. 'It's a good all-rounder in a central London location. It's not too loud so it's easy to have a chat. 'It's very welcoming and relaxed, but at the same time signals that you're making an effort. 'I always start with the French 75.' Runners up included listening bar Mu in Dalston, shouted out by Carina Soto Velásquez, co-owner of Equal Parts; wine bar Bruno in Victoria Park, recommended by Exale Brewing's Stephanie Randle-Solley; Quality Wines in Farringdon, approved by Missy and Gabriel of Rita's; and 42 – the in-house cocktail bar at Michelin star restaurant Gymkhana in Mayfair, nominated by Mr Lyan, particularly for its human-sized paintings of cats. The best bars in London for 2025.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
BMW's Stunning New Skytop Roadster Is Coming Next Year—and It's Already Sold Out
The BMW Skytop is taking its time getting here, but it is coming. Delivery of the production version of the Z8-inspired concept is scheduled to begin in early 2026, according to BMW Blog. That time frame is a little longer than previously anticipated. More from Robb Report A Georgian-Inspired Florida Mansion With Venetian Gardens Hits the Market for $8.6 Million Award-Winning Bartender Mr Lyan on Vintage Omegas, Rare Whiskey, and the Importance of Hip-Hop Inside This Family's 7-Year Voyage Around the World Aboard a 146-Foot Explorer Yacht The report comes a few months after BMW's head of design, Adrian van Hooydonk, said the customers would be driving the exclusive convertible before the end of 2025. But the new timing does make sense, as the 8 Series, which the Skytop is based on, is expected to be discontinued some time next year. That would make the gorgeous speed machine the sports car's swan song. Representatives for BMW did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Robb Report. If the Skytop ends up being one of the final current 8 Series models, it would be quite the way for the car's second generation to go out. Unveiled last May at the Villa d'Este Concorso d'Eleganza, the two-seater features a sculptural look that includes an aggressive front end with razor-thin headlamps, a central spine that runs from the hood to the deck lid, and the removable roof panels that give it its name. The final design won't be identical to that of the concept, but it's expected, thankfully, to be awfully close. BMW has yet to say what kind of powertrain will be under the hood. Since making its debut, the expectation has been that it will feature a mill similar to that found in the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 found in the M8 Competition. That engine makes 617 hp and 553 ft lbs of torque, which suggests the production model will be fast. We're also still waiting to find out just how much the Skytop will end up costing. It has been reported that the car starts at €500,000, or roughly $579,000 by today's exchange rates, which is $420,000 more than the starting price of the range-topping M8 Competition Convertible. That price would also make it one of the marque's most expensive factory-built models of all time. Another recent few-off, the reimagined 3.0 CSL, started at $750,000, but has sold for well over that on the secondary market. Whatever the Skytop's cost, it does not appear to have dissuaded interested parties. The entire 50-car run sold out last year before the model had even been confirmed for production. Fortunately, for those who missed out, it's only a matter of time until one makes its way to auction. Best of Robb Report The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast The World's Best Superyacht Shipyards The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht Click here to read the full article.
