The best places in London for a spooky Halloween cocktail
While many of the good readers of City PM may baulk at the thought of a rowdy Halloween party – especially one at which you may have to wear a costume – this year there are some genuinely exciting events for the more discerning pleasure-seeker. Whether you’re in the market for excellent food with a spooky twist, cocktails made by some of London’s top mixologists or an excuse to party until the small hours, we have something for you.
M Victoria Street
A dog isn’t just for Christmas – they are also for Halloween. City PM favourite M Restaurant is hosting a special “six-legged” brunch for you and your pooch. Your demon dog will be transformed into a Halloween horror with thanks to “all-natural, temporary chalk fur colours” and Halloween bows, and they will also receive an express grooming session. The food menu will include chicken jerky, steak and eggs, and a pancake stack. There will be prizes for the best dressed dog and a silent auction to raise money for Dogs For Good.
• 74 Victoria St, SW1E 6SQ
Swingers City
The City’s very own minigolf experience Swingers is hosting a “Trick or Treat” themed Halloween party, with golfers being asked to spin a wheel of fortune for a chance to win prizes. The cocktail menu will include the Sweet Treat, with Don Julio Tequila, lime, elderflower, orange bitters and cranberry juice, and the Fiery Trick, made with Don Julio Tequila, sugar syrup, tabasco, Chambord, and orange bitters. The venue will be decorated with empty coffins, rogue skeletons, electric chairs and zombie caddies, while the playlist will be filled with spooky classics.
• 8 Brown’s Buildings, EC3A 8AL
Pergola on the Wharf
Pergola on the Wharf is celebrating Halloween with two events: Pergola Lates Halloween Special and a Halloween Bottomless Brunch. The former is a Friday night party taking place on 29 October, with fancy dress, a line-up of DJs and live sax-playing all night. The Halloween Bottomless Brunch is available on Saturday 30 October from 11am from £35 per person and includes Bottomless Prosecco, Bloody Marys, Mimosas, Pergola Punch or Aperol Spritz.
• Crossrail Place
JIJI Islington
Japanese-Middle Eastern restaurant Jiji will be suitably decked out throughout Halloween weekend, with its resident mixologists creating a “chilling concoction” for the occasion in the Black Widow, a mix of Tequila Reposado, mezcal, blood orange liqueur, lime juice and honey, topped with edible black ink. A special Halloween menu will also be on offer.
• 6G Esther Anne Place, N1 1WL
Dirty Bones
On Saturday, Dirty Bones will host a party with in-house DJs at its venues in Carnaby Street, Kensington, Shoreditch and Oxford Street, with music and dancing from 8pm to midnight. Halloween decor will be offset by “NYC-inspired comfort classics, cocktails and hip hop beats”. On Sunday it will host a “movies and chill” night with Ghostbusters playing on a big screen, with tickets priced at £15 including a drink, popcorn and comfort food.
• Various locations
Oblix at the Shard
Pop over to the 32nd floor of the Shard to Oblix, a bar and restaurant with frightfully good views over London. Between the witching hours of 9pm and 2am on Saturday, expect an extensive cocktail menu, as well as live DJs and Halloween-themed entertainment. Guests are encouraged to go wild with costumes and makeup, so go big or go home. Bookings can be made in advance, but walk-ins will also be accepted, making it ideal for any last-minute plans.
• The Shard, City
The Laslett
Tucked away in Notting Hill, boutique hotel The Laslett is celebrating the return of its popular monthly Thursday Oyster Nights by hosting a Halloween-themed soiree on 28 October. With a Halloween theme of ‘Bloody Oysters’, the event will start at 6pm, and will involve countless Bloody Marys, mystical Tarot readings and, of course, oysters.
• 8 Pembridge Gardens, W2 4DU
SUSHISAMBA
Why not sashimi into the Heron Tower for Sushisamba’s ‘True Hallucinations’ Party, a three-night celebration running from 28-30 October from 10:30pm until late. Step into a mystical rainforest, immerse yourself in bohemian psychedelic visuals, and enjoy crystal caves and “mind-bending performances” with a cocktail in hand. Each night will be ablaze with beats from leading DJs, with secret acts to be announced soon. Bookings can be made online.
• Heron Tower, City
Smith’s Bar and Grill
For a seasonal chill, Paddington’s Smith’s Bar and Grill, is offering a range of “spooktacular cocktails” this week. If you fancy imbibing cocktails with “a sweet hit” and a “punchy flavour” bearing names such as The Fog of Death, The Sweet Poison, or The Walking Dead, Smith’s has got you covered. Overlooking the Grand Union Canal from its hub in Paddington Central, and offering a broad range of food and drink options, the bar is the perfect choice for a post-work tipple.
• 25 Sheldon Square, W2 6WEY