I went along to the Shochu Lounge after the work pub and found it a nice little gem around Goodge Street. It’s located right next to Roka as it’s run by the same set of people. It’s dark, cosy yet they count the number of people going in (both at the top and bottom) to make sure it’s never crowded. When we arrived, most of the tables already had people though they do have plenty of places to sit down with a group.

The crowd was chic, and most people looked liked they had put on some effort to come out here. Unfortunately we sat next to a group of totally drunk Americans who ended up being excessively loud and attention seeking, being asked several times to stop standing up on the low couches. Fortunately the rest of the crowd was much cooler and relaxed.

Of course, their Shochu is definitely one of their “things to have” on the menu, including a decent selection of Shochu cocktails. On top of this, they reserve a number of tables for those people who want to have food, where you can order from its parent restaurant, Roka.

I’d definitely want to go back there again. I enjoyed the atmosphere minus the crammed-in-can-barely-breath nature most other popular London bars tend to have.