PortSide Parlour

Sweet spot. Very unassuming and laid back. Great music. I will be back next time I’m in the hood

Looking for a dance party, d-​bags, and vodka whatevers? I wasn’t either when I so luckily noticed PortSide Parlour and popped in.
PSP is a serious cocktail bar that doesn’t take things too seriously. A small staff — super friendly and oozing with sarcasm.
But let’s be real, I wasn’t sticking around for social skills. These guys are passionate about the drinks. Tell them what you’re in the mood for, or a flavor that’s on your mind and they’ll take their time to create something nice. If you don’t like it they’ll make you something else, like Starbucks, but the opposite of Starbucks at the same time. Because they don’t suck.
Drinking there is like working with a really good bike mechanic who is meticulous about getting things just right. The experience is hard to come by, but when you find it you know it.
Ask about the karaōke rooms in the back!

Randomly dropped into this lovely little bar while wandering the back streets. Wow. Chris the bartender is incredibly knowledgeable, his recommendations spot on and his bloody Mary so good that even my non-​bloody Mary drinking g/​f decided to have one after tasting mine. Will be back.

This place really deserves to exist… Inspired cocktails, good small plates but most of all great service. It’s not very visible from rivington street… Almost speakeasy-​esque. We’ve been to this cocktail bar three times and it is always very satisfactory. Very worth the visit

Dark and mysterious, this bar is enticing as soon as you walk in. I recommend booking a couple of stools at the bar — it’s where you can stare at the hot bar staff and chat to the randoms. The cocktails are immense — they know they’re shit.

I liked this place and think it has potential. It is nice to find a bar that is not a pub, not trying to be a speakeasy, not trying to be a lounge or cocktail club, but just is a good, cool bar. I was surprised that we had no problem walking in on a Friday eve and getting seats at the bar. You need to eat something here per their license. We just had olives, but some of the plates looked really good. The speciality here is cocktails but we ordered wine which was a bit disappointing. Also the music – a bit of rap/​hip hop was a bit odd for the atmosphere. But still a good place and I’d go back and check it out – having cocktails and small plates.

SO BLOODY BRILLIANT! My husband and I swing by here for our anniversary a few weeks ago in November, relatively early, around 5, and found the place empty but the staff was as nice as ever. Dark wood, dim lighting and such lend an air of romanticism which we appreciated. They explained the cocktails well as well as the menu and we decided to get some bites and drinks. I got the Bello something or other and it was DELICIOUS. Tequila tamped down with fruity notes, it was strong. I next got what the gin cocktail and again, a wonderful balance. My husband enjoyed the smoky, peaty bourbon cocktail he had.
Oh and the food, oh the food!!! For a place with small plates, it does it out of the park! The pumpkin salad with goat cheese, crispy black cabbage and pine nuts blew me away. The arrangement is also quite nice. Same goes for the other veggie dish I wish I could recall– I closed my eyes for the sheer bliss. Even the croquettes were stunning– rich with the taste enveloping your whole mouth.
The staff was pleasant and joking the whole time, sharing tips on where to go in the UK for weekend trips.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE

Like a little curiosity shop, this place just popped up in the middle of a dingy Shoreditch street all dark and cosy. But I’m glad it did.
I had no idea of its existence but showed up for a date nearby and was ushered in here. All dark wood tones, intimate little tables and an allure of possibilities. It was fairly empty on a Tuesday night so we managed to get a quiet table and the back room all to ourselves. I wanted to love this place as it seems to have a lot of great qualities, but there were some strange tones.
So much reading on the menu, it actually reminds me of the Whistling Shop. We opted for a bottle of wine instead. I can’t do that much overly elaborate explanations just for a cocktail.
The music! Gah, you would expect some jazz or soul in a classy cocktail bar, but no, they blasted cheesey r’n’b all night. Right over our heads. It was so off putting. And the waitress was crazy. She stalked our table relentlessly. Firstly the overly long explanation that we needed to order food to order drinks due to their irritating restaurant license. Then she just kept coming by all the time. Please leave, I didn’t come here for your company.
I would definitely come back, but I’d ask them to change the music.

Booked a table for me and the mister for our anniversary. The staff were lovely and put us in a cosy table at the back, lit candles and turned down the lights. Very attentive and friendly. The tapas was small but delicious and the drinks were scrummy! Not a massive selection and no funky multi coloured drinks but if you like warm, sweet flavours I’d recommend the poet and into the woods for really flavoursome little tipples. Not one for a whole evening but we very much enjoyed it!

Well, isn’t this a sexy little thing.
I’ve been eagerly awaiting a time to tipple at Portside Parlour… having noticed them rehabbing the space for several weeks before opening, I just needed the stars to align so I could get in there. Luckily for me, our sitter showed up early last night (Friday), we skedaddled out to have a birthday drink before dinner at Merchant’s Tavern and we rocked up to 3 bar stools with our name on them and ample time to enjoy a pre-​dinner cocktail.
It’s dark, with rich textures, friendly barmen and just fancy enough cocktails. However, the almost required air of snootiness was nowhere to be found. PRAISE be!
I opted for the Thymol Spritz (excellent decision) on the semi-​warm late summer evening… my pals got the PP version of a Manhattan and a dry martini. One had squid ink it – don’t say I don’t show people a good time, just got a guy from Texas to drink squid ink!
They are operating with a restricted license (I’m not entirely sure what this means) but it meant to us that we needed to order some snacks/​food. The croquettes were quite delicious though next time I’d skip the olives in favor of another of their small plates.
After doing a bit of research I realize they’ve relocated from a pop-​up space on Columbia Market. Score one for Shoreditch, this spot is sweet. Great for a date. Comfortable booths, great bar, tucked away on Rivington Street so you’ll be shielded from the elements of Old Street menagerie.
Total bill for 3 inventive cocktails, olives and croquettes — £37.

With a large sectional of Rums to choose from this hidden bar is worth a visit. The chilled music and great tapas is a great place to have a few people around. It’s a small bar, and the only gripe I have is the food options (need a few more dishes), but I could easily image this place being packed very easily.
It you want to avoid the mainstream, I would head here, you be surprise how close it is from the main road. Plus if you don’t see a drink on the menu, the bartender can make it, got to love the off menu ordering !