The Cocktail Trading Company

Cosy and warm place. Good drinks with great presentation. Love the theatrical cutting of the ice cubes. Recomended!

I’ll keep it nice and short as:
— atmosphere was cheerful, cosy and relaxed the moment we set foot into the room, the «cherry-​on-​the-​top» was the singer accompanied by a piano player perfectly fitting in with the atmosphere
— cocktails were entertaining and playful both visually and tastefully
— barmen were really friendly
— we did not mind standing for the first 10 minutes while waiting for seats at the bar as it was hard to be anything but positive in such a great atmosphere!

Great Unilocal night out at this hidden lil gem convince erotic nestled right between Carnaby Street and Oxford Circus. Although it can be a bit hard to find your first time, we must have wooed past it bout 5 – 6 times before Bethany (our lovely Unilocal organiser) came to the rescue. Turns out the place is literally the basement of the Central & Co restaurant.
Once inside, we enjoyed some signature drinks served in fun whimsical containers with some tasty bites. I particularly enjoyed the thai squid and lamb meatballs.
Although the highlight for me was sitting next to the amazingly talented piano man. He was taking live requests from Bruno Mars, Lionel Richie to The Weekend.
I’m looking forward to trying out the rest of the cocktail menu on future visits.

The Cocktail Trading Company is a little like falling down the rabbit hole… you don’t know it’s there and then suddenly you stumble into it and you’re introduced to a whole new world of inventive cocktails, piano playing genius’, entertaining and fun barmen and fantastic food!
Hidden in the basement of Central&Co hides this London gem. It’s small, cosy and perfect for a date or small group. The cocktails are truly unique and served in all different types of shapes and sizes including ketchup bottles and snow globes.
We had an exclusive cocktail for Unilocal members which was absolutely delicious — it was like an orange flavoured mimosa: orange, mint, prosecco and another ingredient we just couldn’t put our finger on but it was their secret recipe.
The bar men are truly a welcoming bunch and we were having laughs and giggles with them throughout the evening which eventually broke out into a sing song. Elliot (one of the co-​owners) in particular is an absolute gentleman and couldn’t have been more friendly and welcoming to our Unilocal group and myself.
There was also a live pianist playing on our night there and we, as a group, could not get enough — from Backstreet Boys to Spice Girls, Michael Jackson to The Lion King — he was amazing and I feel put the cherry on top of a great night!
Lastly to the food — I gave the calamari a try and it was mindblowingly good. I honestly have not tasted calamari that good in a long time. It was perfectly crispy and the sweet chilli suace that accompanied it was a sticky and sweet delight. I believe the food came from upstairs so I will definitely be giving Central and Co a try soon.
Overall, we had a fantastic evening and I’m very sad that this bar will be closing BUT they have moved to Smithfields and will be opening a new location in Old Street! I would highly recommend you give falling down the rabbit whole a try sometime soon!

Well, this place is pretty hard to find but worth it! Basically look out for the restaurant Central & Co and go straight for the basement — yes the cocktail bar is in their basement!
It’s a small place with about 15 small tables and a bar at one end.
They have a fantastic cocktail menu with about 10 quirky cocktails which are presented in imaginative impressive ways! Each cocktail is £9 and I don’t think they do any offers but they are worth it!
I went for Snappers Delight which was a bourbon, lemon juice type drink — sweet and sour and yuuuuum! It was presented in a ketchup bottle with crisps which looked like fries (ADORABLE). I can’t wait to go back though as they have a cocktail in a globe annnnd a chocolate ice creamy one!
To top things off they have a small piano with someone playing live music. The guy was great doing jazzy covers of popular songs — Paloma, Ed Sheeran and even Lion King.
Annnnnd they swap up their menu fairly frequently so there is always something new. Unfortunately I have no idea about beers and wine on offer but I’m sure there is a good choice!
What a great vibe! They also have a few other venues around the city! Love it!

Conclusion: LOVE this place, and the cocktails are as unique as they are incredible. A must (if you can find it)!
I absolutely loved this wacky place and would happily give it six out of five if it wasn’t so super hard to find! In fact my friend and I took half an hour wandering aimlessly down all the roads nearby. However once you know where the place is located, this is truly a little gem to keep in your black book of London bars and to impress your friends.
When we arrived the place was packed. Some may not like this, but I love a bit of bustle and it really adds to the atmosphere. The place is slightly dark as you would expect for a basement bar, however it means you can discover fun décor pieces as the night progresses. My favourite was the HUGE dinosaur head on the piano (which by the way had an actual singer/​pianist playing some great cover versions).
But perhaps the best thing about this place is the unique, fun and completely original cocktails. What’s better is that they’re all beautifully illustrated in a small booklet. Plus at the end, if you’re having an awkward date/​non-​existent conversation, why not use the ‘bar chat’ or make some doodles?!
The cocktails I had were the French 75 and the Snapper’s Delight, the latter of which was INCREDIBLE (see picture). So unique and there’s nothing funnier than drinking out of a ketchup bottle. Plus the French fries (those old school crisps) and gherkins were an added bonus. Definitely recommend!
So if you’re bored of chain bars and the same old drinking establishments, I would highly recommend visiting this bar (if you can find it) for a very unusual night.

Came here for a Unilocal event and had so much fun!
It’s quite hidden away in the basement below a restaurant– I don’t think I would have found this place by myself.
We had cocktails specifically for our event which I believe were a mix of orange, mint and prosecco. The cocktails listed on the menu were very creative-​one even came in a ketchup bottle. with a side of fries!
The cocktails were priced accordingly for central London, whilst beer and wines we’re also reasonable for such a fun and lively cocktail bar.
We enjoyed sampling a variety of the dishes, including squid (my favourite one, spicy and delicious!), lamb kofta, fried chicken (made with good quality meat) and pita breads with tzatziki and hummus. All were a tasty accompaniment to our drinks.
To top it off, a talented pianist was playing/​singing in the corner, taking our requests for songs. Having entertainment made for a really memorable evening.
I can’t wait to come back on a weekend to try a couple more of the cocktails!

I literally CANNOT say enough good things about this place, both here and the Smithfield location! The coolest, nicest bunch of guys work here and made us feel so welcome and after getting to know our tastes started making us the most amazing drinks both on and off the incredibly creative menu! Located in the basement of a restaurant, it was a little tough to find at first, but this intimate environment is so rare and charming, you instantly feel at home. Andy, Sam, Sasha, Olly, Steve… you guys made our entire trip and are what we miss most about London and we are so sad there is nothing like this in the states!

This place is bonkers. I absolutely love it!
It’s in the basement of some eatery (Capital One? I don’t know). The decoration includes a massive picture of Sir Winston Churchill, caricatures of a number of celebrities, framed Jazz Vinyl covers and a range of other curiosities. The music that night is ranging from Bön Jovi to AC/​DC and Led Zeppelin.
The bar staff… Weeeeell, the bar staff… IS GREAT! What a lovely bunch of chaps, they are great to chat to, relaxed and genuine and you just get that feeling that they would be fun to hang out with. On my first visit, I actually arrived too late (they were closing) and one of the guys (thanks, Sasha!) gave me detailed instructions how to get past the doorman of another bar that was still open. When I came back the other night they recognised and welcomed me as if I was a regular. Way to go, guys!
And then there are of course the cocktails — completely off the wall (just look at some of these pictures), but very yummy, and then there are less unusual and even yummier options off menu (I LOVED the Mezcal Martinez — genius!!).
The only downside is that they close at 11pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends (incl Thursdays) which is a real shame — they should be open all night :-D
The only regret I have is that on Thursday my dinner overran so badly that I didn’t make it back in time for a few more drinks. :-(
Certainly coming back, as often as I can!

Intimate cocktail bar, creative cocktails, and amazing staff. My favourite cocktail bar in London. Go, sit by the bar, admire the beards under the approving gaze or Winston Churchill.

WOW! WOW! WOW! What creative cocktails! Never seen anything like it. Every creation had an element of mystery (in that a finishing garnish or ingredient wasn’t stated on the menu — creating a wonderful surprise when the cocktail arrived at your table).
When my friend and I arrived (on a busy Friday night might I add), our first thought was «it looks so cool, but there’s no way we’ll get a table» (and it’s not a ‘stand around lingering with a drink’ kind of place and all the spaces at the bar were already occupied). We couldn’t have been more wrong! Sure enough one of the bar staff greeted us immediately asking us to wait a couple of minutes while he checked on the availability of a table. He was back shortly and to our great surprise, informed us that there would be a table in 2 minutes. We selected our cocktail from a cool tiny menu, ordered our drinks; no sooner had we done that then surprise, surprise… our table was ready — hurrah!
When our cocktails arrived we were awe stricken by the beauty and creativity of the cocktails! I had the the ‘Chocolate Flip #1′ — the added surprise… freshly made chocolate truffle in a cupcake case, balancing on an ice-​scream wafer! ! It was incredible!!!
I also had the ‘Citizen Cane’ cocktail, which doubled up as a beautiful snow globe with Big Ben inside. I won’t spoil the surprise with this one, but I highly recommend it!
Now to the service — extremely friendly, kept checking everything was ok, refilled our water glasses, chatty. Really great.
This place was amazing, so unique and cool atmosphere. They had music, but it wasn’t too loud so you could have a conversion. All in all, a wonderful cocktail bar!

This hidden gem is a must go to for those that like fantastic cocktails and unbelievable service. Ask for Sasha. He is great and will direct you to fun places to go after their place closes. It was an incredible and fortunate experience.

There are so many cocktail bars in London — some good, some bad — that it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. But, boy, does this place manage it! As others have said, it is in a basement below a coffee shop. But it isn’t dark or dingy at all. The menu is in the form of a cute little booklet, with illustrations. These are really handy as they give you a sneak preview of the presentation. I ordered two drinks here, and they were both without doubt the prettiest cocktails I’ve ever had! One was garnished with candy floss, and the other had a full-​size shortbread biscuit! the attention to detail is commendable. One of my drinks was called ‘For Whom The Bell Bolls’ (because it contains Bolls Genever), and it was served in an upside down gold bell. There’s no happy hour but the cocktails aren’t expensive compared to other bars. Besides, it’s worth the money for the experience!

The cocktails here are totally brilliant. They’re interesting, presented with style and panache, and like few places you could find in London. The guys tending bar are veterans of some fabulous cocktail clubs and they bring their own style. I loved the drink served in a Chinese takeaway container, with ice for rice, straws for chopsticks, and actual rice noodles as a garnish/​topping. We probably had 5 rounds over the evening and you simply couldn’t get a bad drink.
The place is small, so it’s not always easy to get a seat. The music was much more bearable than some cocktail clubs I go to, where the sound system is frankly too loud.
You can’t go wrong here. You really can’t.

A gorgeous, cosy basement bar with great cocktails, all presented beautifully. The cute menu with illustrations of each cocktail makes it hard to choose what to go for… you end up wanting everything! If there’s a particular drink you want that’s not on the menu, the bartenders can easily whip it up… they know their stuff!
All in all, a great bar that I will definitely be going back to as soon as I can!

Venue is really nice. Hidden staircase on the left hand side of the central place.
Cocktails are great. Beer a bit less
Real peanuts in shells! A treat!
Music a tad loud compared to the intimate atmosphere

Some of, if not, the best cocktails I’ve had in the capital.
This place is just amazing. It’s quite small and intimate but it all adds to the atmosphere, just good people in a good place wanting to have fun.
We threw ourselves in here on a Friday night, booking a couple of weeks in advance as it’s just open. It was more than worth the wait. The entrance is just inside a café upstairs, walk down some stairs and you enter this beautiful Tudor inspired room. Probably ³⁰⁄₄₀ seats, it’s busy but really fun. The menu comes in the form of a small booklet and tables are just some stools and booths.
At first observation, there’s booze everywhere, one of the most impressive bars I’ve ever seen. Stocked to the brim with things I’ve never even thought about let alone seen.
The waiters are class, make an effort to sit with you and work out what you like, they point out the menu but really encourage going with their opinion. So we did and upon arrival the drinks were incredible. Just flavours that we wouldn’t of even thought of but just worked.
Annoyingly we could only stay for one but this place needs serious exploring and a lot of time spent here. We’re already going back for me. Oh, and do the same!!!