Prime Soho positioning, a trendy refurb and friendly service has kept Freedom at the top of its game for years. This remains a great cocktail spot.

The Venue
Freedom is on Wardour Street, within easy reach of Piccadilly Circus tube station. Its position on such a busy street ensures that the bar stays pretty busy throughout the day, and the neon green signs outside are hard to miss. The inside is divided into the main ground floor bar area, which is open from late afternoon through till 3am all week, and a basement club area that opens most nights for various events. The upper floor has had a much-needed refurb and now boasts swish white leather booths, cocktail stools, oversized chandeliers and the glittery central bar that stretches almost the full length of the room. The club has a darker and sexier edge, with red velvet, purples and black dominating the décor and emphasising the subterranean location. The updated furnishings have helped the club re-establish itself above the glut of chain bars in central London.

The Atmosphere
It has been difficult at times to know exactly what Freedom is. Established as a gay venue initially, it wasn’t quite certain whether it was a bar or a club. It then re-branded itself as ‘metrosexual’, and both straight men and women started making a stop-off during happy hour. The venue is now all of these things, and so much the better for it – pretty much anyone could come to Freedom and have a good night, and it caters for different nights depending on what you’re looking for. This runs smoothly because of the exceptionally friendly staff, who manage to get to know their regulars despite the bar’s heavy footfall and tourist traffic, and there are now more bartenders on duty in the evening so you can expect table service at no extra charge.

The only things to watch out for are the bouncers later in the evening, who have been to refuse entry to those who don’t ‘look the part’, and the loud music which starts from around 5pm – you probably wouldn’t come here if you wanted to chat leisurely over your cocktail. It’s worth checking listings before visiting so that you don’t miss special events including Graham Norton’s So Comedy nights and various live music showcases.

The Music
Freedom’s music policy isn’t to everyone’s tastes, but it’s great if you’re in the mood to party (and if you’re out in Soho, you probably are). Expect loud funky house and electro music with cool remixes of current chart hits thrown in. It can be quite overbearing if you’re popping in for a 5pm after-work drink, but it’s the perfect soundtrack for the party crowd that descend just hours later.

The Drink
Soho is an expensive place to drink, and Freedom is at the top end of that scale. If you’re keen on premium spirits such as Zubrowka or Bombay Sapphire, you’ll be content to pay £8 for the single-measure cocktails, but you’d be more sensible to visit the venue during its daily happy hours when the same drinks cost a much more reasonable fiver. If you start drinking early enough then maybe you won’t even notice when the prices go up a bit later in the evening!

The Last Word
Freedom would be even better if the cocktails were stronger, but nevertheless a refurb and daily happy hours keep this venue at the heart of the Soho scene. Table service and friendly staff help to justify the higher prices too.

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