Lavender Hill is one of the best places in town for a delectable bar crawl and Bar Social is - in itself - a reason to head south. This cocktail bar with its striking decor and thriving atmosphere is recommended to more than just the locals.

The Venue
Bar Social won’t strike you as spacious but it makes good use of the limited floor space. Past the small patio outside, there is the main bar area where your attention will immediately be drawn towards the walls, decorated with damask panels and elaborate mirrors. These encapsulate a seating area built around wall couches with a few stools.

Above the bar there is a big screen projecting contemporary films; the best view of this is from the mezzanine opposite, an ideal spot for small parties. If your group is much larger you can book the basement room: here the decor is even more striking thanks to flocked floral wallpaper and dark curtains. The vague Oriental detailing, such as spherical chandeliers made of beads and bent metal tie in the theme nicely.

The Atmosphere
Bar Social is a prime dating venue - the quiet early evening atmosphere is ideal for couples out on a first or second date, evident from the perfectly quaffed hair of the ladies and nice shirts of the gents. The music is unobtrusive and conversing is, for once, easy. However, the bar picks up quickly and by 9pm at the weekend the couples move on, the music gets louder and groups of various sizes arrive for drinks, private parties and the bar’s own events like salsa (every Tuesday), belly dancing (every Sunday) and poker (Sundays and Wednesdays). You will quickly be singing along to ‘80s and ‘90s anthems.

The Food
You will be surprised to discover that, despite its limited size, Bar Social is able to squeeze a kitchen in. The nature of the venue makes their sharing platters particularly popular: pick from classic antipasti (Italian meats, mozzarella, tomatoes, olives, bread and oils), sharing (king prawns, chicken wings, chicken satay, mini sausages and more), crispy duck and cheese platters. Otherwise you can order fish (£8-£9) or beef (£7-£12) dishes, pasta (£7-£8), burgers (£8), sandwiches (£6-£8) and light bites (£3.50-5). The selection includes char-grilled rib eye steak, smoked salmon linguini, oven baked sea and classic bar dishes.

The Drink
Bar Social is a cocktail bar with all the trimmings, without the inflated prices. You’ll find all the classics on the menu but it’s the selection of more than thirty contemporary cocktails that keeps things interesting and exciting. Too many to choose from? Sezerac (bourbon, absinthe, angostura), Lemon Bee (fresh lemongrass, honey, lemongrass vodka, apple juice, limoncello) and Easy Lay (Kahlua, Baileys, Frangelico, ice cream, Butterscotch schnapps, organic honey) - almost a dessert in itself - are so innovative you’re likely to remember them even after a hazy night. Old school classics, mocktails (£2.75) and ice teas complete the list. For something more concentrated, opt for a shooter (£3.75), there are more than a dozen available with tempting mixes like Mocha-Choca-Latta-Ya-Ya (Kahlua, Frangelico, Gran Marnier, Amaretto, Baileys) and Bling Bling (vodka, lime juice, raspberry puree, Champage).

If you’re not a fan of cocktails then they also do a good job of catering to beer connoisseurs. You can choose from bottles (£3.30-£3.90) of Crocodile, Casa Blanca, Cristal, Coopers and Sons among others. Wine and Champagne bottles are not missing from the list either with six bottles of bubbly and a dozen wines available; the choice isn't as rich as for beers and cocktails but will satisfy most tastes. Prices are very reasonable with bottles of red and white priced at a fair £11-£30.

The Last Word
Bar Social is a great find and is worth travelling to, even if you hail from north of the river.

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