I visited a theatrical London cocktail bar where the drinks are literally smoking

Yahoo

01-03-2025

If you like cocktails with a touch of theatrics, this cocktail bar just 10 minutes walk from London Bridge has you covered.
The Alchemist is certainly one of London's most favourite cocktail bars and are well known for their unique and rather theatrical flare for cocktails.
This month, The Alchemist opened its latest London branch in Monument, which also features the UK's first ever 'Negroni Bar' by Campari, with a unique Campari mini print vending machine paying tribute to the brand.
Stepping inside, the new bar has a sleek design with rich gold and black furnishings, wall art and white-red tinted mirrors, which felt so sophisticated.
This month, The Alchemist opened its latest London branch in Monument, which also features the UK's first ever 'Negroni Bar' by Campari. (Image: Rachel Harrison Communications)
If you're a Negroni fan, the bar menu features five variations of the Negroni, from a classic to a Negroni sour, with the first 1,000 guests to purchase a Campari served at the Negroni Bar to receive a token to print the designs.
But if you're a lover of theatrical cocktails, The Alchemist is also one of the best places to find them.
The menu has a range of drinks from light and fruity to more dark and boozy, with the menu colour-coded with dark pages indicating stronger flavours, and the eye symbol which notes the drinks that are going to have a smoking effect.
The Alchemist is heavily known for its drinks that have some kind of pomp or flare to them, and we were eager to try some of its most iconic ones.
If you're a lover of theatrical cocktails, The Alchemist is also one of the best places to find them. (Image: Rachel Harrison Communications)
We first tried the Lightbulb Moment, which is one of their most iconic drinks, served in a lightbulb-shaped glass and made with Tanqueray Gin, Pimms, ginger beer, raspberry and lemon, and was described as one of the popular cocktails on offer.
Flash AF was a personal favourite, and came with a tarot card which our server set alight, made with Seven Tails Spiced, Martini Rubino, Appleton Signature Rum, strawberry, marmalade and ginger foam, and was absolutely delicious.
For our second round we tried the popular Colour Changing One cocktail, which is like a science experiment where you mix the different drinks from small beakers to make it change colour.
The flavour was a sharp mix of Ketel One Vodka, apple and soda, and definitely was the most fresh out of all the ones we tried.
The new bar has a sleek design with rich gold and black furnishings, wall art and white-red tinted mirrors, which felt so sophisticated. (Image: Rachel Harrison Communications)
Finally I tried The Legal One, which is served in a bong and was described to me as a 'tropical take on a G&T', with Tanqueray Gin, pineapple and coconut, tropical Vermouth and tonic water.
Cocktail prices range between £12 and £17.50, and you can also opt for sharing cocktails if you're visiting with friends.
The aesthetic is really striking, with plenty of space and a relaxed vibe, and with its central location it's worth a visit if you fancy a cocktail.