Happiness Forgets, 8-9 Hoxton Square, Shoreditch, N1 6NU. 0207 613 0325
“Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it.” Jacques Prévert
So comes up one of the results of a Google search when trying to work out the name of this little bar in Hoxton square. It is a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ cocktail joint, nestled secretly below a cafe. You could easily mistake it for a dive, but as you walk down the stairs towards a sign saying ‘bar’, the smell of incense hits you awakening your curiosity for what might be down below. You don’t get incense in dives.
Stepping in, a dimly lit bar bathed in warm red and white lights greets you. Clientele are eagerly chattering away with cocktails in various stages of consumption in front of them. A lively hum of conversation fills the room as waiters speed by delivering drinks and food. The bartenders, dapper young chaps, are shaking away the drinks combined from the many bottles of spirits decorating the shelves on the wall behind them. It is small, but yet comfortable – though it gets busy so booking in advance is recommended.
What’s quite striking about the venue is that it doesn’t have the upmarket polished ‘faux Speakeasy’ look that most cocktail bars seem to be going for these days, but still maintains a quaint old-worldliness about it. It unashamedly looks put together with comfortable chairs and cushions surrounded by exposed brickwork walls licked with a red paintbrush. Music, mainly various forms of jazz, flows out of the speakers combining itself into the laid back hustle and bustle of the atmosphere. The customers are a mix for the area that straddles itself between Shoreditch and the City. The drinks menu is small but hints to works for all tastes. Prices are on average with most cocktail places in London, but the results are high quality concoctions making you want to complete the whole menu.
In times where everywhere with vodka and cranberry juice can call themselves a cocktail bar, Happiness Forgets sticks out by a mile with their quality of drinks, laid back atmosphere and friendly vibe welcoming all who want to relax in this cosy cavern.
By Naz.
