Andrew H.
Yelp
My trip to this place is a story that was 4 years in the making. tl;dr, it was worth the wait! You should arrange a stop in, have a drink, and be happy.
So here's the story. I went to a conference in North Carolina in late-2013. One of the sponsors had a representative there, and I ended up at a table with this gentlemen during the lunch break. During some chit-chat, he mentioned The bar with no name ... by the wrong address! BUT it was close enough, and he raved about the place, and suggested that if I ever find myself in London, I should go there immediately, order a rhubarb gimlet, and be happy in my life. Then he left, and I was thusly left with this goal. I corrected the address (apparently there isn't a 69 Cockburn Lane anywhere in London), and bookmarked it, hoping to one day have the opportunity to visit.
In 2015, I was in London for my first visit, but didn't have time to go there. My second chance came this year (in fact, last week), and I finally dropped in.
The place is fit for locals, and not in any touristy area, which is great. Respecting this, I tried to stay as low-key as the establishment, since it was nice and I tried to be similarly nice and chill. The staff greeted us warmly and found a table for us (2) despite not having a reservation. Since it was so small, I took this to be a good sign, and some luck. Nice and intimate space, but pretty small.
We were given menus and I was saddened to see there was nothing resembling a gimlet on there. Had I missed my chance?! I ordered the Licorice Whisky Sour, and she ordered the White Almond Bellini. They were delicious. The hour was late, and as it quieted down, we talked about that drink again. Should I attempt to order it? I thought to order another drink... this time, the Manhattan Steele Corp. But, I decided to risk it and ask the waiter for that gimlet. With a bit of thought, he slipped away, and came back with the drink! No fuss or pretension for us, and great, prompt service for our drinks.
Was it worth the wait? Considering how long I had this on the list, I was satisfied for sure. We almost missed out because of not having a reservation, but a mid-week drink was good for us.
You should go and have a drink. Remember to make a reservation, though.