Nightjar Carnaby

"Nightjar Carnaby is a cocktail bar that serves drinks that come with candy floss, but it somehow isn't terrible or overpriced. This speakeasy-type spot usually has live piano tunes, that particularly sexy genre of low lighting, and quality, original cocktails. The smoky bourbon Toronto number with orange blossom candy floss might even make you use the word ‘genius’. Plus, the place stays open past midnight Monday to Saturday. " - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing

"“Sometimes a cocktail can change your mind. Suddenly your date looks 40% more kissable, your dedication to going to bed before midnight dissipates, or maybe it causes you to have an epiphany about candy floss in bevs. Now, I usually do not condone this kind of silliness and tend to like my cocktails simple and bitter, like my men. But there is something about the impenetrable glamour and class of this basement speakeasy that allows you to accept that maybe you do like your boulevardier with a white chocolate sceptre. Why the hell not? Just like the original Nightjar in Shoreditch, the new Carnaby location has live music almost every night of the week but if you really want to experience the full swinging attitude, come here at the weekend. Candy floss cocktail encouraged.” - HLB  " - Heidi Lauth Beasley, Daisy Meager, Sinead Cranna

"This new Carnaby version of the Old Street institution actually allows its drinkers to sit at the bar, which is a significant departure. Less of a departure is the clever, witty menu, which divides the history of the cocktail into pre-, during, and post-prohibition. Add in sharing cocktails, a rare spirits list to get lost in, and glamorous decor, and it’s all set up to be another hit." - James Hansen

"With a dedicated menu to non- and low-alcohol cocktails, the new Nightjar is taking this category seriously. This bar, the little sister of the well loved Old Street institution, is fun: The bar is arranged around a small stage where musical acts perform, contributing to the feel of a place to indulge in the glamour of a cocktail bar. It is also a place to spend time, so this menu offers a great way to pace oneself if also drinking alcoholic cocktails. The Kaya Yen Orgeat is the complex flavour layering anyone could want in a long drink: spiced citrus; coconut and almond orgeat; coconut water; mango puree; fresh galangal and lime leaf. Or, the Cafe Kirsch Elixir is a play on the espresso martini, minus the vodka and with an added sharpness of cranberry." - Anna Sulan Masing

"It would be easy to walk past the entrance to Nightjar and not realise one of Soho’s best speakeasys is hiding inside. After entering through a plain door in the alleyway that leads to Kingly Court, you’ll descend the stairs to a world of live music, moody glamour, and drinks topped with candy floss that by the grace of good booze, somehow manage not to be remotely naff. Just like the original Nightjar in Shoreditch, it’s perfect for an early-in-the-game date night and the cocktails are a medley of silliness and expert mixology. Sure, there’s a milk chocolate sceptre in your drink but it’s still one of the best boulevardiers in town. Open until the early hours from Tuesday to Saturday, expect classic tunes from the pianist and if you’re doing it right, a big old hangover the next morning." - Heidi Lauth Beasley