Tony Conigliaro's Italian-inspired bar on Old Compton Street, named after the coffee bars that anchor every Italian railway station. The negroni — stirred to a specific dilution and temperature — is the house drink and among the best in London. The espresso is serious (served from La Marzocca), the space is small and standing-oriented, and the Italian aperitivo philosophy — a drink and a snack, consumed with purpose and without lingering — gives the room a tempo that most London bars lack. Conigliaro brought the same scientific precision here as at 69 Colebrooke Row, applied to Italian drinking culture.
Location
Soho, London
Map
Insider Intel
The negroni — the reason the bar exists and among the best in London. The espresso martini if you need caffeine. An actual espresso if you want to honour the railway station inspiration. The menu is short and Italian-inflected; everything is considered.
Late afternoon as an aperitivo stop — the Italian rhythm of a quick, purposeful drink before dinner suits the space perfectly. Soho provides infinite dinner options afterwards. The Old Compton Street location is central to everything.
Small, mostly standing. Old Compton Street, heart of Soho. The negroni is the order. Cocktails £12-16, espresso £3. No reservations, walk-in. Tony Conigliaro's second bar (alongside 69 Colebrooke Row). Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road tubes. Cards accepted.