A promising waft of fermenting gin greets punters as they descend the stairs into this specialist bar down windy Bride Lane. Which ?is exactly what you would expect of a distillery – yes, the dramatically illuminated copper stills sparkling behind a glass wall are for more than display purposes. True to the name, this place really does produce City of London gin, having resurrected the Square Mile's distilling tradition after an absence of nearly two centuries. There are various ways of discovering the 200 brands available – via an educational tour, a tasting session or simply through an expertly made classic cocktail or G&T. A sophisticated speakeasy vibe prevails in this stylish, subterranean drinking den, and its table service, capacious armchairs, bookable seats and curtained-off corners beat a scrum at the bar any day of the week.