Those who knew this address as lunar-landscaped cocktail cave Opal may be disorientated. Radically altered, Meursault’s bar annexes the Franco-Japanese restaurant of the same name – with the two
spaces morphing into a sleek, late-night club privé (sans membership) around midnight. Well-made drinks start at £9.50, with £12 securing Francine (a Hendrick’s cucumber and ginger martini) or
Marengo – a summery orange/Wyborowa/lemon and spring onion creation. Otherwise, splash out even more and thrill at ‘molecular mixology’ – the trend that refuses to die: bang bang you shot me down
(a trio of liquid nitrogen-crumbled sorbet and wild-berry mini-mojitos) looks cute enough, but be prepared to wait 15 minutes while such objets d’art are sculpted. Time will tell if Meursault's
target audience will desert Chelsea’s hedge funder/oligarch magnets for a Gloucester Road basement.