Seed Library is a cocktail bar hidden inside the basement of One Hundred Shoreditch in East London. It’s the creation of Ryan ‘Mr Lyan’ Chetiyawardana, who also founded London bars White Lyan, Dandelyan and Lyaness and is often referred to as the ‘best bartender in the world’. High praise indeed, but with a string of over 15 awards to his name, including World’s Best Bar in 2018 and Person of the Decade in 2020, we can see why.
Returning home to East London where the brand originally started life, Chetiyawardana’s approach to Seed Library is far more stripped back than projects he’s worked on before, offering a ‘lo-fi, analogue’ way of making cocktails that focuses on the classics.
The drinks menu spans wines, beers and spirits, but really, it’s the cocktails that take centre stage here. Options rotate frequently, but expect to see a list of approximately 10 cocktails on offer at any one time. Examples include Black Elderflower French Martini made with potato vodka, black elderflower liqueur and pineapple, Carom Milk Punch featuring Cuban rum, cognac, carom seed, pineapple and calcified milk, and Galangal Penicillin, made with Patron tequila, mezcal, galangal honey and lemon. A selection of cocktails can be made boozeless if preferred.
A concise food menu features four of five small plates such as smoked beef rib croquettes with fermented raisin and kimchi and fried chicken hearts with chilli emulsion.
The décor emits all the dark and moody vibes you’d expect from a basement bar. A beautiful backlit, well-stocked bar runs the length of the room and offers a handful of wooden stool seats to perch on if you’re only nipping in for a quick tipple. Red velvet armchairs tucked into round tables make a better option if you’re planning to while away a few hours down here.