Sweeties at The Standard

Looking for a pre-dinner drink with some city magic? Sweeties has you covered. Located on the 10th floor of The Standard hotel in Kings Cross, this swanky cocktail bar is accessed by one of London’s coolest lifts (a surprisingly crowded competition): a red, pill-shaped glass vestibule that unveils jaw-dropping views of London as it ascends.

Once seated, that view is a constant companion: floor-to-ceiling windows wrap you in the glittering London skyline – but once you’ve dragged your eyes away, the bar’s sumptuous interiors are more than a match.

Sweeties is all about 1970s Hollywood opulence, moody and atmospheric, with velvet sofas, leather banquettes and mirrored tables lit by red lamps (just in case you’re accompanied by the in-laws, we’ll ruin the surprise six-foot phallic sculpture, too).

The cocktail list is split into three sections depending on the stage of your night, centred around feel-good, energising ingredients. And they’re just as visually impressive as everything else – the vivid blue Crystal Healing is topped with clouds of coconut-scented foam.

Our stand-out was the Pick Me Up: a shining golden liquid featuring a blend of adaptogenic mushrooms, brown vodka, buttery cacao and coffee – one of the most delicious espresso martinis we’ve ever had. And, happily for dry January diehards, most of the cocktails are available as non-alcoholic versions too.

For food, there’s a short menu of bar snacks like truffled popcorn and chunks of bread and parmesan. Compared to the innovative, purposeful cocktail list, the snacks feel a little like an afterthought, but they’ll keep the pre-dinner hunger at bay. Service is warm and laid-back – the staff are just as glamorously cool as your surroundings, and prompt, knowledgeable and friendly with it.

Hinted by the huge glittering disco ball overhead, the bar also plays host to an evolving line-up of international DJs, spinning sets into the early hours of the morning and taking the vibrant atmosphere to new levels come the evening.

Slick and stylish from start to finish, Sweeties is an essential addition to your London hit list – if you can snag a reservation.

Joining the ranks of 70s-inspired Double Standard, Spanish restaurant Decimo, Isla terrace and the cosy Library Lounge at The Standard Hotel in King’s Cross is cocktail bar Sweeties. Ok, so this international hotel definitely isn’t short of places to eat and drink, but a dedicated cocktail bar is perhaps the final jewel in The Standard's crown (until the next one comes along, of course). Diners can access the 10th-floor bar via the hotel’s exterior red pill lift, which will lead them to a dark and glamorous bar complete with ochre velvet sofas, ruched leather banquettes, mirrored tables and a giant disco ball. If glitz and glamour went on a date, it would be here. The interiors have been designed by long-time Standard collaborator Shawn Hausman to evoke an early 1970s Hollywood opulence. 

This is a cocktail bar, and a boujee one at that, so the focus is on a series of innovative and mind-bending creations. An award-wining team of mixologists have mixed up a collection of naturally mood-boosting cocktails centred around feel-good and energising ingredients. Examples of the unique creations include the Frothy Boi with lacto-rhubarb, gin, raspberry, pink pepper and fermented amazake oats, Pick Me Up made with adaptogenic mushrooms, brown vodka, buttery cacao and coffee and Crystal Healingm, a vivid blue cocktail made with spirulina, pepper dulse seaweed distillate, bergamot, and electrolyte-rich coconut ice.  

There are also a series of non-alcoholic cocktails such as No Whey José with hot and cold strawberry, rose, red rice milk, and a salted coconut and lime leaf foam.  

Once you’ve had your share of cocktails (alcoholic or otherwise), you can head on over to that disco ball we were talking about to grooze to an evolving line-up of international DJs on its Funktion-One sound system. The venue has room for 80 (seated) to 150 (standing).