Cocktail bar for music lovers opens in London

Black Lacquer is a new bar underneath the recently opened Hyde London City hotel in Farringdon.

The subterranean bar, which opens today (20 September), pays homage to the Hyde brand’s origins on the Los Angeles club scene, specialising in ‘slick and playful drinks and endless vinyl’ and drawing on influences from Japanese listening bars.

It will open from 5pm until midnight during the week and until 2am from Thursday to Saturday, with ‘vinyl-forward music programming’ spanning all genres and DJ performances, including monthly takeovers from emerging talent.

The drinks programme was also inspired by Japan, served in Shotoku and Kimura glassware over hand-carved ice.

Each drink is either on tap, poured directly from the freezer or carbonated and bottled in-house. The bar will also offer a wide section of shōchū.

Cocktails include the Lemon Sour – a staple in Japan’s izakayas – which is made with Mizu Green Tea Shochu, yuzu and lemon cordial and MSG soda; the Tomato Paloma, which blends blanco Tequila, seaweed, strawberry, and tomato soda; and the Mr Saburo, which features Satsuma Shochu and Midori.

The cocktail menu was designed by the hotel’s head of bars Michele del Negro, who previously worked at London’s Chiltern Firehouse and private members’ club Annabel’s.

Bar snacks include house-made togarashi and black vinegar nuts, spicy tuna handroll, cheeseburger spring roll, chips with golden curry dip and a prawn katsu sando.

For more bar openings, check out our roundup of summer’s hottest launches.