The best non-alcoholic drinks in London

With all the talk of Dry January filling our feeds once again, we thought we’d put together a guide to the best non-alcoholic cocktails and drinks in London. We’re pretty sure most of our readers live an alcohol-free lifestyle, but that doesn’t mean a guide to the best alcohol free drinks in London isn’t needed. Over the years we’ve become accustomed to sugar and syrup filled ‘mocktails’ although recently this has changed with a rise in halal restaurants serving innovative, great tasting cordials and concoctions. Read on for some of our favourites.
The Great Chase – Angel, Islington
On our first visit to The Great Chase , the Tayberry Spritz really stood out. This was a berry based drink made using a tayberry and rose cordial, Bees Knees fizz and a black pepper & lavender vinegar mist. We tried several non-alcoholic cocktails and were surprised at how the drinks were prepared so carefully and creatively. The drinks here weren’t the sugary mocktails we had become accustomed to at halal restaurants but great tasting alcohol free cocktails. The Great Chase boasts an impressive non-alcoholic cocktails menu alongside rare teas from The Rare Tea Company and specialty coffee from Perky Blenders.

Drunch Regent’s Park – Swiss Cottage
Though the menu at Drunch Regent’s Park doesn’t explicitly list any non-alcoholic cocktails, they can make similar drinks to those on the cocktail menu, minus the booze of course. The Super Fly Sky High mocktail was a blackberry, vanilla and passionfruit drink dressed with candy floss. The drink had a slight tang from the passionfruit with subtle hints of vanilla coming through. The candy floss was lost on us though.

Darjeeling Express – Kingly Court, Carnaby
Asma Khan, owner of Darjeeling Express , insisted we try the Tamarind Spritz during our meal at her restaurant and we’re glad she did. Recently, we’ve been getting to experience some non-alcoholic cocktails across the London restaurant scene which aren’t just a fizzy base with bucket loads of sugar in them for flavour. The drink had some sharpness to it from the Tamarind but was balanced by the sweetness of the fizz.

Talli Joe – Seven Dials
Talli Joe serves up one of the prettiest virgin mojitos we’ve tried in London. This non-alcoholic cocktail is pretty standard across the halal restaurant scene in London though there is nothing standard about Talli Joe’s version. This drink is a sharp contrast to the syrupy and sugary virgin mojitos we have unfortunately become accustomed to. Talli Joe’s creation has a great kick to it.

Redemption Bar – Notting Hill and Shoreditch
Redemption Bar is a fully vegan, sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free restaurant and dry bar with sites in Notting Hill and Shoreditch. The ‘coco-tini’ here is a coconut water based, berry infused ‘martini’ shaken over ice with a squeeze of lime cherry. With a perfect balance of flavours, the taste from the coconut water in the coco-tini comes through without overpowering the berry. You may not find this exact drink on the menu though a slight variation does still exist.

Farmacy – Notting Hill
A brunch visit to Farmacy in Notting Hill involved a taste of their Berry Punch special. An immune boosting mix of raspberries, lemon juice, mint, ginger, strawberries, pineapple and grapefruit juice. A perfect drink to cool you down on a sunny day.

Dishoom – Shoreditch

The Permit Room at Dishoom Shoreditch is based on alcohol being prohibited in Bombay with a permit being required for the sale or consumption of alcohol. Dishoom’s Permit Room serves up a range of alcohol-free drinks including sharbats, chai and lassi. If you’ve been to India, you’ll find yourself reminiscing over drinks served on the beaches of Mumbai with offerings like the ‘Kala Khatta’.
Madison Terrace Lounge – One New Change, St Paul’s
Madison’s Terrace Lounge makes this list because in addition to serving five non-alcoholic cocktails, they have one of the best views of London. The rooftop lounge overlooks London with a great view of St Paul’s Cathedral. They don’t serve any halal food (unlike the other meat-serving restaurants on this list) but it’s worth paying them a visit for the views alone.