Down a darkened alley through the eerie evening quiet of Smithfield Market is an unlikely spot for one of London's best cocktail bars, but the journey of discovery is the theme at speakeasy-style Oriole. The cocktail menu, divided into Old World, New World and the Orient, traverses the globe, with out-of-this-world ingredients including clarified octopus milk, strawberry tree curd and slow-cooked chai palm.
Book in advance to spend less time waiting with the bouncer. There's a cover charge after 9pm when live music is on (£10 Friday and Saturday, £7 Wednesday and Thursday) that goes directly to the musicians.
