Swift Soho: what to order and when to go

Swift is two bars in one building at 12 Old Compton Street, and the trick is knowing which door you want. Upstairs is the quick, walk-in aperitivo bar. Downstairs is the darker, reservations-led lounge, with a longer cocktail card and a serious whisky shelf.

The two floors

Upstairs is bright and airy, and it suits an early-evening drink or a post-theatre nightcap. It is walk-in only, so there is no booking and no fuss. Martinis and oysters are on the upstairs offer.

Downstairs is cosier and more intimate, and it is where you settle in for a longer session. The bar's own site puts the whisky list at more than 300 bottles, with a menu running to 68 pages. The downstairs cocktail list has also been written up for its themed drinks built around famous names, from Carmen Miranda to Oscar Wilde.

A short history

Swift opened in November 2016 on the site of Lab, a well-known Soho bartenders' bar. It was founded by the bartending couple Bobby Hiddleston and Mia Johansson, who met at Milk & Honey in 2010 and married in 2016. Hiddleston had been opening head bartender at New York's Dead Rabbit, and Johansson had worked at Mark's Bar at Hix Soho. The backers were Edmund Weil and his partner from Nightjar and Oriole, who approached the pair in mid-2016 for friendly, fast service, which is where the name comes from. The Spirits Business has the full story from Hiddleston.

What to order

The Irish coffee. It is the house signature, and the Evening Standard counts Swift among the best places in town for one. The upstairs menu lists it at £12, made with Jameson Caskmates.

If you want something longer, the upstairs list has included the Kew Gardens (Gin Mare, basil, cucumber, lime, prosecco) and the Old Compton (Hennessy VS, a Jamaican rum blend, strawberry and rhubarb amaro). Upstairs cocktails on that list run around £12 to £16, though menus change, so check the card when you sit down.

Downstairs, ask what is smoky and what is whisky. That is the floor for a long, slow pour.

When to go

• Happy hour: Monday to Thursday before 6pm, with selected cocktails from £7. The bar opens at 3pm, so that is a three-hour window.
• Tuesday and Sunday evenings: free live music downstairs. A solo pianist plays Tuesdays from 6 to 8pm, and a piano-led duo plays Sundays from 6 to 9pm.
• Friday night: busy. Book downstairs, or expect to wait outside if you are walking in.

Hours are 3pm to midnight Monday to Saturday. On Sundays it closes earlier, so check the official Swift page before a late Sunday plan.

Booking

Downstairs takes reservations through SevenRooms. Bookings start from 5pm (3pm in November and December), slots start on the hour and last two hours. Some tables are held for walk-ins, but the bar always recommends booking ahead. The phone number is 020 7437 7820.

For after: Bar Termini

Directly across the road at 7 Old Compton Street, Bar Termini is a tiny Italian-styled bar built around Negronis, martinis and espresso, with only a handful of tables. TheW1London says it suits a pre-dinner drink better than a big group. Go in a pair, and order a Negroni or an espresso martini as your last drink of the night.

The plan: happy-hour Irish coffee upstairs at Swift, then cross the road for a Negroni.