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    Opium

    3.5 (58 reviews)
    ModerateDim Sum, Cocktail Bars
    Open 5:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)

    Opium Photos

    OPIUM ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Opium

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    gin  maerinit
    Paul O.

    Been around the world. Best cocktail / dim sum speakeasy on the planet ! Recommended this place to everyone In know!

    Ashley W.

    Tasty Dim Sum, Delicious Cocktails, Great Service, and Amazing Friends! What a night we had at Opium! I didn't know what to expect this surpassed my expectation whatever they were lol. The cocktail menu is extremely interactive and you won't be disappointed unless you order something on the rocks. Every cocktail has a story and a theme! We were painting on a cracker with one drink, smelling perfume squeezed out of a bottle with another.... you get the idea now? Mushroom and Truffle Dumplings, Pork & Prawn Dumplings, Lobster Dumplings, Spicy Duck Dumplings.... YUM YUM YUM. Jake the General Manager is amazing! Make sure to say hello when you go! I will definitely be back next time I am in London!

    Chantee F.

    There are two levels to suit you. I prefer the second level Apothecary for your cocktail pleasure. Fun, creative cocktails served by the friendliest bartenders in town. Opium is bright and not so kitchy with its slightly Asian decor and very Asian menu of dumplings and other bar snacks. There are many potions to choose from with a standard drink menu and specialty one to represent each year of the Chinese zodiac. You will receive your drink in a cup representing your year and each is designed to highlight a different element and tincture. I enjoyed the Umami martini, with a hint of spice, well balanced and interestingly topped with truffle oil. It was a fun atmosphere. Upstairs on the third level is a darker bar. Come here for no frills but stiff drinks. This is a quieter escape when it fills up below. Either way, this is a Chinatown gem.

    Kelsey B.

    Refined, intimate upstairs hideaway in the heart of Chinatown. There are several floors it seems, but I only visited the first floor up (believe this was the Apothecary). There are also two other sections, but I think they're either private dining or open only on weekends. The bar includes 2 menus - the traditional drink/dim sum menu and the zodiac menu (!!!). I ordered the raffle shrub sling (because who doesn't love a good shrub cocktail?) and my friend ordered some sort of whiskey cocktail. You can order shared cocktails, as well as sing shots, wines, beers, etc. The zodiac menu was the biggest attraction for me, as you can order a drink based on your Chinese zodiac. I ordered the cat one because it was a little tart (don't tell anyone - my zodiac's a dog ;)). We ordered the dim sum platter after cocktails. It had various types of dumplings, but my favorite were the vegetable dumplings. The dim sum was a little boring however, and I would have liked to see some more creativity. Then again, you don't really go to Opium for the food. All in all, lovely experience for drinks and company.

    Dog and dragon
    Joya S.

    Speakeasy tucked away in Chinatown. Look for the green door and look up to see a cartoon man holding a red lantern with the word Opium on it. Highly suggest sitting at the bar, very lively bartenders. We got the zodiac drinks. Drinks are on the stronger side. Interesting place to grab on drink

    menu
    Melissa M.

    A friend of mine used to work as a bartender in London and included Opium on his list of places my boyfriend and I should visit while we were in town. Definitely a solid choice. We were sent to the Attic bar, appropriately on the top floor. Each floor is a slightly different experience with different drink menus (the same food though). The attic had two menus while we were there: one of straight-forward specialty cocktails and the other inspired by the Chinese Zodiac and served in corresponding ceramic mugs. We ordered some of each. All of the zodiac ones we had (The Dragon, The Rat, The Horse and one we're forgetting now) were delicious and very different. But I was really impressed by the presentation of The Rat which featured dry ice for a smoke effect. After a couple of drinks, we ordered some dim sum (the spicy duck dumplings) to absorb more of the booze. They were tasty, but I have had better here in the US (we're so spoiled for all kinds of food in Los Angeles). We also tried the Wild Lady (really nice) and the Salted Caramel Sazerac, which were both outstanding.

    Elisa T.

    Really cute unassuming Chinese prohibition themed bar that could do with a lick of paint. Compared to a standard bar, say be at one, opium is pretty awesome. But compared to other speakeasy bars it's only about average. Drinks are delicious but they lack the wow factor. Same with the service. Lovely, but lacking the one to one personalised service usual of speakeasy bars. At £14 a drink you kind of expect more.

    Anna Y.

    I like the designer's darkness of the interior, absolutely genuine statement. Food is ok and drinks are pretty but are just way way too sweet even for a sweet tooth such as myself.

    1st floor decor - peony
    Tejel P.

    I have the London Cocktail Week wristbands and wanted to check this bar out for the 1st time and because the lychee martini was being offered at £5. We arrived at 9.30pm and were told the waiting time is 30 mins, but were seated in after 10 mins even though no one had left the bar. Thank god, because it was really cold outside! Only the 1st level was open due to it being a Wednesday. We were seated in the peony bar, which is really cool in terms of the decor. Although we were seated in this bar, we ordered drinks from the opium bar menu; devil doctor £13 and the lychee martini £5 (with LCW wristband). I would return here to try the other cocktails and see the 2nd floor as I have read some great reviews.

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    11 years ago

    Fantastic cocktails. Definitely recommend trying it out if you're in the area. Went there twice in the one week I was in London.

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    11 years ago

    A friend and I stumbled upon Opium on a quiet Tuesday night. The bartender was excellent (Spanish chap) and the cocktails were to match.

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    Page 2 of 2

    Review Highlights - Opium

    The zodiac menu was the biggest attraction for me, as you can order a drink based on your Chinese zodiac.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Flight Club - Salt and Pepper Squid

    Flight Club

    4.4(33 reviews)
    2.1 miLiverpool Street / Broadgate
    ££

    Flight Club is such a fun way to spend time, have dart tournaments and try a variety of delicious…read moreappetizers. FRIES WITH TRUFFLE CHEESE The fries weren't as crispy as I would've liked, but the soft bite similar to mashed potatoes was pretty good. The cheese itself really carried the rich flavors of the truffle without overwhelming your tastebuds. Such a decadent cheese. SALT AND PEPPER SQUID The squid meat itself wasn't over cooked which is easy to do and makes it feel like you're chewing on a tire. Not the case here. The squid was fried perfectly, nice and crispy first bite. The garlic aioli complimented the batter they used to fry the squid in, very tasty. PEKING DUCK LETTUCE WRAPS These lettuce wraps were the perfect two bites sized appetizers. Such a flavorful and well cooked duck. The cucumber salad and lettuce helped bring the intensity of flavors down so that you could enjoy every bite. There's a full bar, but service is a little slow and congested. Staff are really nice and friendly. The dart games are so involved where each player can have their selfie taken and name displayed on the board. You can compete as teams or against each other depending on your chosen game. At the end, there is a final game stats to show who won and a group photo to conclude all the fun. A fantastic way to test out your dart skills and have fun with your loved ones!

    Came for a quick drink and a bite to cap off what was already a terrific evening. Maybe it was…read morebecause it was kind of (not really) late and there weren't many other places open (aside from the first place we tried across the street who told us the kitchen was closed even though they were open for another 3 hours) but the place was packed! And it was loud. I guess technically it was a darts place and so there was a lot of excitement near the dartboard area. The bar staff were all buzzing about shaking their shakers and pouring drinks. It was a great vibe - apropos for a Friday night. Ok we got the little bit lychee drink (subbed vodka for gin) which was excellent with what looked like a dark dahlia floating on top. I wanted to try a British beer and got the magic rock saucery session pale ale (saying its name is like a built in sobriety test). The ale was definitely IPA but with a really clean finish. And because I'm a pig, ordered the fries with truffle cheese. Wow that was so so good! Shoestring fries with a heavy drizzle of truffle melted cheese. I can't really complain about the super loud music since it probably suited the main clientele and was really good (club versions of many 80s songs). So it looks like a really fun joint for the young locals with some older folks who maybe stumbled in like we did. Really nice bartenders and front staff. Thanks for not giving us a BS line to keep us out like the other place.

    Photos
    Flight Club - Fries with Truffle Cheese

    Fries with Truffle Cheese

    Flight Club - Peking Duck Lettuce Wraps

    Peking Duck Lettuce Wraps

    Flight Club - The really tasty Little Bit Lychee drink

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    The really tasty Little Bit Lychee drink

    The Alchemist - Truffle, tater tots and prawn popsicles or maybe it was lollipops

    The Alchemist

    4.3(100 reviews)
    0.2 miCovent Garden, Strand
    ££

    food: dint grab food only drinks but the were yum and barely tasted like alcohol. also they were…read moreobviously presented super uniquely service: the staff was nice but kinda slow getting to us at a table and there was a lot of chaos like a bartender dropping glasses the whole time ambiance: really cool lighting and interior, gets very busy though

    Between a 3 and 4, but going with four because the food was above average pub grub and the drinks…read morewere good even if they were better looking than tasting. Came here for pre-theater anniversary dinner with my wife. The ambiance was somewhere between that of a trendy club and nice bar. There was a mad scientist vibe with the lights being industrial vibe and some metal decor. The music was thumpy and loud enough to remind you it was there. It made me feel a bit out-of-place as somebody well past my 20s, but also a bit cool or being there. You really come here for the drinks. We got the pipe dream, smokey old fashioned, honeypot picante, and one other I can't remember the name of, but which came in a flower pot. The pipe dream and smokey old fashioned were likely the best. Overall the drinks were more visually appealing than traditionally good and the visually appealing ones tended to have ingredients that weren't as top shelf and/or they were just too sweet. Not bad, but disappointing for what we'd hope. The food was the opposite. I had low expectations and the food wasn't amazing, but was better than average. We got the bao buns, crispy duck pancakes, panko halloumi, katsu curry, and hot honey pork tacos. They arranged for it all to come out in time for us to make our theater show, which was nice. The bao buns and pork tacos were probably the best. Neither blew me away, but both were solid. The katsu curry and halloumi were standard of what you might expect. The crispy duck pancakes was maybe as advertised, but it would have been nice to have some moistness or substance to the dug vs. it basically being crunchy salty bits of something. Overall, this wasn't a bad meal, but it wasn't quite what I was hoping for either. We may be back, but we'll probably try other things first.

    Photos
    The Alchemist
    The Alchemist - Cookie dessert

    Cookie dessert

    The Alchemist - Presentation drink

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    Presentation drink

    Opium - dimsum - Updated May 2026

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