Wonderful cocktails, unmatched presentation!! Every drink we had was not only well made, but the glassware and garnishes were some of the most unique I've ever seen in a bar setting. The vast menu is very diverse and easy to read through. Overall the bar itself is intimate with great live piano in the eveni! Will definitely be coming back to this place. Absolutely worth the experience! read more

See all

Never in my life have I been overwhelmed and overstimulated by a cocktail menu. In comes The Gibson... Extensive menu here. Super creative concoctions. Friendly staff. The one drink I had was called the Electric something or other. The Sichuan flower that was a garnish of the cocktail was shocking. Literally. Ridic. This place has become a favorite. The end. read more

I liked the outside look of the place and as it's name reminded me of one of my favorite SF Authors I always wanted to go there. So one day I did and it was somehow underwhelming, most people here are wanna be posh people that really like to listen to them selves. Also they do not have Beer on tab but only bottles the cocktails might be good but are expensive and prepared in a very Show of kind of manner. To be honest I do not think that this necessarily is a bad place but it is just not for me. read more

My favorite cocktail bar I've ever been to. Amazing antique layout with tons to admire from the piano, to the mirrored table to the shakers. Stunning menu of over 50 drinks. Its a lot to take in, don't come with a time constraint. The drinks read amazingly, but when they arrive your draw will drop. I won't ruin the fun, but this is beverage art to the next level, and they all taste amazing. read more

This has got to be hands down one of the best bars I've ever been to in my life. AND IVE BEEN TO ALOT OF THEM. We made a reservation a few weeks in advance, yes, it's that kind of place, and as the day came, we had been drinking and eating so much that we were kind of like, oh, let's just stay home, but since we were only in London for 9 days, I pushed myself (and Jovanie) to get up and make our reservation. I'm so glad I did. I ordered their Bloody Mary which comes in this giant container made out out RYE BREAD! The waiter challenged me to eat the whole container which I could only scarf down half before realizing I had a dinner reservation an hour later and would definitely not be hungry if I continued. So I just ordered another drink. I then had something with beef jerky on it that also had bourbon and BBQ powder? It tasted not unlike a bloody larry. We had such a great time that we went back for our last night in London. We managed to stay past our reservation time but the bartender just moved us to the bar so we could stay and drink more. If this place was even in the same state I lived in, I'd be there at least once a month. The list of drinks is long so I'd need to visit a lot to have tried them all. The staff will help you navigate if you just want to tell them a type of liquor and taste profile. Our last drink was tequila based in a plastic skull suspended in the air dusted with what appeared to be cayenne pepper and had raspberries for eyes that were affixed with delicious chocolate ganache. Please go here. You don't even have to thank me. read more

See all

Came for cocktail week and though there was a slight queue (9:30 on a Wednesday night), the doorman was gracious and implored us to wait the 10 mins, assuring us a table would be soon available. Once inside, we could see why - it is a small space and tables are tightly packed in to accommodate as many as reasonably possible. We got a seat along the long banquette side opposite the bar. We got waters quickly and some pickled vegetables in a jar - could this place get more hipster?! The menu books are a delight and we enjoyed paging through it, overwhelmed by the many innovative choices. We landed on the gold finger and wizard of oz. I could list the ingredients here but it wouldn't make much of a difference - these concoctions are one of a kind. After we ordered we enjoyed the jazz piano coming through the speakers and observed the drinks around us, each a spectacle! More than ten minutes later our server came by w apologies for the wait and offered us prosecco to pass the time. When they arrived a few minutes later, we understood why there was a backlog - each drink is expertly crafted and given v innovative and unique touches, some w smoke emanating, others in kitch containers, all visually interesting. Our drinks were not merely a beverage but an experience and I can't wait to return again and again to try all the offerings! Bravo, Gibson. read more

This place is really intimate and cute if you're looking for a fancy drink with some friends. They craft their cocktails very nice with a little of a twist. The only downside is the size of the place, pretty small. read more

My favorite bar I've ever been to. Insane cocktails. Amazing vibe. Can't wait until I get to come back

Speak easy vibe, very low lite, tiny lil pub kind of off the beaten path. We arrived at around 1145 and the girl at the door said they'd already said last call and pointed us in the direction of a sister bar...a bar tender, or the owner saw us standing outside and made room for us. Apparently it wasn't last call and we stayed about 2 hours. I'm not a drinker but my friends partook in the festive menu. Each drink was themed featuring everything from lights to feathers. They also brought out pickled vegetables and a shot of punch which I'm not sure was alcoholic but it was good. read more

Went to the Gibson with friends for some drinks and it was amazing. The Bar fuses old world art deco style, serves top quality mixology-drinks with exotic twists and royal presentation. Oxygenated atmosphere and mood setting chill music. I must warn you that it takes about 30 minutes to figure out what you want as most drinks are complicated (if not questionable on print). After several hours of thought, I started with an "Electric Earl", which is Gin, Earl grey liqueur (yes you heard right), grapefruit juice among other citrus and a dash of bitters. I then went with a "Loch, Stock and Barrels" Since it starts with Glen and somehow meets "Tabasco smoked honey", "Ginger Wine", and Grain Ash flavored Cacao butter. Which its complexity had me searching for "Bamboo #2" to get the taste out of my mouth. The Bamboo went down proper and gave me a good head. So I went for another. I must say their Scotch selection is limited, perhaps if we really were back in the prohibition days it would be similar. Nonetheless there is plenty here to keep everyone excited and stimulated. Definitely a must visit for Mixologists and others passionate about drinks. read more

The best way I can describe the Gibson is compare it to watching two of my favorite movies of all time. Imagine combining Willy Wonka with The Sixth Sense. It's truly an out of this world experience. The beauty of the drinks along with the presentation tops anything I've ever seen. With all due respect to Grant Achatz, this place tops The Aviary for presentation. That's the Willy Wonka. Then there are the plot twists. That moment when it hits you so stunningly obvious, yet you never saw it coming. The Electric Earl is simply a MASTERPIECE of excitement. The flower bud on that cocktail was next level brilliant. Oh, and then there was the Brooklyn Brunch with that toasted oat crema that just reminds me that some can play the guitar, then there is Jimmy Hendrix. So unexpected yet so obvious. There is the Sixth Sense. For those of you who live in London, I hope you appreciate what you can regularly visit with the Gibson. For those of us who don't, we can merely remember and hope to one day soon sit down and enjoy the spectacular display of showmanship, creativity, and balance. read more

The Gibson - Brooklyn Brunch - GENIUS - Cocktail Bars Near Me - London, XGL

So, after some due consideration I am updating my review. The owner contacted me after my initial review and I do appreciate now that as a former employee of Nightjar, his work would be influenced by that. More importantly, it's not "The Gibson's" fault that at the time I visited I had a bit of an overdose of very creative mixology. Most of all though I need to give them credit for the Electric Earl drink - absolutely outstanding and a five star drink, no doubt about that. The Gibson cocktail I started the evening with was also very decent. Let me visit a couple of times more and I might get to a five stars rating after all. read more

In an unbelievable display of balletic, manual dexterity, the bartender at The Gibson kept me mesmerized for much longer than planned. Watching her and her team work was exhilarating and exhausting (in a good way!). Having discovered this architectural cocktail establishment via Google Maps which indicated a mere 5 minutes' walk from my hotel, I approached to find a woman standing guard at the door. Communication device in-ear and a welcoming smile, I was asked if I had a reservation. For a bar? Well, it was Friday night, but still... No, I admitted sheepishly. Was I alone? Yes, regretfully. Well then, allow me check with my colleagues. With the press of a button and a sotto-voce inquiry, this very accommodating Cerberus revealed there might be a place for me in this establishment that could, according to the fire marshal, hold but thirty-five souls. She entreated me to wait but a moment. Lo and behold, there was room for this thirsty traveler and that space was directly in front of the hardest working bartender in London. She was not alone. In fact, she would have been unable to accomplish her feats of mixological miracles without the help of her trusted team. Although I sat not three feet from the alchemist in question, a waitress came to take my order. One look at the menu and I was stumped. Could she make a recommendation? "What do you like?" Fortunately, I was prepared. "I enjoy a smoky peated Scotch," said I. "Then I suggest The Garden of the Sun King." But of course. I watched, entranced, as the bartender, accompanied by an equally dexterous colleague, proceeded to prepare vessels, concoct flavor-enriched libations, garnish them to a fare-thee-well and decorate them in the most amusing ways imaginable. My poor attempts at gobsmacked photography cannot do these creations justice. I can only commend you to their own Gallery for the faintest hint of what was fashioned before my eyes. One need only peruse the menu for a glimpse of the possibilities. But I can tell you that the dizzying pace and gymnastic, free-style choreography was entrancing. The waitress brought each order to an associate who fed the requests to the bartender, all the while, preparing certain ingredients that would be required in drinks he had not yet relayed. His deft anticipation put in place the dozen or so components required for each recipe. Those ingredients were numerous beyond reason. Spruce Resin Infusion, Nut Brittle with Salted Yopol Pine Fir Smoke, and Forest Bee Skeletons to name a few. The crew arrives early every day to prepare what must be a thousand syrups, brines, oils, compotes, jellies, mulled cordials, macerated fruits, relishes, bitters and powders, and arraign them explicitly so that the bartender can take hold of without trepidation, wield without worry, and employ without embarrassment. The bartender worked inside a sacred space. She gamboled while agitating the cocktail shaker. She swayed to and fro while pouring infused liquids from one metal receptacle to another at arms-length. She spun, reached, ducked and leapt about like a gravity-defying Cirque du Soleil performer. She was tuned to a rhythm only she could hear and her movements were graceful, acrobatic, and rhythmic as she seized one tincture after another. All others gave her room to grove. After my second drink, I discerned the light tap on a shoulder, the brief brush of a hip, and the elegant exploit of an elbow to indicate who was moving in which direction in the exceedingly small working space. These people were not a team, they were not colleagues, they were a troupe. They are a finely-honed, well-rehearsed, marvelously tuned ensemble, acting as one. Almost forgot to mention. The drinks are beyond delicious and the piano player was extraordinary. Five stars. read more

My friend brought me here and she knows I love to take photographs and appreciate something quirky. This bar feels very Gatsby/ 1920's. I loved it. From the outside it looks like any other pub but on the inside it is a hidden gem, speakeasy style bar. The cocktails were amazing and they all come in different crazy glasses and cups. They were fabulous! Mine came in a diamond shaped glass in a flamingo frame and my friends came in a glass shaped like a women's body in a long dress. We saw some amazing glasses going past which looked so much fun. The cocktail menu is based on months of the year and they were made to perfection. Proper mixologist concoctions ! I would definitely recommend booking in advance if visiting the bar as it was consistently busy while we where there and only those with reservations were allowed in. Only thing that was frustrating was that they couldn't get any signal on their card machine so my friend and I had to leave to get cash and return to pay for our drinks as we didn't have enough cash on us. Had they told us initially, we could have got cash while waiting for our table to be ready. I hope to return to the Gibson, if only just to see some more crazy cocktail glasses!! read more

This has to be the best bar atmosphere I have ever seen! The feeling you get here is simply mesmerizing... it's like another world. The cocktails are among the best I have ever had in all my travels, and I am annoyingly picky. This is a 'return often' place for sure as their cocktails are epic and unmatched, and they have a massive menu of them! read more

One can't talk about The Gibson without first mentioning Nitejar. I have been to and enjoyed a few well made cocktails at Nitejar and would happily send any acquaintance there for a drink. Well, their former head bartender started his own bar, The Gibson, and it is fantastic. All the over the top well prepared cocktails but without the stuffiness. Come, try, delight. read more