Purl London: The Most Fashionable And Theatrical Place For Cocktails

A hidden gem in stylish Marylebone

Purl is definitely a hidden gem and I would have to say, quite literally, as I was completely unaware of its existence until I delved below street level underneath a sandwich shop in the heart of Marylebone to find it. Being tucked away downstairs, you immediately feel like it’s the type of hideaway that only cool people know about — and now you’re one of them.

As you walk through the door, you feel like you’re entering a 1920s time capsule with so many little hidden nooks, all with so much character. Your eyes will initially have to adjust when you descend into this vault-like-bar because there is quite dim lighting throughout. The décor is quaint, there are nice booths, corner tables, candlelit alcoves and tasteful, soft jazz music in the background. Purl has a speakeasy vibe written all over it. Is this the place to relax? Oh, of course.

A colourful addition to your look

With such unusual and creative cocktails, you must be seated to experience the privilege of the culinary and thirst-quenching masterpieces available. There is a no-standing policy within Purl, so you always have your own table (of some sort), so make sure you book as you won’t be allowed to wander around and hold your drink — as that is simply not possible at the calm, smooth and sophisticated Purl.

The cocktail menu is not extensive but can be a little bit confusing, possibly due to the dim lighting. However, the staff are very friendly and walk through the cocktails and try and suit ones to your preference, which adds to enhancing the experience. The cocktails themselves are designed to satisfy you on a multi-sensory level through the usage of aroma, fogs, smokes, airs, foams, liquid nitrogen etc. so that you’re transported to another place.

Whilst you’re in Purl, you will feel quite dethatched from the outside world, which means it’s the place to go to recharge your batteries and/or kindle some romance and let sparks fly between you and a certain someone. The cocktails are like none other; masterpieces and sculptures, even so, in some cases. You really have to see it to believe it and regretfully in my excitement, my photograph does not do it justice, so I have to urge you to make a reservation and visit to see for yourself.

Sparks will fly... and not just because your drink is on fire

With a seasonally changing menu, Purl never stops offering a shinny and glossy experience. Rather, you will find yourself enjoying a detonated lemon twist on one occasion and a hot chocolate with dry ice on another. Drinking out of a camera lens and having your photograph taken as well as drinking from a sommelier tasting cup is also a popular occurrence at Purl. The cost of the cocktails is not overly expense for London and range from 10 GBP (13 USD) to 13 GBP (17 USD).

If you’re celebrating a special occasion and/or are committed to being a self-appointed mixologist, then you may be interested to know that Purl offers cocktail masterclasses where you can learn about the techniques used to mix up some of the most memorable cocktails of our time and of course, during such masterclass, you get the opportunity to use all your senses, including that of taste, in enjoying your creation! The masterclasses are available for small and large groups.