Graphic is a trendy Soho bar, with top quality, reasonably priced cocktails and an artistic influence that is clear without being pretentious.
The bar blends a fairly laid back contemporary style with innovative urban art on the walls. It looks great, as does the astonishing list of gins, with 235 different types of the stuff on the menu at last count. Gin is, as they say, “so hot right now” and anyone on the bandwagon, as well as longer term gin-lovers, really should try to make a visit.
With a name like Graphic, the bar has to show some kind of artsy roots (without the unwanted fartsy suffix) and they don’t let down with their signature Paint Tin Punches. These are delicious colourful cocktails which you can order as individual tins, or, if you feel generous, can come in larger sharing pots. The bar also shows off the works of top graphic artists – including Ben Allen, Jim Sharp, Ben Eine and Turner Prize winner Mark Wallinger – with a changing selection of work, rotating every six months.
This week is London Cocktail Week and Graphic is one of the 200 bars taking part. Some of the best bars in town are throwing open their doors to offer £4 cocktails to people who buy a £15 wristband for the week. At Graphic the £4 cocktail is Bols Genever, sweet Cassis liqueur and fresh lime juice – served in a paint tin, shaken and topped with ginger ale.
In terms of accessibility things are excellent. The entrance is step free and inside the bar is all on one level. They have a fully equipped adapted toilet which is locked by radar key, so you won’t find any able bodied people in their when you need to go! If you don’t have or forget the key, you can of course use the one they keep behind the bar. There are tables at different levels – some at dinner table height and some lower – and the only problem we can really see right now is that it may be a bit narrow when crowded.
Graphic is a cool looking bar with good drinks and good access. We give them a provisional 2.5 BBS Ticks and will look to get there during Cocktail Week to see if it’s a ‘3 ticker’!
