Vibrant and ever-evolving, the UK’s cocktail scene draws on a variety of influences, while being shaped by its fair share of challenges, particularly in the last few years. Mindful of this, Harpers called on a cross-section of the country’s spirits companies to weigh in on the latest cocktail trends – and the prevailing headwinds too.
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At a recent industry lunch, Coravin highlighted the results of three surveys conducted in 2025, which suggest that consumers are ordering more wine by-the-glass (BTG) than they were two years ago. The company is also expanding its guide to BTG lists.
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The Evolv Collection expands its portfolio footprint with Orrery by Pierre Minotti, a reimagining of the original Terence Conran venue. The eponymous executive chef – formerly of two Michelin-starred Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal – roots his cooking in French tradition, drawing from the best of ‘British terroir’. Upon arrival diners enter Salon du Vin, a wine room where guests are welcomed with champagne and can peruse the venue’s 800-strong wine list. The celestial-inspired dining room is the next setting, with a centrepiece marble bar – classic French flavours amid futuristic interiors. A five or seven-course tasting menu will include the likes of galette bretonne and bouillabaisse. Minotti takes the food seriously, but aims for a relaxed atmosphere, an experience during which diners can unwind while enjoying this unique venue.
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Although often underappreciated, the global hospitality industry has a significant environmental impact, with Deloitte estimating that it represented 3% of worldwide carbon emissions in 2022. To put this into perspective, this is roughly similar to the CO2 output of Japan (the world’s fifth-largest emitter), according to the International Energy Agency.
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Quality Turkish food is a hallmark of the London dining scene and Harpers hopes long may this continue. Step in Lokal – the new restaurant from the team behind Fred Bakery and Faros – to enhance this already burgeoning offer. Head chefs Salih Serden and Akacan Agir draw inspiration from across the vast nation to craft reinterpretations of classics such as lamb tandir, served alongside a lush array of mezze and salads. The cocktail menu offers some head-spinning curiosities. Take Mesopotamia, a blend of padrón pepper-infused tequila, rosé wine, Campari and rosehip cordial. The 110-cover indoor-seating restaurant is supported by 14 outdoor covers to allow patrons to observe the goings on of Fitzrovia while dining on Anatolian delights. A dedicated cocktail bar rounds out the offer.
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Internet superfame has seen Nigel Ng (aka Uncle Roger) take his brand from Malaysia to the world. London’s Chinatown is the latest beneficiary of this entrepreneurial endeavour. Opening early May, Kawan by Uncle Roger is a collaboration between the man himself, restaurateur Keng Yew and Malaysian executive chef Daren Liew. The MO of the venue is sociability – ‘Kawan’ translating to friend or companion – with a strong emphasis on food sharing. Inspiration is drawn from across Asia for the lively menu with dish names afforded Uncle Roger’s humorous touch. Sarawak pepper belly delight or wasabi boom boom sausage will see chef Liew channel Uncle Roger’s joviality into exciting fare. And of course, a venue could not be befitting of the Uncle Roger name without a headline fried rice dish.
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Consultancy firm RSM UK has analysed the latest company insolvency statistics, with February 2026 seeing a 22% month-on-month rise to 270 in terms of accommodation and food services insolvencies. This compared to the 222 insolvencies seen for hospitality in January of this year.
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New on-trade data for March 2026 from market intelligence company The Oxford Partnership shows improving average occupancy and dwell time year on year compared to March last year. In terms of the former this rose +1.1% to 65.4%, while the latter saw visit length rise +3.4% to 153 minutes.
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Jeremy King has a knack for restaurant revival, this time around bringing back landmark London restaurant Simpson’s in the Strand. The last Grande Dame restaurant to keep its original interiors, King says it is the “apotheosis” of his career to bring it back to its former glory. The venture sees a relaxed dining space, a cocktail bar and late-night bar, as well as flagship dining room The Grand Divan. Here, amid the Edwardian grandeur, Simpson’s famed silver trolleys are guided between tables by ‘master carvers’ who will ready the carnivorous fare. Grills, roasts and pies will be served alongside a classic wine offer – a French-oriented listing from leading appellations as well as value options from regional France. Breakfast service returns too, namely the classic Ten Deadly Sins plate.
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Fresh survey data from four leading hospitality trade bodies reveals that as a result of the government’s 1 April cost hikes 64% of on-trade businesses will cut jobs.
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With many restaurants currently fighting to survive, how can they prompt customers to trade up, asks Chris Losh.
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Tennessee Whiskey brand Jack Daniel’s has announced a number of initiatives including an event for UK bartenders and a trip to the producer’s Lynchburg, Tennessee home.
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Opening in March, this Ukrainian-founded cocktail bar describes itself as “method-driven”, with its signature technique – the loggerhead or flip-dog – involving plunging a 1200°C iron poker into its cocktails to caramelise sugars in the drinks, intensifying flavours and enhancing textures. Complementing these cocktails will be a seasonal sharing menu, inspired by both eastern Europe and Asia. In the heart of Old Street, the bar was designed by Kyiv-based YOD Group and is structured around two different levels – the first a 20-cover space on the ground floor, inspired by pop-up installations, and the second a quieter and “more refined” 80-seat lower level.
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Describing itself as “Friday markets in Cairo colliding with a Soho bar”, Impala is a charcoal grill restaurant which combines influences from Egypt to England. The debut restaurant from chef Meedu Saad, who previously worked as head chef at Kiln, the space – an “awkward 1960s building” – will be based around an open kitchen. The presence of an in-house butchery is also a standout feature. Food will be seasonal, with dishes collected from Saad’s formative cooking experiences. Meanwhile the wine list, run by Penny Vine and Martina Larnach, can be expected to be idiosyncratic and distinct, with back vintages of Italian alpine greats, and a project underway to import Bourgeois Dias – a zero-sulphite Champagne producer.
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Natural wine has grown massively over the past couple of decades, moving from a niche product drunk only in a handful of ‘cool’ venues, to a much wider, and more well-known, phenomenon. A survey by the IWSR found that in 2024, 31% of regular wine drinkers were aware of natural wine (up five percentage points in three years). However, despite expectations that natural wine will continue to grow well into the future, some in the industry are beginning to think that the category is running out of steam.
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Acclaimed British chef Sally Abé will open her first standalone restaurant at the end of this month, named after her favourite game bird. Recognised for her ‘robust’ approach to food – which is rooted in British cooking and a nostalgia for the classics – the menu will include dishes such as haunch of deer, pickled walnuts and cavolo nero and Cornish mussels, Jersey royals, cauliflower and sea kale. Co-owner Abe Drewery will curate the wine list, which will be continually changing, with limited cases refreshed throughout the season – focusing on Champagne (a favourite of Abé’s), along with rich Chardonnays and Bordeaux reds to complement her cooking.
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Bar and restaurant group Drake & Morgan has raised £500,000 for Maggie’s cancer charity.
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Champagne house Laurent-Perrier and Berkshire’s Newbury Racecourse have unveiled a three-year partnership.
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In the wake of Michelin’s new Grapes distinction, Eloise Feilden asks why restaurant critics more generally are often drinks list-blind.
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Market intelligence firm The Oxford Partnership has released its ‘snapshot’ of January 2026 for hospitality venues, which highlights what it called a “widening gap between engagement and consumption”.
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