Opium - bar review
It's potent cocktails and delicious dim sum at this new drinking den in Chinatown
![](https://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2012/12/19/10/Opium-3rd-floor_-.jpg?crop=8:5,smart&quality=75&auto=webp&width=1024)
Opium Bar
Kate Lough24 September 2013
The buzz: A new cocktail and dim sum parlour sprawled over three floors of a historic townhouse in Chinatown.
The deal: Opium is a rabbit warren of dimly lit and sweetly scented rooms. Head to the “Attic Academy”, where you can watch the barman make your pricey but potent cocktails — you’ll only need one or two.
Good for: Dates — drinks can easily turn into dinner.
Order: The Way of the Dragon — bourbon, fig jam, lemon juice and egg white — is deliciously sweet. Or the house signature, Opium Cocktail No 1: rum, absinthe, mandarin and lime juice, citrus bitters and ginseng — all served in an opium pipe.
By the way: A dining room opens soon.
Find it: 15-16 Gerrard Street, W1, (opiumchinatown.com).