Waltz

London, UK

• No.23 Europe's 50 Best Bars 2026

Waltz is as close to an authentic expression of Japanese cocktail culture as the city offers. The interior is striking in its restraint: midnight-blue and warm wood tones, nothing superfluous, and back bar stocked with restraint. The most telling details are a turntable and pair of speakers – jazz is intrinsic here, the bar named after Bill Evans's live recording Waltz for Debby. The cocktails demonstrate both creativity and exactitude, bound tightly to the seasons and, more granularly, to what the menu calls micro seasons. One or two new drinks are added each week to keep the list in a state of quiet, continuous evolution. The Evergreen selection offers more permanent ground: highballs including the Waltz Vodka Soda, made with Japanese vodka and distilled shiso leaf, alongside tweaked classics such as the Matcha Old Fashioned.

Key Information

• Average price per cocktail $24
• Mon – Sat
• Visit Waltz's Website

Location

28 Scrutton St, Shoreditch, London, EC2A 4RP