The London Gin Club reopening: Influential Soho bar revived after Crossrail closure

A Soho bar that helped kickstart the capital’s gin revival, but which fell victim to the nearby Crossrail development in 2019, will reopen its doors next month.

The London Gin Club, which launched in 2012 and played an influential part in transforming the spirit from an old-fashioned afterthought into a ubiquitous go-to, will offer more than 100 varieties on its revamped menu, “from well known classics to hard-to-find, small-batch gins”.

Refurbished using many of the venue’s original interiors, the bar will reclaim its place in the heart of Soho, on Great Chapel Street, from October 6.

The reopening is backed by hospitality group Inception, which also runs the Mr Fogg’s, Cahoots and Bunga Bunga bars elsewhere in London. Julia Forte and Vicky Fisher, who ran the bar in its most recent guise, will remain freeholders of the building — meaning, with Inception moving in, it will be the first time the building has had tenants in 88 years of family ownership.

“Julia and Vicky created something very special at the London Gin Club and were ahead of the times focusing on gin which has since grown enormously in popularity,” said Inception co-founder Charlie Gilkes. “It has always been a favourite venue of [Inception co-founder] Duncan [Stirling] and mine and we are very excited to be continuing their legacy.”

Open from Wednesday to Sunday each week, with a midnight curfew on Fridays and Saturdays, the bar will run gin-tasting experiences, with a monthly rotation of the drinks on offer. The 10-strong, gin-based cocktail menu will feature “new creations as well as long standing classics”.

Formerly known as the Star Cafe, the business was originally founded in 1933 by Forte’s grandfather, an arrival in England from southern Italy. However, after more than eight decades of successful running, the venue’s Victorian basement was damaged by floods — a result of the multi-billion pound Crossrail development at nearby Tottenham Court Road — which led to a years-long closure.

Visit londonginclub.com and follow @londonginclub for more information.