After a teasingly semi-secret week of soft openings, Nightjar in Old Street is officially opening to the public tonight, and if the recent Twitter enthusiasm is anything to go by, it’s set to be a favourite of the maverick London cocktail scene.

Sandwiched between two sandwich shops, and directly opposite the Moorfields eye hospital on the city road, the venue’s wooden door is inconspicuous but for a small plaque of its nocturnal namesake bird. Through the doors and down the stairs, the 100-capacity basement is decked out with glinting brass, mirrored friezes and an unassuming pod for musical entertainment that ranges from jazz to cabaret. Falling somewhere between a speakeasy and an early 20th century European cabaret venue, Nightjar is independently owned, with a drinks list that has an emphasis on rare and revived Prohibition-era drinks, alongside house-created liqueurs, bitters and botanicals.

News item from Imbibe.com, 19-11-2010