bob Bar Review: The Short, Friendly Name That Reads Both Ways | ‘bob’ is a warm everyman nickname, an old word for a shilling, and a palindrome that reads the same backwards – a lot packed into three letters
WC Wine and Charcuterie Review: The Wine Bar in the Old Toilets | Built in a converted Victorian public lavatory, WC turns the initials for ‘water closet’ into ‘wine and charcuterie’ – a witty transformation
Simmons Bar Review: The Cheeky Cocktail Bar in the Teapot | A lively small chain known for playful cocktails served in teapots – and a name that is simply a good, plain surname
Arch Review: The Railway Arch Reborn as a Bar | London’s railway arches, once workshops and storage, have become a whole world of bars and venues – and ARCH celebrates the form
La Terraza Review: The Sunny Spanish Terrace and the Art of Tapas | ‘La terraza’ is the terrace – the sunny outdoor heart of Spanish social life – and the home of the beloved tradition of tapas
BCC Bar Review: The Modern Initials and the Mystery They Hold | A short, modern name of three initials – cool, minimal, and inviting you to wonder what they stand for
Cafe Sol Review: The Sun, the Spirit, and the Fiesta of Mexico | ‘Sol’ means sun – and Cafe Sol brings the sunshine, the tequila, and the vibrant fiesta spirit of Mexico to Clapham
Tapajax Review: The Playful Coined Name of the Tapas Bar | A fun, coined, modern name playing on ‘tapas’ – the sociable Spanish tradition of small plates and sharing
Clapham North Review: The Bar That Simply Tells You Where You Are | Named for the Tube station and the area, Clapham North is honest, plain, and rooted in its own patch of London
Lotus Bar Review: The Sacred Flower of the East | The lotus is one of the most sacred and beautiful symbols in the world – rising pure and perfect from the mud of the pond
Tsunami Review: The Acclaimed Japanese Kitchen and Its Powerful Name | A long-celebrated Japanese restaurant and bar, bearing a Japanese word of real natural power and meaning
Lost and Found Review: The Phrase of Things Mislaid and Recovered | ‘Lost and found’ is the place mislaid things are reclaimed – a name rich with the poetry of losing, searching, and finding again
Little Orange Door Review: The Bar Disguised as a Flat | Designed to feel like a friend’s home, with rooms styled as a kitchen and living room – the domestic bar taken to a charming extreme
Venn Street Records Review: The Street, the Diagram, and the Vinyl | A clever triple play – a real street name, the overlapping circles of the Venn diagram, and the records of a music-themed bar
