Raise the bar

IT may be important for cocktails to be ornate, delicate and complex, but it is not important for the bars in which you drink them to be so. La Goccia in Covent Garden, for example, is one such place (020–7305 7676; www.petershamnurseries. com/covent-garden/la-goccia-bar). The latest addition to the fast-growing Petersham Nurseries empire, it features an uncomplicated, well-lit room, inspired not by the speakeasies of 1920s America, but rather by the natural world. Here is a spot to enjoy superb seasonal cocktails packed with herbs and botanicals, in comfort, without judgement and at a reasonable price. How refreshing it is to enjoy a wellmade drink, with good company, and without the kitsch pomp that pervades so many other bars. JF Recommendations: White Daisy; Bitter Orange Blossom