Address: 30 Salusbury Road, London, NW6 6NL, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7624 3829
Instagram: #19fiftysevenspeakeasy

Style: Cocktail bar, Lounge bar, Speakeasy
Recommended for: Cocktail hour, Cocktails, Date Night, Romantic evening, Special night out
Food: Bar Snacks, Small plates

Named after the year Malaysia gained independence, 19FiftySeven is hidden in the basement. Even when you know where it is, finding the bell push to gain access is a challenge.

Once you're in, you'll find yourself in a dimly lit room with plush furnishings set against plaster walls and ceiling with what look like damp patches but are part of the decor, recreating a cellar speakeasy vibe.

Being below a well-regarded Malaysian restaurant, the bar food is delicious, but it's the well-executed house cocktails that are the main attraction. These were all created by Davide Zannin and Vito Verrengia, two experienced Italian bartenders who conceptualised and opened 19FiftySeven through their Two Minds hospitality consultancy.

The menu starts with an overview of the cocktails on offer – all house cocktails. This is not a bar you should come to expecting to order a Porn Star Martini or even a Daiquiri. All dozen cocktails are Malaysian-inspired, with non-alcoholic versions also available. The menu continues with a page dedicated to each cocktail, with an illustration of how the cocktail is presented and a map showing the area of Malaysia which inspired the cocktail.

For example, my favourite of those I sampled was the "Awan," which is summarised as being "floral, umami and sharp." This cocktail is influenced by Sabah, "home to ancient jungles, where Mount Kinabalu stands majestic and tall, surrounded by cool swirling mist and clouds." The reference to "clouds" continues in the serve, and as with all the cocktails, it's beautifully presented in a vessel specifically chosen for that cocktail. The menu continues, "Awan is a sexy, delicate, martini-style drink – exuding elegance." A floral vermouth is "infused with a blend of native Malayan leaves, it captures the quiet depth of the jungle."

You may need your glasses to work your way through the black text on the red paper in the dimly lit room, or just ask your server to help you choose a cocktail and then tell you its story when they present its elaborate serve.

At £14, the Awan is typically priced and considering the setting, service, complicated build of each cocktail and their presentation, this is great value.