Thankfully, the only bubbles at The Old Car Wash are of the prosecco variety…
We simply never tire of quirky cocktail bars in unusual places, which is probably a good thing since London keeps providing us with a plentiful supply of them. Next to grace the capital is The Old Car Wash, which opens on August 6 in Homerton. Can you guess where you might perchance find this new pop-up cocktail bar?
Absolutely no prizes for the answer; as the name suggests, you’ll find The Old Car Wash inside an abandoned car wash. A place that once left the motors of Hackney looking spotless will now have the residents of Hackney looking legless, with a range of classic and themed cocktails and Camden Brewery beer on offer under the old car wash canopy. The bar will retain some features of its former industrial life, including handy signs to direct you to the bar, and warnings to not leave valuables in your car (good advice wherever you are, really).
Furthermore, The Old Car Wash is a perfect spot in the Age of Social Distancing, having been set up with post-pandemic safety in mind. It’s an open-air space, with plenty of room to space 70 drinkers nicely apart, and the bar will be mostly bookings, with only a few walk-ins allowed every night. You’ll also find a one-way system, table service, and the ability to order drinks on your phone here. To celebrate their arrival, the bar will be offering a free cocktail to everyone who books a table for the opening dates (Thursday 6 and Friday 7 August), as fine a reason as any to mosey on down.
The novelty of sipping on a Rosemary Paloma or a Negroni amidst a soap-stained yard is a uniquely London experience – hey, the likes of Skylight, Roof East, and Peckham Levels mean we’ve already ‘done’ car parks, so car washes are a logical next step…
The Old Car Wash will be open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday throughout August and September, and you’ll find it at 29 Pensford Street, E9 6JU (nearest station is Homerton). Find out more from their website.