Mr Fogg's Hat Tavern and Gin Club in Soho: Review

Situated in Chapel Street in Soho, Mr Fogg’s Hat Tavern and Gin Club pays tribute to Phileas Foggs’ love of millinery and gin.

The downstairs gin club (Image: Emily Davison)

The drinking spot consists of an upstairs tavern offering punters a chance to drink in a relaxed, pub style setting surrounded by a collection of hats, with a curated hat-themed cocktail menu of drinks inspired by hats all around the world.

Downstairs is the more formal and opulent gin club, which features upholstered chairs and a large collection of hats from bonnets to top hats.

Compared to other Mr Fogg's locations this space was a little smaller, so bear that in mind if you want to visit with a large group of friends.

Mr Foggs Hat Tavern and Gin Club (Image: Emily Davison)

However, compared to other locations, this one felt the most cosy and intimate, and as it doesn’t seat a huge amount of people this definitely had the most relaxed vibe out of the ones I’ve visited.

Mr Fogg's is well known for specially curated cocktail menus, which are themed around each individual venue, and this one is broken down by centuries starting from the 17th up to the present day.

But Mr Fogg's is also known for offering a menu of gimmicky, fun and creative cocktails that will make you want to order more.

Me and my plus one tried four different cocktails between the two of us and the presentation of some didn’t disappoint.

We tried the “Soaked in Spirits” cocktail, which was served in a tiny bath tub with alcoholic foam on the top to make it look like a tiny bubble bath.

Emily Davison (Image: Emily Davison)

The drink was made with a blend of Bombay Sapphire gin, elderflower liqueur, pineapple, lemon, and ginger. It had a very punchy and almost tropical taste, and the elderflower really stood out against the tanginess of the pineapple.

We also tried the “Doff One’s Hat”, which was served in a top hat-shaped drinking glass and was made with Jasmine Hendricks gin, apple liqueur, lime juice, and fresh basil.

It had a very fresh, slightly floral taste, however the apple gave it a little fruity kick, and this would be the sort of drink I’d recommend for anyone who likes a classic G&T as it is quite fresh.

We then tried the “Duchess of Malfi” cocktail, which is a tropical mix of Malfy con Limone gin, Aperol Aperitif, mango tepache, fresh lemon juice and lychee purée, topped with Franklin & Sons pineapple and almond soda.

This had a very tropical feel and would probably suit anyone who usually opts for a Tequila Sunrise or a Porn Star Martini with all the citrus and fruity flavours.

The Doff One's Hat Drink (Image: Emily Davison)

Finally, we tried the “A Cap-tivated Forager”, which was a floral blend of Bombay Bramble gin, Nonsuch hedgerow and rose shrub, lavender syrup, and fresh lemon juice, topped up with rhubarb foam.

At first you get the initial taste of the rhubarb foam which is very sweet, but once you start to get to the drink itself you really get that floral bouquet of flavours coming through.

It’s a lovely mix of sweet and floral and it would be a great option if you like a classic Bramble like me.

All in all, this was a cosy and relaxed place to have a date night or to spend the evening with friends after work.

There are so many fun and novel cocktails to choose from and it’s the perfect place to kick back before a trip to the theatre or after a busy day at work.