Coupette

Coupette opened in the summer of 2017 on Bethnal Green Road, the first solo venture of Chris Moore, who spent around five years behind the Beaufort Bar at The Savoy before striking out on his own. He took over the old Albion — a no-frills East End boozer — and rebuilt it as a French-leaning neighbourhood cocktail bar, part refined drinks destination and part bistro. The concept leans hard on French produce, with calvados installed as the house hero spirit and a deep cellar of Norman apple brandies behind the bar. The drinks philosophy is deliberately unfussy, "made to imbibe, not to study." Within a year Coupette had taken the Best New Opening award, and it went on to rank No. 23 in The World's 50 Best Bars in 2019, with its Apples and Champagne Piña Colada both named Best Drink in the UK at the CLASS Awards.\n\nThe room keeps the bones of the old pub — rugged brick walls — but dresses them up with vintage Tiffany-style glass lamps, playful modern artwork and soft, coppery lighting. The long bar top is studded with vintage French 10-franc coins, a quiet nod to the name (a coupette is the little coupe glass, a symbol of French finesse). It reads as intimate and buzzy rather than hushed and reverent — a genuine social hub — and a short menu of French-inspired small plates, from a croque monsieur flatbread to a Gruyère burger, runs alongside the drinks.\n\nThe non-alcoholic offer is treated as a real part of the list rather than an afterthought: Coupette files its zero-proof drinks under "guilt-free cocktails" and has previously run an entire alcohol-free menu for Dry January. The standout is Pretty in Pink, built on New London Light's non-alcoholic spirit and balanced between sweet and bitter with strawberry, vanilla, lemon and pink pomelo soda — rosy in the glass and properly composed rather than just sweet. A lighter alternative, the Stone Fruit Slush, blends mango and apricot sorbet with London Essence peach soda for something closer to a grown-up frozen drink. Because the cocktail list changes seasonally the exact line-up shifts, but the bar's habit of building around a proper NA base spirit means there is usually a considered alcohol-free choice rather than a token one — it is worth asking the bartender what is on when you visit.