Swift Soho has a lively ground floor and a basement with booths and an extensive whisky selection. The Old Compton Street bar serves cocktails inspired by classics and hosts live jazz on Tuesdays and Sundays.
Description source · Checked 2026-09-09
Plan Your Visit
12 Old Compton St, London W1D 4TQ, UKSoho
- Style
- Two-level cocktail and whisky barChecked 2026-09-09 · Source
- Hours
- Swift Soho at 12 Old Compton Street: Monday–Saturday 15:00–00:00; Sunday 15:00–23:00. These are Soho hours, separate from the Borough and Shoreditch branches.Checked 2026-09-27 · Source
- Booking
- The owner describes the upstairs bar as mainly for walk-ins and downstairs as reservations only. It recommends booking a table to guarantee a spot; downstairs bookings last two hours and groups over six are not accepted.Checked 2026-09-27 · Source
- Prices
- The owner-linked Soho upstairs menu lists Droplet at £13 and Carmen at £16; the downstairs menu lists Imperial Gimlet at £14 and Chameleon at £16. Selected cocktails are £7 Monday–Thursday before 18:00; the downstairs menu notes an optional 12.5% service charge.Checked 2026-09-27 · Source
- Menu
- The owner links separate Soho upstairs and downstairs cocktail PDFs, plus a Soho whisky list. Do not substitute menus for its Borough or Shoreditch branches.Checked 2026-09-27 · Source
Hours and menus can change. Check the venue’s latest details before visiting.
The score & its evidence
Seven signals. One score.
49.2 / 100
The composite combines the seven weighted signals and the published adjustments. The chart shows each signal before weighting.
Read the full calculation- Guest ratings
- 78.2
- World's 50 Best
- 32.1
- Top 500 Bars
- 60.4
- Spirited Awards
- —None found · Checked; no qualifying signal found; contributes zero
- Regional Recognition
- 59.3
- Serious press
- 12.2
- Social Vibes
- 63.0
Weights: Guest ratings 23% · World's 50 Best 12% · Top 500 Bars 10% · Spirited 12% · Regional Recognition 18% · Press 10% · Social Vibes 15%
Missing evidence, confirmed none and evidence outside a scoring window each contribute zero. We do not redistribute their fixed weight to other signals.
Social Vibes
Score read updated:
Sentiment score
90/ 100
Score context
Bi-level Soho bar with aperitivo upstairs and whisky-focused speakeasy downstairs. Guests praise excellent inventive cocktails, polished service, lively atmosphere and live music; consistently ranked among London's best.
Guest score details
What guests like
- excellent inventive cocktails
- polished friendly staff
- dual upstairs/downstairs experience
- lively Soho atmosphere
What to know
- can fill up quickly
Source excerpt
“Excellent cocktails with excellent staff! Great atmosphere and the staff were so friendly!”
Source: tripadvisor.com (linked below)
This read cites editorial or award context. Those links are distinct from guest accounts; only the reviewed links in Reviews & press count toward Press.
Review & discussion links
Editorial citations in this read
Crowd signal
Google 4.6★ across 1,821 reviews.
View on Google · Checked . Ratings and review counts can change.
Awards
Results from the three global systems scored separately in our formula.
Top 500 Bars
Regional Recognition
Regional and national lists, local awards and bartender peer picks considered for this room's Regional Recognition score. The strongest result from each program and year scores; assessed guides use the latest accepted dated status once.