Nearest: Tottenham Court Road, Goodge Street
Waeska runs a walk-ins only policy. Arrive before the DJ starts on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday to get a seat.
An Ethnobotany Cocktail Lounge in The Mandrake
Waeska is the lounge bar inside The Mandrake Hotel, tucked off Newman Street in Fitzrovia between Tottenham Court Road and Goodge Street. It reads as a clubby, low lit living room rather than a hotel lobby bar, with plush modern furniture and priceless artworks on the walls. The effect is closer to a private members feel than a drop in spot, which is part of the draw.
The cocktail list is the reason to come. It is founded on ethnobotany, the study of how cultures use local plants, and the menu evolves around ancient herbs and botanicals rather than the usual house classics. DesignMyNight's review filed the programme as one of London's more genuinely original hotel bar lists, where the research behind a drink is the point.
The bar runs under a cocktail program led by Anas El Bahhaj, a bar manager known for a technical, ingredient first style. The drinks lean herbal and exploratory, so this is a bar for people who want to be surprised by a glass rather than reach for a familiar order. Bar snacks back up a longer sit, and the room shifts later into the night.
Two practical notes shape a visit. Waeska operates walk-ins only, so there is no booking a table, and weekends fill once the DJ starts on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The dress code is smart casual and enforced, with no ties, hoodies or sports shoes, which is worth checking before you head over.
Come for an original, design led cocktail night that runs late. Skip it if you want a quick classic, a cheap round, or a guaranteed table. For more nearby, read our Fitzrovia bars guide and the wider London cocktail bars picks.
A couple or small group after a design led, late night cocktail room with a list unlike the standard hotel bar. Drinkers who want to be surprised by a herbal, botanical led glass. Anyone happy to walk in, dress smart casual, and stay for the DJ. Avoid if you want a booked table, a quick classic, or a budget round, since this is a premium walk-ins lounge.
Sources: The Mandrake Hotel official site (themandrake.com, 2026-06); DesignMyNight review; Square Meal; Royist bar profile; Cocktails in the City feature. Address recorded at The Mandrake Hotel, Newman Street, Fitzrovia W1T 1PG. Walk-ins only and smart casual dress code verified from the hotel listing.