Six Handshakes and a Basement in Fitzrovia: How Bar Kinky Turned London into a Global Bar Stage
Source: Own archive
There are places in London that you plan to visit, and there are those that quietly pull you back, again and again, without much resistance. Bar Kinky belongs to the latter.
Tucked beneath Kinkally on Charlotte Street, just a short walk from Tottenham Court Road, the bar reveals itself almost reluctantly. You descend, leaving behind the rhythm of central London, and enter a space that feels at once intimate and electric. Low lighting, a speakeasy sensibility, and an atmosphere shaped as much by people as by design. I have passed the restaurant upstairs many times, always telling myself I should try it. Yet, without fail, I find myself drawn downstairs instead.
Source: Own archive
Three years since its opening, Bar Kinky has grown into one of the most compelling bars in London. Its recent recognition among the Top 50 Bars in the UK, alongside its inclusion in the Pinnacle Guide, reflects not only technical excellence, but a distinct point of view. This is not a place interested in following trends. It is a place that creates its own language.
Their philosophy is direct and unapologetic. There is no talk of manifestation or abstraction. Only work, consistency and the pursuit of excellence in the details that define them. It is a mindset that becomes tangible the moment you sit at the bar.
A Basement Without Borders
What has set Bar Kinky apart over the past year is its Six Handshakes series. Framed not as a collaboration, but as a mission, the project has transformed this Fitzrovia basement into something far larger than its physical footprint. The idea is simple in structure, yet ambitious in execution. Over a period of months, the bar reinvents itself, hosting immersive takeovers by some of the most exciting bars from around the world. Teams are flown in. Menus are reimagined. Music, uniforms and even the visual identity of the space shift entirely.
Source: Own archive
For one evening, or sometimes a few, London becomes Tokyo, Hong Kong or Singapore. Borders dissolve. Hospitality becomes a shared language. The name itself reflects this ambition. Six handshakes, a reference to the idea that we are all connected by a small number of human links. At Bar Kinky, this theory becomes something you can taste, see and feel.
Nights That Travel
Over the past months, I found myself returning to Bar Kinky with a growing sense of anticipation. Each takeover promised a different perspective, a different rhythm. The first of the series, featuring Speak in Code and Danil Nevsky, was one I missed. I remember watching it unfold from a distance via their social media, already sensing that something important was happening in that small basement.
By the time the second takeover arrived, I made sure not to miss it. The collaboration with Hey Palu brought a distinct energy, playful yet precise, supported by a menu that balanced familiarity with surprise. It was the first moment I fully understood what the Six Handshakes project was about. Not replication, but interpretation.
The Tokyo editions followed, each with its own identity. The SG Club, which I unfortunately missed, carried the weight of global recognition. The Bellwood, which I attended alongside my father, another cockail lover, offered something more subtle. A quieter, more introspective approach to flavour and presentation, rooted in Japanese sensibility but translated through the lens of London. There is a particular kind of beauty in these contrasts. No attempt is made to smooth differences. They are embraced, even amplified.
Source: Own archive
The Hong Kong edition with Dead Poets was another I watched from afar, a reminder that in a city like London, absence can be as defining as presence. There is always something happening, always something missed.
Source: Own archive
And then came Nutmeg and Clove from Singapore, the final takeover I attended. A bar where menus read like comic books and cocktails carry a playful, almost narrative quality. There is a sense of humour in their approach, but also depth. Each drink feels considered, layered, expressive. Leaving that evening, I felt a familiar sensation. The kind that comes from travel. Except I had not left London.
The People Behind the Bar
Behind this evolving concept is a team whose identity is inseparable from the project itself. Led by founder Diana Militski, alongside figures such as Renato and Aliia, Bar Kinky reflects a broader story of movement and migration. Much of the team comes from Eastern European countries, bringing with them not only technical expertise but a perspective shaped by experience beyond London.
This international background is not an aesthetic choice. It is the foundation of the bar’s ethos. There is a generosity in the way they approach hospitality. An openness that allows each visiting team to express itself fully. At the same time, there is a clear structure, a discipline that ensures every detail is executed with precision. This balance between freedom and control is perhaps what makes the Six Handshakes series so compelling.
Watching the Craft
Whenever I visit, I try to secure a seat at the balcony. It is, without exaggeration, the best place in the room. From there, you can observe the bar in its entirety. The rhythm of service. The choreography of movement. The quiet concentration of bartenders as they measure, stir and assemble.
Source: Own archive
There is something almost hypnotic about it. A sense that what is happening is both technical and artistic. Ingredients that seem unlikely companions come together in ways that feel intuitive, almost inevitable. In these moments, the bar becomes a stage. The bartender, a performer. The cocktail, a final act that carries within it a story, a place, a set of influences that extend far beyond the glass.
A Community in Motion
What Bar Kinky has achieved over the past year is not simply a series of events. It is the creation of a community. A space where bartenders, guests and ideas intersect. Where conversations happen across languages and cultures. Where hospitality is not reduced to service, but expanded into something more relational.
Source: Own archive
For someone like me, whose work and life move constantly between places and perspectives, this feels particularly meaningful. It reflects a way of engaging with the world that values exchange over uniformity. There is also a certain intimacy in the experience. Despite its global reach, Bar Kinky remains small. Personal. You return, and faces become familiar. Conversations continue.
Looking Ahead
As the series continues, with upcoming collaborations such as Kiki’s from the Isle of Man, there is a sense that Bar Kinky is only at the beginning of what it might become. I have, perhaps persistently, suggested a Brazilian takeover. A small act of advocacy, driven by curiosity and a desire to see yet another layer added to this evolving narrative. Whether it happens or not remains to be seen.
Source: Bar Kinky
What is certain is that whatever comes next will be shaped by the same principles that have defined the past year. Curiosity, collaboration and a commitment to craft. In a city saturated with options, Bar Kinky offers something increasingly rare. Not just a place to drink, but a place to experience. To connect. To travel, without leaving. And sometimes, that is exactly what we are looking for.
