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Freud 198 Shaftesbury Avenue, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 8JL — view map
Freud London Review
A friend of mine was stalking the writers at Heat magazine recently and happened to stumble, quite literally, into Freud Bar whilst trying to avoid eye contact with the editor of Heat as she came out of head office across the road (its ok, she didn’t spot m…I mean, didn’t spot my ‘friend’). This Freudian slip (*groan) was due to the near-vertical stairs leading down to the bar. One piece of advice before you canter down to Freud: make sure you arrive before you start drinking, otherwise you could fall head-over-heals.
All psychoanalytical jokes aside, the Freud art exhibition/furniture emporium/café/cocktail bar is for arty students and media-tors and is very brown and very daubed with fantastic array of art for sale.
This beatnik zone, which claims it was England’s first café-bar, is easel to a maverick kind of art – giant cocktail art. All tastes are catered for, ranging from the classic Mojito to the madcap Homeboy, the fear-inducing Zombie, and the assertive Perfect Pimms. I heard that the Long Island Iced Tea is powerful enough to kill Death Row murderers, with kindness; less messy, entirely legal and a much better send-off altogether. For your convenience the cocktail list even displays the type of glass each creation is delivered in, so if it's busy, avoid the martinis!
They also offer a wide range of wine, bottled beers and even a 'pint' of latte - but if you’re going to swim with the sharks you don’t want to see the Bottlenose, you want to see the Great White, right?
Being so small and having a kitchen that’s basically just a grill, lunchtimes at Freud fall neatly into two categories: you can either go DIY with an embarrassment of salad choices; or, if you don’t mind bleeding gums for the rest of the afternoon, there’s the toasted, thick-cut granary sandwiches instead.
Freud is the absolute antithesis to Starbucks and the kind of place you only discover through word-of-mouth. Yet it remains one of London’s best kept secrets. Someone must’ve blabbed, own up!
Sigmund Freud once said that, “Love and work... work and love, that's all there is”. So which is it gunna be?
Christian Rose-Day (15 02 2006)
Freud London Description
Opened in 1986, the Freud café in London was the first café-bar in England and also hosts art exhibitions continuously. The artwork changes each month. The Freud café is well known for its cocktails but it also serves delicious lunches and great coffee and teas.
An inconspicuous, stainless steel staircase leads down from the corner of Neal Street into a buzz of cool, contemporary chaos. The room is small with tables and chairs in abundance and a padded bench surrounding the room. The lighting is dim, and moody, but there's no attitude in here.
An artistic and graphic design orientated client base make up the capacity of Freud, their creative flair tempered by modern artworks on the walls.
Top Tens and Guides
Freud is featured on the Fluid Foundation top tens and guides under:
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Average Customer Rating (22 Votes)
best evenings start there...”
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anne, london (23 01 2010)
The much hyped 'urban grit' of Freud could be seen, in a harsh light, as just a dirty basement with not much space. The cocktails are great though, and the prices are pocket friendly. Barmen provide some flair and the artwork on the walls is a welcome diversion from the above mentioned grit. Go early or on a quieter Sunday to get a table so you can be part of the urban cool scene, rather than the awkward one holding your cocktail while tyring not to be jostled every time someone wants to move.”
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Bronwen Stephens, London (14 09 2009)
Surely one of the best cocktails bars in London. It's SO underground, in more ways than one. Considering the area, the cocktails are very cheap and very varied. You can only get away with wearing your uber-cool look in Freud, which means everyone there seems like they're in a band. I love it!”
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Leigh, Tooting (10 08 2009)
This is my favourite cocktail bar in London, and is a place I MUST return to every time I pop back into Town.
Great atmosphere, quirky with the most exceptional cocktails! You just can't beat a Fallen Angel...”
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Kate, Dorset (18 06 2009)
I would like to:
Extra Info
- Cocktails
- Non-Smoking Area
- Children Allowed
- Food