Spotlight on Sobriety at Coco

There is an awful lot to be said for waking up the morning after a fabulous night out and realising that you are, for a change, blissfully hangover free. It does not happen that often, at least in my social circle, largely because most of the capital’s fancy schmancy restaurants pride themselves on extensive wine lists and their pre-dinner cocktails and their post-dinner espresso martinis, not to mention ‘let’s all nip in here for a quick nightcap’ on the way home.

But with a spotlight on sobriety and clean living there is an increasing trend for alcohol free bars and restaurants, so we went to see what all the fuss was about. My first thought is that Coco Grill and Lounge in Tower Bridge would be deafeningly quiet with nothing but the scraping of cutlery on plates as sober diners awkwardly wondered what to do instead of reaching for a sip of Malbec.

I need not have worried; the ambience was buzzing and the invitingly luxe décor is utterly Instagrammable from every angle thanks to the velvet chairs, dazzling neon signs and pretty pink cherry blossom.

We were off to a great start and the staff immediately made the whole evening feel like a party with their effusive welcome and attentive service. The iconic views of Tower Bridge and the Thames are nothing short of spectacular too – this would be a great spot to wow out of town visitors.

The completely alcohol-free drinks list features red and white wine options as well as every cocktail under the sun, prepared with unique non-alcoholic spirits. And you know what, it actually works.

I found myself poring over an inspired drinks list that included some beautifully presented fresh mocktails. My particular fave was the decadent passion fruit and mango Mohito which was so freaking good I could have sworn they had slipped a shot of rum in my highball. And I’m told the halal champagne and Espora 24K Gold, a crisp blend of Chardonnay and Macabeo grapes with 24 carat gold flakes, is more than quaffable.

The extensive Anatolian food menu is bursting with intriguing options, and we really did struggle to narrow it down. Oh, the Anatolian region is that bit stretching between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea in case you were wondering (like me).

All the meat is halal and we kicked off with duck tacos and crispy Korean glazed shrimp which our waiter circled with liquid smoke, dramatically drenched the entire table in dry ice. Talk about a wow factor.

We moved on to Black Cod in kefir lime and miso which was simply sublime, a top-class steak and a mixed shisha kebab. And if that sounds like a lot of food, that’s because it was. And even though we were surreptitiously loosening our top buttons under the table we were persuaded to sample the Lotus cheesecake and chocolate souffle deserts. Totally unnecessary, utterly delicious.

There is also a rather swanky private dining room and a spectacular Shisha Terrace with a cracking view of the City skyline should Spring ever, erm, spring.

So now you know where to go when you are looking for a first-class night out that promises – and delivers – maximum enjoyment with zero hangover.