I went to Buck and Breck on a recommendation from a bartender working at Happiness Forgets in London. His favourite bar in the entire world, he told me, so obviously I had to go. Being number 17 on the top 50 certainly helped its cause.
The vibe at Buck and Breck was much different than any bar I've been to on this trip. To enter, you ring a buzzer simply labelled BAR. No markings, no signage. There's no doorman to welcome you inside. Instead, you're greeted at the bar by one of the bartenders. He invites you inside and you walk in to an island with a drink station on one side and 14 seats curving around. It doesn't feel like a bar, it feels like 16 friends hanging out having great drinks. Being behind a bar can sometimes feel isolating, they explain to me. When you're behind a bar, you're close to the person you're serving in theory, but oftentimes it can feel like you're behind a wall. They don't have that at Buck and Breck. Whenever you want to order a drink, they don't stand behind the bar and take your order. They'll walk around and stand beside you, making you feel more like a friend than a customer. Rarely was a drink handed over the bar, only if you were absolutely front and center where the drinks were being made. Again, they'd walk around the island and bring it directly to you. I was told in London that Buck and Breck was the type of place that'll make you stop worrying about what's going on around you and allow you to just relax and get lost in the moment. I wasn't sure how that would happen, but I get it now. I get it. read more