The Gibson in Islington

Sorry for the late review A friend of mine had been going on about this cocktail bar for months so I finally got to check it out and I must say it did not disappoint! There were plenty of cocktails to choose from and if like me you don't know what to get just the staff what you like, sweet, sour, bitter and they'll make you one. I can't wait to go back soon

Dreadful customer service. Made a booking two weeks in advance but after 5 emails and countless attempted phone calls I wasn’t able to get any response from them to confirm it. Avoid.

Stumbled On The Gibson and was glad I decided to get a quick drink, and I was in for a surprise. I would go again but as the others mention the waitress is not warm at all.

Went last night the cocktails were really good but the red haired women was extremely rude she really should not be working in a customer facing job role with her attitude. The bar also weren’t serving the one item of food which we went for because of a lack of staff even tho they where just stood chatting. How can you be serving certain food items but not others due to staffing? It literally makes no sense. Good cocktails. Rude waitress. Wouldn’t return

Without doubt, the most interesting pub I've ever been in my entire life. It is not a normal pub but a life experience that must br shared with friends at least once in a lifetime. I was astonished by everything the cocktail, the smell, the toilet, the music, the service.. Never seen something like that

We were there for a celebration with a friend who had booked a few tables. The staff were very strange as at one point they would be very pleasant then very snappy, I think they forgot that they are in the service business. The table was booked between 8-10pm, which my friend was assured that we would be able to keep our tables after it but then they sent us outside as they said people were waiting. We went outside, then were asked to leave at 11pm as they don’t have a license. Whilst inside the bar they had around 12 empty seats, we had 10 in our party. Ruined what was a great night!

The cocktails are superb, very unique and with a hint of eastern species. The service was a bit awkward at first. My husband and I got there and there were plenty of available tables, yet the waitress told us to wait outside. We went outside (it was cold), and she called us a few minutes later. I didn’t understand her behavior at all. While we were there, at least three different groups of people got there asking for tables. She promptly accommodated them all, even though none of them had reservations either. I can’t extrapolate much, but I felt we were being discriminated somehow (maybe because we’re from another country?!). The second waiter was nice and gentle all the time.

Great music, superb cocktails and good service. It’s a small joint and worth booking - they take great care making the cocktails which are a work of art - we wills go back and it was enjoyed by all in our party. It did remind me of some cool places that we have to in NYC and Chicago.

We visited with friends so we ordered a selection of cocktails that were all presented in a very theatrical way. Perhaps I'm more of a traditionalist when it comes to cocktails and prefer a more simple presentation but as my friends pointed out that's the fun of the bar. all in all a good night.

Amazing cocktails , music and ambience ! The staff were professional ,attentive and expert in their field . Delicious Smoked salmon , olives and smoked almonds to accompany our incredible cocktails . This is my new favourite place.

A very intimate setting with delicious cocktails. When you peel through the curtain you enter a small, quaint bar which is intimate and cosy. When seated you are given some rose water and a very large menu of cocktails to choose from. If the cocktail list is too daunting the staff will help you choose and all of the cocktails are served in really cool glasses and are very delicious. If you are a cocktail enthusiast I would recommend this intimidate bar.

What a find! This is a gem of a bar, really quirky and fun. Lovely intimate space, creative decor and fab team of servers. Super helpful and creative to make the evening really special and unique. Would definitely visit again!

Highly creative, unusual, delicious and stunningly presented cocktails, an experience in itself. What a joy and what fun. So much care is taken. What skill to create such unusual but delicious ingredient combinations. Friendly efficient service too.

My husband booked The Gibson as part of my surprise 40th birthday trip to London. From the moment we walked in we felt welcome and the friendly atmosphere was amazing. The choice of cocktails is phenomenal but the knowledge and friendliness of the staff means that they can help you make a good choice. The decor and detail in the venue is fantastic, the girls toilet is beautifully decorated. This isn’t just a cocktail bar it is a cocktail experience and one which we will be making a return visit! Excellent and well worth a visit!

We have recently tried to visit the Gibson cocktail bar for my friend’s birthday. Unfortunately, we were not even allowed in: the member of staff told us that our reservation is for the outside seats (that evening the weather was absolutely terrible, cold and pouring rain) even though my friend specifically requested inside seats when making a reservation over a phone and was assured it’s booked for the inside. This was not the only surprise: we have also been told that our reservation is for 8:30pm, not 7:30 like we’ve booked and like was confirmed in our confirmation email (which we shown them at the door). The member of staff kept telling us we are wrong about the circumstances of our reservation. They ended up offering us to sit outside and wait to see whether someone wouldn’t show up so that we can be offered a table inside. This is very frustrating, especially because the group of people in front of us (4 people, just like us 4) were also told that their booking is for outside seats but when they’ve asked to be sat inside they were immediately offered a table. I don’t want to accuse anyone but it sounds like it might have been our table given to them, and we were told to sit outside instead. The tone of the staff member when they spoke to us is worth separate mentioning. It didn’t feel like they were interested in finding out why and how such situation could have occured, all they’ve done is tried blaming the situation on us and telling we were wrong about every aspect of our booking. No need to say my friend’s birthday celebration was ruined as she wanted to visit this bar for a long time. We ended up going somewhere else. Please find out what’s happening with your booking system because such situations are annoying and frustrating, and you could be easily losing clients with such service. P.S. I’ve heard the cocktails are very good here but we didn’t even get this far that evening.

Absolutely love this place, we come up to London from Bournemouth a few times a year and always come here. The service is great, live music on a Saturday night and the cocktails are amazing, delicious and creative! The Gibson Martini is a must if...

Incredible experience!! This bar is a must to visit in London. Outstanding drinks creations by Marian Beke, the friendly and professional staff will make you feel at home, big thanks to Maria, Ludovica, Giorgio and Marian Beke for looking after us. 🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸👌👌👌👌👌

One word - fabulous. Friendly doorman. Maria took the time to explain the drinks and advise us. She's a credit to the Gibson. Great atmosphere. We walked in on spec with no booking around 7.15pm. Super drinks which are great fun. Amazing bathroom! Friendly and...

Wow this bar is so much fun! Visited yesterday and was served by a lovely Italian waitress. All the staff were super friendly and the cocktails were so unusual, interesting and full of flavours I had never experienced before. Highly recommend if you’re looking for...

Definetly one of the bars that you have to visit in London. The word that define this bar is INNOVATION Make sure to make a reservation before you for your own convinience. Mr. Beke and his team make an excellent Job..

Me my boyfriend went here for his birthday. We were both blown away with all the exciting cocktails to try. The staff were super helpful, explaining flavours and tastes of items to choose from on the menus. You can watch the bar staff making the...

Cocktail bar, only snacks. Maddest, baddest cocktails in...London? Most inventive, strangest ingredients, beautiful menu.

You get what you pay for, for sure! If your a chocolate lover this is the place for you. I can’t tell you the amount of samples that contained some sort of cocoa in it or around the glass itself. Strong but delicious. Love the...

Brilliant cocktails in this cute little pub. Had to wait outside for an minute before being seated. Exhaustive menu split out by month which makes you try something you might not have before. All the different cocktail ‘glasses’ are great to see when they come...

Staying around the corner with my daughter. Wanted a cocktail bar and came across the Gibson. An amazing apothecary of thr most unusual and delicious cocktails I have ever had. Really small place . Delightful staff and an assault of heaven on the taste buds!.

Avoid like the plague. Horrible place. We had reservations for 4 people, yet I had to wait outside (despite my friends - who had arrived earlier and were waiting inside waiting for me - coming out and showing the very friendly guy on the door...

Une grande référence du cocktail mondiale, Monsieur Marian Beke excelle dans son art. À faire et à refaire. Petit plus:...

Un petit endroit à la déco rétro, pour finir une belle journée en surprises! Chaque cocktail est un chef d'oeuvre...

Un tout petit bar très cosy, ambiance cocktail bar assumée. Service a l’écoute, qui explique bien et qui conseille. Les...

What an incredible bar is this! We took 4 cocktails in total and yes, they were delicious. The one in the picture was literally my favourite, unfortunately I do not remember the name, but it's a must place to go when visiting London! Reservation needed.

Visited The Gibson as a group of 14 ladies celebrating a friends birthday. Iy was pot luck having located the venue on the internet. Maria had organised cocktails to be ready upon our arrival and she greeted us and showed us to our tables. She...

Has the potential to be a nice cocktail spot, but unfortunately the staff were pretentious and some quite rude. Would not return or recommend.

I went with my boyfriend and it was really a nice experience. We decided to go there quickly for a drink before going to a live music pub and we ended up with order a couple of more drinks. The place is special and the...

Been there with friends and really enjoyed! Although I am not a cocktail expert I throughly enjoyed my time at the Gibson as the staff is friendly and willing to help you. The menu is organized in "seasons" and "months" which is a pleasant way...

This was one of the highlights of my recent trip to London! Yes, the presentation is out of this world but the drinks are actually delicious as well. My typical drink is a gin and ginger ale but I always love going to a place...

The cocktails are as wacky and tasty as you may expect from reading these other reviews. The variety is great, the taste is very good and the way they are served fills you with anticipation when you order, as you speculate on what weird receptacle...

Visited regularly The Gibson when I was living closer to London and still when I happen back in the city look for an "excuse" to pop by because the experience is sublime every time. From the fast service to the exquisite cocktails: Martinis and beyond...

Quite incredible what can be fitted into such a small place ! Flavoursome! Amazing ! I felt like I had stumbled upon a secret cave of beauty! The cocktails were innovative and exciting! The whole experience an adventure! This place is one that no one...

WOW!! What a place! Could not fault this place after an amazing evening this weekend! Delicious cocktails in a cool and beautifully designed venue! The staff were so knowledgeable and suggested some choices that were perfect for each of us! Such a creative collection of...

Keep it short Si, suggest The Gibson is a pile of pants when in fact you enjoyed the best (first) and second best (yup) cocktails in your life. So my official verdict is... dreadful, stay away (please stay away... we want a seat again next...

What can I say. It’s an old fashioned boozer with the green tiles on the walls...turned into a mad hatter. A bit crammed and expensive, plus I felt a bit watched with the waiter with the horrible water watching our glasses every ten seconds to...

I have followed this bar on Instagram for a while and flew all the way from Belize to London so I had to visit them. Upon arrival, I was surprised by the small size and décor, but that surprise all melted into amazement once we...

In one of the most legendary bars worldwide the kind and professional personnel serves you finest cocktails with fancy and exotic garnishes such as dry ice, buzz buttons and lots of chocolate. Every cocktail will be explained in detail and how to drink it the...

Could not recommend this cocktail bar enough, the cocktails are amazing and they are all very quirky, different and imaginative. The staff were very helpful and recommended me two perfect cocktails after saying the sort of drinks I like to drink usually. Cocktails are around...

The cocktails are very tasty and their appearance is unusual. Very nice place with just few tables. Service on it’s best. Everything is perfect except prices. In my opinion, the are too high (£13-16).