Sosharu

Who Should Book Sosharu Right Now

If you want a Japanese-leaning bar experience in Clerkenwell that sits closer to the considered end of the spectrum than the loud cocktail bar end, Sosharu on Turnmill Street is worth your attention. It works well for pairs: a date, a catch-up with someone you actually want to hear, or a pre-dinner drink before heading deeper into EC1M. The atmosphere leans calm over chaotic, which makes it a different proposition from the high-energy rooms you'll find further east or south of the river.

The Venue

Sosharu is at 64 Turnmill Street, EC1M 5RR, a short walk from Farringdon station, which puts it squarely in one of London's more interesting drinking and eating neighbourhoods. Clerkenwell has enough serious bars and restaurants nearby that an evening here can anchor a longer night without much effort. The address alone does some of the work: this is not a destination that requires planning around — it fits naturally into an evening already pointed in this direction.

The atmosphere reads as contained and deliberate. The mood is quieter than the larger cocktail venues in the area, which matters if conversation is the point. Compared to the theatrical production of a place like Nightjar, Sosharu operates without spectacle. That is not a criticism — it is a meaningful difference if you are choosing between the two. For a room with more energy and a bar-forward focus in a similar postcode, 69 Colebrooke Row is worth comparing directly.

On the drink side, the Japanese influence shapes the list. Expect precision over volume, which is consistent with how Japanese bar culture typically approaches cocktail construction. The by-the-glass format, where it applies, should hold up better here than the wine-list-as-afterthought approach common at busier London restaurants. If this angle matters to you, drinking something well-chosen rather than whatever is open, Sosharu is a reasonable bet. For a comparable approach in a different neighbourhood, Amaro and A Bar with Shapes For a Name both take their drink programs seriously and are worth knowing about.

Booking and Practicalities

Booking difficulty is low. Sosharu is not a room that requires weeks of advance planning, walking in is often possible, and getting a table with a day or two of notice should not be a problem most nights. That ease of access is genuinely useful in a city where the better-known bars operate on waitlists. If you are the type of drinker who decides where to go the night before, this works in your favour. For context on what harder-to-book looks like at this level, see Happiness Forgets, which manages its small room more tightly.

Farringdon station (Elizabeth line, Circle, Hammersmith and City, Metropolitan) is the natural arrival point. The Elizabeth line makes this accessible from both east and west London in under twenty minutes for most of the city, which changes the calculus on whether it is worth the trip from further out. Getting home is equally direct until late.

For further London drinking and dining context, see our full London bars guide, full London restaurants guide, and full London hotels guide. If you are planning a broader trip, the London experiences guide and London wineries guide are worth a look too.

If you are exploring further afield, Bramble in Edinburgh, Bar Kismet in Halifax, and Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu represent what the category looks like when it is operating at a high level in other cities. The Academy is worth knowing about closer to home if you are building a longer London bar itinerary.