Burlock

Burlock got off to an awkward start. The Marylebone rum bar with a Cuban theme had plans to call itself Plantation. As in, where the slave trade flourished. How’s that for uplifting? A petition put things right and Plantation got a new name. Though the theme remains, we’re told the bar is giving £1 from every signature cocktail it sells to human rights organisations to show that its heart is in the right place.

So, what does Burlock get right? The rum, of course: punters can choose something spiced, light, dark or even overproof. There’s a decent happy hour, too – take advantage of the Old Cuban, a light, bright twist on the mojito, for a fiver between 5pm and 7pm.

The faux colonial estate setting is actually pretty neat, light flickering through curtains, floral wallpaper and vintage sewing machines on tables. But as you realise the Latino music is on a short loop and there’s no natural light coming from behind said curtains, the atmosphere wears a bit thin. The bar snacks were below par on our trip too, with bland jerk chicken and limp empanadas. But hey, if rum’s your thing, lock into Burlock.