London has a new bar worth planning a night around. Waltz, a Japanese-inspired drinking room on Scrutton Street in Shoreditch, has just been ranked 32nd at the World's 50 Best Bars awards in Milan — a striking result for a place that only opened in April 2025 and has built its reputation almost entirely by word of mouth.
It's the first brand-new bar to crack the list since Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood London made it in 2023 after nearly a decade of trying. At the Milan ceremony, the news drew a loud cheer from founder Gento Torigata and the rest of the London contingent, which included fellow winners The Connaught Bar, Satan's Whiskers and Scarfes.
The bar itself is deliberately low-key. A linen curtain hangs over the entrance; inside it's warm polished wood, deep blues, jazz on the speakers, and a long elm counter cut from a tree felled in Islington's Gibson Square. Designer David Ross took cues from Japanese listening bars but used British craftspeople and materials, so it feels rooted in London rather than a replica of Tokyo.
That makes sense given the man behind it. Torigata was born in Tokyo, trained in French cooking and pastry, learned his craft behind bars in Ginza, then worked in Sydney, Singapore and most recently Kwant in Mayfair. The name reportedly comes from Bill Evans's jazz album Waltz for Debby.
The drinks menu runs in two halves. Evergreen is the year-round list, including a Matcha Old Fashioned made with Japanese whisky, matcha and honey, and a saline Gibson that swaps vermouth for sake. In Season changes with remarkable frequency: Torigata follows Japan's traditional calendar of 72 micro-seasons, so new drinks appear almost weekly — think green walnut takes on Italian nocino.
Practical note: Waltz is walk-in only, so time your arrival early or late to get a seat at the counter. Just don't expect the secret to last much longer — the judges have spoken, and now everyone knows.
