Rebecca Seal's top three espresso martinis in London

Best for a caffeine kick

Shoreditch Grind

Blink and you’ll miss this little coffee bar on Old Street roundabout. By day they serve very good coffees, plus breakfast, and sandwiches at lunch, but at night it really comes alive, transforming into a cool cocktail bar. They’ve perfected the espresso martini without coffee liqueur: not too sweet, not too thin, not too bitter (£7).

213 Old Street, EC1 (shoreditchgrind.com)

Best for a fancy date

That it is so hard to get into definitely adds to the appeal of Mark Hix’s underground bar in Soho. (Ring ahead to book.) Once you’re there it’s like being in an old-fashioned club: all low lights, squashy chairs and strong, heady drinks. The espresso martini is made with Kahlua for a touch of creamy sweetness (£12).

66-70 Brewer Street, W1

(020 7292 3518; marksbar.co.uk)

Best for Southern hospitality

Graffiti on the outside but trendily mismatched furniture on the inside, Kaff perfectly represents all the contradictions you’ll find in scruffy-but-cool Brixton. There is a top espresso martini (£6.50), plus Louisiana-born chef Richard Myers has a tempting menu of dishes such as jerk chicken and Cajun pulled pork.

64-68 Atlantic Road, SW9

(020 7274 5373; kaff-bar.co.uk)