Recommended London cocktail bars
The UK capital is one of the best cities in the world for drinking well. Need help sieving the lime from the soda? Here’s our pick of the finest cocktail bars in London, organised by neighbourhood
The home of the espresso martini, the world’s best bar and a multitude of award-winning bartenders – London lays claim to one of the best cocktail scenes in the world.
While its bar offering works well when paired with an evening in one of London’s best restaurants, they’re also well worth a trip in their own right (and quite a lot of them serve snacks). Many of London’s brilliant hotels are well-equipped with an impressive cocktail offering, while dimly lit corners of Hackney and Soho reveal intimate drinking dens with impressive pours. For an in-depth guide to London’s booming bar scene, we’ve put together a list of some of our favourite spots across the capital that cover a broad range of styles, prices and vibes, whether you’re seeking plush interiors, inventive flavours, rooftop views or a banging playlist.
West London
Upstairs at Rules, Covent Garden
Best for: classic old school London glamour
Location: 34-35 Maiden Lane, London, WC2E 7LB
Price: ££££ GBP for a cocktail
Found – you guessed it – upstairs at the iconic, historic Rules restaurant in Covent Garden, this bar by bartending icon Brian Silva is as classic and vintage as it gets. This is where cocktails are made how they used to be and Silva turns out the classics with his own special twist, usually with the addition of a rare or interesting ingredient. The surrounds evoke Victorian England, while a covered conservatory makes a beautiful space for quiet conversation. A must for first-time visitors and cocktail buffs.
Connaught Bar, Mayfair
Best for: A luxury hotel bar at its finest
Location: The Connaught Hotel, Carlos Place, London, W1K 2AL
Price: ££££
Ago Perrone and his award-winning team make arguably the finest martinis in London. Bartenders deftly pour from behind The Connaught’s Martini Trolley, and you can choose your own bitters for a personalised finish. The rest of the menu is definitely worth checking out too, especially the vintage cocktails using spirits from the 1970s. You can also expect beautifully crafted glassware, some of the best hotel bar snacks in town and a grand interior panelled in a hand-painted Hibernian landscape, designed in collaboration with Atelier Pierre Bonnefille.
Soma Soho
Best for: West End speakeasy
Location: 14 Denman Street, London, W1D 7HJ
Price: ££
Soma Soho is a modern speakeasy with some of the slickest drinks in town. An unmarked entrance leads down to a subterranean den with a communal bar, where bartenders shake cocktails behind a stainless-steel top. Small intimate spaces are hidden by black curtains and low lighting for discreet tête-à-têtes. Influenced by the subcontinent of India, the drinks list reimagines recognisable classics. The Leaf is a winner – a twist on a gimlet with curry leaf, Opihr gin, kaffir leaf and pink peppercorn.
Trailer Happiness, Portobello Road
Best for: Neighbourhood rum bar in Notting Hill
Location: 177 Portobello Road, London, W11 2DY
Price: ££
Rum legend Sly Augustin is at the helm of Portobello Road’s destination rum bar. Influenced by Asia, Polynesia and the Caribbean, the kitsch and cosy spot is lauded for its classic rum cocktails as well as clever twists on other classics, like the espresso martiki (see what they did there?). The crowd in here is a mix of people who are serious about rum and those who want to let loose. And sometimes both. Either way, this is the spot for a proper party.
The Cadogan Arms, Chelsea
Best for: Excellent cocktails in a Chelsea pub
Location: 298 King’s Road, London, SW3 5UG
Price: ££
From the outside, The Cadogan Arms looks like more of a pub than a bar, and indeed, once you step inside, too. Yet the cocktails you’ll be served are more than bar-worthy. Drinks come with fun sides like the Rah Rah Martini, served with a spoon of caviar, and the boilermakers (tiny frozen cocktails designed to be served alongside beer) are a standout favourite for the fun and boisterous crowd. Go for the drinks and stay for the elevated pub classic food.
East London
Seed Library, Shoreditch
Best for: East London regular
Location: 100 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6HU
Price: ££
Set in the basement of One Hundred Shoreditch Hotel, Seed Library is the work of the UK’s most celebrated bartender, Ryan Chetiyawardana (aka Mr Lyan). It mixes ’70s cool with stripped back cocktails, which place a unique and often sustainable spin on classic drinks. We recommend the coriander seed gimlet or the beeswax old fashioned, while a vinyl collection means the music always bangs. Mr Lyan never fails to deliver, and his latest labour of love is easily one of London’s best cocktail bars. Book a night at One Hundred Shoreditch while you’re at it, so all you need to do is stumble from the bar to your bed.
A Bar with Shapes for a Name, Haggerston
Best for: late night drinks in a minimal setting
Location: 232 Kingsland Road, Whitmore Estate, London, E2 8AX
Price: ££
This Bauhaus-inspired bar is only recognisable by the three shapes above its door. Inside, bartenders wear colourful boiler suits, and the wood-accented space screams ‘sleek utility’. There are no bottles on the back bar; a huge fridge holds their beautiful, delicate glassware; and the cocktails are minimalist in look but big on flavour. The bottled rhubarb and raspberry Pastel is an excellent way to kick off proceedings, and the Kasimir come with an ice cube with a light prism inside. It’s open till 3am every night – London is known for its lack of a late-night drinking scene, so add this to your mental hit list for the next time you’re hunting for martinis after midnight.
Rasputin’s, Hackney
Best for: A martini-fuelled night out in London Fields
Address: 171 Mare Street, London E8 3RH
Price: $
Rasputin’s is located next door to The Dolphin, a party haunt of legend in London. Bathed in a soft red glow, TV screens play cult films on loop while bartenders prepare ‘5 olive’ martinis for a modest 7 GBP. Owner Greg Boyce originally took on the lease in order to have somewhere to prep sandwiches for his wildly popular Dom’s Subs sandwich business during the day. The bar opens at 5pm, with country music blasting from the speakers on Tuesday evenings. For 11 GBP, you can order two hot dogs and a pint, or opt for a 3 GBP ‘mystery shot’ and see where the night takes you.
South London
Funkidory, Peckham
Best for: Local hero
Location: 42 Peckham Rye, London, SE15 4JR
Price: ££
Cocktails, records and natural wine. What’s not to like at Peckham favourite Funkidory? As the name suggests, this local (and industry) favourite serves excellent cocktails backed by carefully curated funk tracks. Founders Sergio Leanza and Anna Fairhead have built up an impressive collection of local and independent spirits and turn out inventive cocktails in warm and homely surrounds. A record and bottle shop makes a thoughtful addition – and you can even get your hands on some Funkidory merch to take home with you. Despite being a fairly recent arrival, it’s officially already one of the best bars in South London.
Has all this wet your whistle for more insider information on London? You can find out about the capital’s best museums and galleries, curated by a local arts writer; or tune into London’s bubbling music scene – not to mention find out where to listen to some of the best artists around right now.
