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The best bars in London for cocktails
London’s cocktail scene has exploded over recent years, with a slew of stylish young upstarts jostling for attention with the grandes dames. The city has everything, from hipster bars whose drinks are based around a zero-waste policy to five-star hotels with hushed and reverent service. From tiki bars to aperitivo bars, Prohibition-style speakeasies to 1970s-style retro hangouts, there’s something for everyone. Be it a wonderfully Instagrammable cocktail, an espresso martini with pedigree, a drinkable literary reference, or a menu of sustainably sourced beverages, these bars deliver the works. Read on for a list of the best cocktail bars in London.
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The best bars in London for cocktails
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1/50No. 23
This sleek and intimate mezcalería is part of the restaurant and wine bar Carousel; we ate there and headed next door to No.23 for a post-dinner cocktail. Being midweek, it was very quiet, but I imagine that on a Saturday night the atmosphere would be livelier. They serve wine, beer and mocktails, but the thing to head here for is undoubtedly the mezcal. Their main cocktail list is comprised of twists on classics such as a Negroni, Colada or Old Fashioned, but all containing tequila or Espadín mezcal.
I tried the potent M&M, a sweet, smoky and spicy cocktail of Espadín, amaro, burnt coffee, ancho, pepper and soda. Service is excellent - we received a thorough education in different types of mezcal as our drinks were made - and the cocktails are all priced around £15, which is fair for this area and the quality of the drinks. Similarly to their sister establishment Carousel, No.23 has a rotating guest residency scheme. When we visited, they had guest cocktails from a Scottish whisky distillery on the menu for a limited time. - Tilly Wheeler
No. 23, 23 Charlotte St, Fitzrovia, W1T 1RW
2/50The Spy Bar, Raffles London at The OWO, Whitehall
For a real touch of James Bond, there's no better place to go than the impressive subterranean speakeasy at the splashy new Raffles London at the OWO – which even has half the car from No Time To Die mounted on the wall. The aptly named Spy Bar is hidden in the former MI5 interrogation rooms in the Grade II listed Edwardian Old War Office and feels like a real step back in time. Come here for whisky drinks prepared in the most creative of ways, led by the experimental bartenders Sotirios Konomi, Davide Sinibaldi and Kyriaki Dachtyloudi who have a lab near the bar to create all sorts of concoctions. We particularly loved the Double O Seven cocktail, a modern twist on the martini made with vodka, rhubarb, coconut, sweet vermouth and… absinthe. As well as the classic Vesper. – Tal Dekel-Daks
The Spy Bar, 57 Whitehall, London SW1A 2BX
3/50Bar 45 at 45 Park Lane
The deeply civilised Bar 45 is one of many reasons to visit the glorious Art Deco hotel 45 Park Lane. This chic space, its walls lined with impressive artworks, plays host to an excellent cocktail menu. Its new incarnation, ‘Art Form’ takes its impetus from said artworks, with elaborate drinks such as the Infinity Martini, inspired by the work of Yayoi Kusama, and the warming whiskey-based Nuage, which looks to the subversive surrealist art of Magritte. The highlight, however, is surely the Negroni trolley, a selection of twists on this Italian classic that are prepared tableside with a dash of theatre. This is the perfect place to meet for drinks before heading on to the hotel’s Wolfgang-Puck-run steak restaurant, CUT, or at the beginning of any Mayfair night.
45 Park Lane, London W1K 1PN
4/50Common Decency at NoMad Hotel
You might very well walk past Common Decency several times before actually finding the unsuspecting staircase heading into the NoMad hotel's subterranean new cocktail bar. This place used to be the Bow Street Magistrates' Court, which housed the police station that jailed Oscar Wilde in the name of “common decency” (get it?). Now, expect drama on a glamorous scale – from the snug, dimly-lit Belle Epoque interiors to the cocktails that focus on hyper-seasonal ingredients like quince skin and squash seeds. Bartending duo Leo Robitschek and Liana Oster have split the cocktail menu by main ingredient, giving you a safe option and an ‘out there’ option for each one. Don't sleep on the bar snacks either, which also rotate seasonally – especially if the chicken croquettes are on the menu.
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Common Decency, 28 Bow St WC2E 7AW
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Caitlin Isola5/50Seed Library
Heading down the stairs down into Seed Library, the bar underneath East London hotel One Hundred Shoreditch, is a little like going backstage at the opera or some sort of rock star’s arena tour – all dark stairwells, windowless doors and black curtains. Make it in, though, and you’re suddenly in a louche 1970s-inflected take on a cocktail bar as though it was designed by, say, Gio Ponti: low banquettes and chairs, breeze-block bar, everything upholstered in browns and maroons.
Seed Library was, in fact, created by pun-loving cocktail virtuoso Ryan “Mr Lyan” Chetiyawardana, of Lyaness – formerly Dandelyan – on the South Bank and other bars around London and the world, and its eight-drink menu (not including the £300 Krug-and-snacks “Ballermaker”) is pleasingly straightforward. The Spicy Metropolitan (Grey Goose, scotch bonnet chilli and orange liqueur) will send you giddy even as it clears out your sinuses, while the fruit-forward Koseret’s Downfall (Bacardi, apricot, pineapple and soda water, plus a taste of Ethiopian koseret) will please anyone looking for something sweeter. There are also beguiling takes on the Daiquiri, Champagne cocktail and gimlet, a “purple shiso” Martini and many other intoxicating options. Then, because you’re in Shoreditch, accompany them with potato smiles, lamb sweetbreads or – we kid you not – a deep-fried Mars bar.
Seed Library, 100 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ
6/50The Fumoir at Claridge’s
Of all the glam hotel bars in Mayfair, the Art Deco-inspired Fumoir might just be the sexiest. It’s tiny, with seating for only about a dozen guests, while the deep purple velvet banquettes and marble and gold accents create an opulent, moody atmosphere. Black and white photographs of movie stars line the walls, and the cocktail menu is carefully selected and backed up by a wide range of vintage spirits and liqueurs.
The Fumoir Bar, Claridge’s, Brook Street, London W1K 4HR
CHARLIE MCKAY7/50Joe Allen
Open since 1977 in the heart of Covent Garden theatre-land, Joe Allen is a wonderfully charming place to stop in before or after a show, or frankly at any time of day. With its hearty menu of American classics, the restaurant is heaps of fun, but we're particularly enamoured of their new cocktail bar, Joe's Bar, which has opened just inside the front door. Moody and wood-panelled, it’s an atmospheric space that feels like a proper New York bar (the restaurant is sister to a New York original). Pop in for Martinis and Manhattans at a very reasonable £12 each, and sours at £11, plus a selection of (quite hefty) bar snacks, including a really rather spectacular Marmite and Parmesan toast. A new favourite spot in central London.
Joe Allen, 2 Burleigh St, London WC2E 7PX
8/50The Little Scarlet Door
The Little Door group of bars like to dub themselves ‘the best houseparty in town’, and this latest addition is true to the theme: a bar decorated like an eccentric, eclectic New York flat. Upstairs looks like a chaotic and cool ‘shared kitchen’, and downstairs there are vinyl collections, a playstation and quirky art and objets a-plenty. The drinks are fun, elaborate and seemingly film-themed (we recommend the Et Tu Mama Tambien) with cocktails ranging from £8 to £14, and the food is delicious in the modern mezze style. Our bartenders were incredibly friendly, and were happy to whip up an amazing non-alcoholic drink for our non-drinker friend.
The Little Scarlet Door, 12-13 Greek Street, London, W1D 4DL
Billy Bolton9/50Downstairs at Morito Hackney Road
Tucked downstairs below the Morito restaurant on Hackney Road is a vibrant and fun cocktail bar with extra-friendly staff, serving delicious citrus-drenched takes on classic cocktails. The modernist bar's colour combination of orange and vibrant blue, with golden uplighting, makes it a particularly cheering place to be (take a box of matches as you exit: they livened up the inside of my handbag for weeks!) We recommend looking out for Music at Morito's, a friendly and cosy ticketed evening from 7.30pm on Tuesdays which, for £30, supplies you with regular rounds of delicious North African, Spanish and Mediterranean small dishes, interspersed with short musical sets from that evening's guest band, who play a final after-desert performance to top off the night.
Downstairs at Morito, 195 Hackney Road, E2 8JL
10/50Artesian
The Langham Hotel is the setting for this graceful bar, which combines opulent Oriental décor with highly theatrical drinks. The pagoda-esque lines of the bar and the lilac leather seating are very lovely, and the bar has recently created a whole new menu around the theme of 'Connections', which feels very relevant after such an isolating year. The 'Cherry on Top' (pictured) from the 'Celebration' section of the menu is a particular delight, a rich, slightly tart concoction of vodka, oloroso sherry, cherry pistachio cordial, and champagne. The service is discreet and friendly, and as in all of London's grand hotels, it's always fun to watch the crowd.
Artesian, 1C Portland Pl, Marylebone, London W1B 1JA
11/50Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood
A new entry to the Top 100 Best Bars in the World list this year, Scarfes Bar in the Rosewood hotel is a deeply civilised place to have a drink. Stepping in to the bar from the bustling environs of Holborn is like getting into a warm bath - everything just feels a little bit better. The expansive room has the feeling of an extremely comfortable private members’ club, with exquisitely courteous staff, an open fire in winter, and an array of sofas and armchairs you won’t want to get out of in a hurry. The name is an homage to the caricatures of Gerald Scarfe, and there’s a delightful pop-up menu illustrated by the man himself. Another draw is the live music–jazz, soul and blues–every night of the week. As with all the best hotel bars, the drinks are expensive (in the £20 range), but it’s well worth the price.
Scarfes Bar, Rosewood London, 252 High Holborn, Holborn, London WC1V 7EN
12/50Tayēr + Elementary
Is the two-part bar the concept of the future? If this Old Street bar is anything to go by, we'd say yes. The first space, Elementary, is an informal bar with cocktails served from taps and pre-mixed bottles; the second, Tayēr, is the more high-end space, with a large bar in the middle serving up inventive mixology. Industrial in aesthetic and with a sustainable ethos, this is one of the bars to know now.
Tayēr + Elementary, 152 Old St, London EC1V 9BW
13/50Kwānt
This chic Mayfair bar (downstairs from Moroccan restaurant Momo), takes its decorative cues from the world of the tiki bar (or alternatively from the movie Casablanca, if you want to continue the Moroccan theme). Set up by ex-Savoy head bartender Erik Lorincz, this bar's smart white-jacketed bartenders serve up delicious tropical-style drinks with considerable flair.
Kwānt, 25 Heddon St, London W1B 4BH
14/50Sketch
Most cocktail bars in London tend to be dimly lit, tiny basement spaces - not Sketch. This sprawling venue takes in a sumptuous pink tea room decked out in Chinoiserie patterns, and a truly bizarre round bar with shiny white surfaces and disco lighting. You might find better cocktails in London, but you definitely won't find more outrageous surroundings.
Sketch, 9 Conduit Street, London W1S 2XG
Addie Chin15/50Swift
One part casual aperitivo bar, one part serious whiskey lounge, Soho's Swift offers something for everyone. Pop into the bright upstairs bar with its Italian café vibe for a spritz or Sgroppino, or make a reservation in the darker downstairs for a range of complex cocktails and an extensive selection of whiskeys.
Swift, 12 Old Compton St, Soho, London W1D 4TQ
Erik Lorincz16/50The American Bar at Savoy
The fashion for cocktails really got going in the US in the late 19th century, and in Europe the term 'American bar' was used to refer to bars serving these newfangled concoctions. The Savoy set up its American Bar in 1904, and there's no better place in London for a dose of vintage charm. There's a wide range of beautifully presented drinks, discreet service, and it's an excellent place for people-watching.
American Bar at Savoy, The Royal Academy, 6 Burlington Gardens, London W1J 0BD
17/50Fitz’s at the Kimpton Fitzroy
The most impressive hotel on Russell Square has had a major makeover, reopening in its new, sumptuous incarnation as the Kimpton Fitzroy. You don't have to be a guest to enjoy some of the hotel's loveliest spaces, like its glamorous cocktail bar Fitz's, which deserves a place up there with the grandest dames of London's hotel bars. One of the coolest things about the bar is the cocktail masterclasses they run, in which guests get a guided tutorial in making cocktails - a useful skill to have if ever there was one. You can even have a bespoke masterclass organized around an ingredient or concept of your choice (it can be anything), and the genial Head of Bars Sean Fennelly will take you on a tour of cocktail history that's tailored to your preference.
Fitz’s, corner of Guilford Street and Russell Square, London WC1B 5BE
18/50Ruby’s
At this laid-back Dalston fixture, you can choose between the more intimate bar, with its cocktails and table service, or the spacious lounge, for wine, beer and bar snacks. The underground venue has a cheerful 60s flea market vibe, and the cocktail list is simple but effective. A great space for a casual night out.
Ruby’s, 76 Stoke Newington Rd, London N16 7XB
19/5069 Colebrooke Row
This tiny room down a side street near Angel is everything a cocktail bar should be. It's impeccably designed to recall an intimate Italian café, with dark furniture, dimmed lights, and courteous white-jacketed bartenders. The drinks are short, strong, and highly original, with complex flavours and not an extraneous ingredient in sight.
69 Colebrooke Row, London N1 8AA
Jerome Courtial20/50Nightjar
The quintessential bar for spectacular and theatrical cocktail presentation, Nightjar can be found behind an unassuming door on Old Street. Down the stairs you'll find yourself in an elegant and sophisticated basement, where drinks with seven or eight ingredients (at least three of which you’ve never heard of) come to you in whimsical brass birds, giant teapots, and alchemist’s flasks.
Nightjar, 129 City Rd, London EC1V 1JB
21/50Bar Americain at Brasserie Zedel
Most seats within Bar Americain benefit for an unspoiled view of the bar, with its ceiling height selection of liqueurs, spirits and vermouths glistening enticingly. The art deco-style space is decked out in wood and dark leather, giving it an intimate, cosseting feel that belies that fact that you are sipping your stiffening drink right beneath the chaos of Piccadilly Circus. It's an excellent escape in the middle of the bustle.
Bar Americain at Brasserie Zedel, 20 Sherwood St, Soho, London W1F 7ED
22/50Barts
Part of the fun of this speakeasy-style bar is finding it behind a discreet door in a chi-chi Sloane Avenue block of flats. Behind the tiny vestibule wallpapered in comic strips is a vaguely Edwardian parlour-esque space bedecked with taxidermied animal heads and sabotaged paintings. The cocktails are punchy and expertly made, and you might even spot a minor royal among the party-goers – if you can stay sober long enough.
Barts, Chelsea Cloisters, 87 Sloane Ave, Chelsea, London SW3 3DW
designmynight.com23/50The Gibson
The Gibson is a popular and cheerfully eclectic bar between Old Street and Clerkenwell. At first sight a vintage Edwardian theme dominated, but dig a bit deeper and you'll notice a serious obsession with pickles and fermenting, and an elaborate menu of over fifty drinks with bonkers, Instagram-worthy presentations. The Gibson Martini (served with a double-pickled onion) is the excellent signature drink.
The Gibson, 44 Old St, London EC1V 9AQ
Akemi Kurosaka24/50Zetter Townhouse(s)
The two Zetter Townhouses, one in Marylebone, one in Clerkenwell, are both unobtrusive but incredibly stylish hotels hiding in Georgian townhouses. Each comes with a cocktail bar masterminded by Tony Conigliaro, so you know the drinks will be strong, thoughtfully designed, and not overly showy. The bars themselves are furnished to look like “the private residence of a most beloved and eccentric Great Aunt” – all sumptuous armchairs, stuffed animals, and rich wallpaper.
Zetter Townhouse, 49-50 St John's Square, London EC1V 4JJ and 28-30 Seymour Street, London W1H 7JB
25/50The Connaught
This dark, seductive corner of the Connaught Hotel in Mayfair offers some of the best martinis in London, complete with very elegant service. Order a house martini and the barman will bring a trolley to your table, and make it right there to your specifications. The custom range of bitters to go with your gin selection is a lovely touch.
The Connaught, Carlos Place, Mayfair, London, W1K 2AL
26/50Oriole
As the little sister of Shoreditch's Nightjar, you can expect a certain level of flamboyance and luxury from this Smithfield Market bar. Both the lush, green and gold interior and the exquisite cocktail menu are themed around empire and exploration, so don't expect to be familiar with all the exotic ingredients. Fortunately, there's much more space here than at Nightjar, but we'd still recommend a reservation.
Oriole, Smithfield Markets, E Poultry Ave, London EC1A 9LH
Addie Chin27/50Bar Termini
Soho's Termini is a sister to 69 Colebrooke Row; both have cocktail tastemaker Tony Conigliaro at the helm. There's a more explicitly Italian feel to this equally tiny and simple space, and they provide an excellent range of house Negronis, each with its own variation on the classic formula. It's usually full, but well worth a bit of a wait.
Bar Termini, 7 Old Compton St, Soho, London W1D 5JE
28/50The Blind Pig at Social Eating House
Blind Pig is the upstairs bar at Jason Atherton's celebrated Social Eating House in Soho. It's a dark and tasteful space, with a copper-topped bar and leather banquettes. The menu is inventive and literary-themed - try the Roald Dahl-inspired “Float Like a Peach” or Paddington Bear’s “Lost and Found” and they have a strong line in witty garnishes.
Social Eating House, 58 Poland St, Soho, London W1F 7NR
29/50Beaufort Bar at Savoy
The American Bar gets all the attention at the Savoy, but this gilded Art Deco space with its glossy black walls is arguably the more alluring bar of the two. There are 'character' drinks, based on celebrities like Coco Chanel and Monet who haunted the Savoy, heaps of vintage glassware, and regular evenings of cabaret and live entertainment.
Beaufort Bar, 99 Strand, London WC2R 0EU
30/50Lyaness
Ryan Chetiyawardana's original bar, White Lyan, was a pioneer in sustainable, low-waste cocktails, eschewing tropical citrus and ice for a more local, eco-friendly approach. Its sister bar, Dandelyan, opened in the Mondrian Hotel with an array of potent, plant-based drinks. The hotel has since changed names and so has the bar: though the space is the same, this is now Lyaness in the Sea Containers Hotel, with a brand new blue colour palette to boot. If the eco-approach to cocktails whets your appetite, try Chetiyawardana's other London bar, Cub in Hoxton.
Lyaness, 20 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PD
abouttimemagazine.co.uk31/50Scout
Sustainability and zero-waste are increasingly becoming buzzwords in the cocktail industry as well as the restaurant scene, and Scout, just off Old Street, offers some of the best sustainable drinks out there. The drinks and snacks are made with seasonal and local produce, and there’s a great range of house-made ferments. Friendly staff and effective industrial décor complete the picture.
Scout, 93 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3JD
32/50Untitled Bar
Tony Conigliaro's latest venture takes a cue from the art world - it's a much barer space, with concrete tables and foil-covered walls in homage to Andy Warhol's Silver Factory. Each drink is like a little art installation in its own right, designed to evoke a particular object or experience. Although the drinks are likely to change on a regular basis, Untitled's opening line-up includes "Snow," which aims to replicate the sensation of catching a snowflake on your tongue, and "Violin," just the colour of the instrument and served in a violin-shaped glass.
Untitled Bar, 538 Kingsland Rd, London E8 4AH
Lateef Okunnu33/50Happiness Forgets
It’s quite rare to find a bar in East London that's free of pretension and gimmicks, but Happiness Forgets does fit the bill. Nestled in a compact basement in Hoxton Square, this bar boasts staff who really know their stuff. The drinks rather than the surroundings are the focus here, and it shows.
Happiness Forgets, In the basement, 8-9 Hoxton Square, London, N1 6NU
34/50Cahoots
Kingly Court’s Cahoots is not a subtle bar. Follow the “To the Trains” signs down a narrow staircase, and you’ll find yourself in a riotous “Blitz Party on the Undergound” themed bar. The extensive cocktails (listed on a retro piece of newspaper) conform to the jolly wartime theme, but the gimmick doesn’t get in the way of the quality. There’s jaunty live music if you stay late into the evening – it’s the perfect place for a knees-up.
Cahoots, 13 Kingly Court, Carnaby, London W1B 5PG
35/50Bobby Fitzpatrick
This gleefully 1970s-themed bar in West Hampstead serves up generous helpings of rum-heavy Caribbean cocktails. The attention to detail in the décor is astounding (the toilets are a particular joy) – think brown geometric wallpaper, shag carpeting, and wicker furniture. Start with one of their clever daiquiri variations, and don't miss out on the amazing slushy Piña Coladas.
Bobby Fitzpatrick, 273 West End Ln, London, NW6 1QS
36/50Hawksmoor Spitalfields
The subterranean bar at Hawksmoor is a truly gorgeous space; sit under the vaults and take in the tiled columns and shades of teal and copper that gleam on the walls. The bartenders are an expert lot, creating unusual takes on classic cocktails, and they’re friendly and approachable to boot. Since this is Hawksmoor, the substantial bar snacks are a pretty good draw as well.
Hawksmoor Spitalfields, 157A Commercial St, London E1 6BJ
37/50Ladies & Gentlemen
Among London’s unlikelier locations for a cocktail bar is this former public convenience at a crossroads in Kentish Town. Go down the stairs and you’ll find yourself in a tiny bar that retains just enough of its former existence to make it unique, but not enough to feel like you’re actually in a toilet. The cocktails are exquisitely made with local ingredients and unusual, high-quality spirits. Definitely worth paying a call.
Ladies & Gentlemen, 2 Highgate Rd, London NW5 1NR
38/50Dukes Bar
Dukes vies with the Connaught Bar as the best (and most expensive) place in London for a martini. It’s said that Ian Fleming coined James Bond’s catchphrase “Shaken, not stirred” in this bar, and yes, there’s a fair amount of Bond-related paraphernalia. Nonetheless, it’s a dignified, classic bar, and you can’t argue with their showmanship. Generous, ice-cold martinis are poured at your table and the gin selection is seriously impressive.
Dukes Bar, 35 St James’s Pl, St. James’s, London SW1A 1NY
39/50Callooh Callay
The best bit of this Lewis-Carroll-themed bar is – where else? – through the looking glass. It’s a relatively standard-looking bar in front, with jewel-toned furniture and curious pictures on the walls, but go through the wardrobe to the back bar, and there’s a sumptuous lounge where you get to feel quite smug for having found it.
Callooh Callay, 65 Rivington St, London EC2A 3AY
Tigz Rice40/50Fontaine’s
The grandes dames of Art Deco cocktail bars may hide out in the likes of Claridges and the Savoy, but Fontaine’s does a great job of bringing the glamour to Dalston. The cocktails are classic and beautifully served in vintage glassware, there’s frequent live swing music, and the elegant navy walls and ornamental palm trees round out the 30s setting. There’s even a tiny tiki bar if you want to go in a more exotic direction!
Fontaine’s, 176 Stoke Newington Road, N16 7UY
41/50Three Sheets
This smart and minimal bar in Dalston functions as a coffee bar by day, purveyor of cocktails by night. The regularly changing menu is cleverly organized by ‘One Sheet’, ‘Two Sheets’, ‘Three Sheets’ drinks, depending on how strong you like them. It’s all delightfully simple – just excellent, seasonal drinks with a minimum of fuss.
Three Sheets, 510b Kingsland Road, E8 4AE
42/50Trailer Happiness
Tiki cocktails and 1960s kitsch are a winning combination at this Portobello Road basement bar, one of the few really great cocktail bars in West London. The wood-lined walls and mod furniture give off a general “grandma in her party days” feel, while the tropical, rum-focused menu is the ideal fuel for a riotous evening.
Trailer Happiness, 177 Portobello Rd. London W11 2DY
43/50Punch Room at the London Edition
Fitzrovia’s London Edition hotel plays host to this attractive, reservations-only bar, with its list of 30 signature punches. The oak-panelled room has a whiff of 1970s style, bolstered by a bouncy soul soundtrack. At the weekend you can also come for “Scandal Water”, or afternoon tea accompanied by a selection of punches.
Punch Room at the London Edition, 10 Berners St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 3NP
44/50The Bar at the Dorchester
This dark, slinky space is an excellent way to experience the Dorchester, even if you haven’t rolled up in a Bentley. The gorgeous bar curves its way along the room, while dangerous looking red icicles adorn the walls. There’s a long and flawlessly presented cocktail list, and the service is impeccable.
The Bar at the Dorchester, 53 Park Lane, W1K 1QA UK
45/50GONG at the Shangri-La
The real draw at GONG is obviously its location, perched on the 52nd floor of the Shard, with floor to ceiling windows. Done out in shades of mauve with marble accents, the understated elegance lets the view shine. There are cocktails to please everyone, with the sparkling floral type of drink particularly well represented, but you might just forget about your drinks as you gaze out over the twinkling lights of London.
GONG at the Shangri-La, The Shard, Shangri-La Hotel, 31 St Thomas St, London SE1 9QU
46/50Opium
Chinatown’s Opium is certainly an eclectic bar – you can sit and eat dim sum in the dining room, try out the medicinal potions of the Apothecary Bar, or ferret out the main bar hidden away upstairs, where you can sit around a large central island and mingle with the bartenders as they mix drinks. In the grand tradition of cocktail bars being hard to find, it’s behind an unmarked green door on Gerrard Street, but don't let that put you off.
Opium, The Jade Door, 15-16 Gerrard St, London W1D 6JE
47/50Coupette
The apples are the draw in this casual Bethnal Green bar. They focus, slightly unexpectedly, on Calvados, and offer a wide range of apple brandies in addition to a cocktail menu which prominently features them. A hip-hop soundtrack and no-frills décor makes a rather incongruous backdrop, but there’s no arguing with the quality of the drinks and the bartenders’ expertise.
Coupette, 423 Bethnal Green Rd, London E2 0AN
48/50Little Yellow Door
This lively bar styles itself on a living room – but think that of your most stylish friend, rather than an IKEA catalogue. Huge velvet sofas provide ample room to settle in for a nightcap, with colourful cushions and a Smeg fridge completing the space. Cocktails are inspired by books, films or songs; try Sex and the City (a skillfully balanced mix of tequila, chilli and lychee) or To Catch a Thief (a dark and smoky concoction for the end of the night). There is also a speciality low-no alcohol menu which uses Three Spirit’s bespoke concoctions. And be sure to order food, which ranges from truffle cheeseburgers to burrata salads.
Little Yellow Door, 6-8 All Saints Rd, Notting Hill, London W11 1HH
49/50Satan’s Whiskers
Satan’s Whiskers is certainly not the most sophisticated-looking cocktail bar in London, but this is a bartenders’ bar, with a trendy vibe to suit its Bethnal Green location. The kitschy décor takes in taxidermied animals, vintage liquor posters, and bare-brick walls, and somehow it all hangs together with a banging hip-hop soundtrack. The menu prominently features some classic drinks, alongside frequently changing new inventions.
Satan’s Whiskers, 343 Cambridge Heath Rd, London E2 9RA
50/50Ginger Lilly
Set at the back of the new Pan Pacific hotel, Ginger Lily provides a calm spot away from the chaos of the city. Whilst it runs the risk of becoming a city boy haunt, if you pick your time and day well enough you should all but have the place to yourself. Their Champagne list features glasses from over 100 Champagne houses, so you won’t feel restricted in your selection. The cocktails on the menu are experimental, though traditional ones like Margaritas and Martinis are available on request. True drink buffs will enjoy choices like Medimar, a cocktail made from Ketel One vodka, Professore Classico-infused basil, truffle oil, bitters, parmesan crisp. Infused for days at a time, the truffle vodka is a punchy, earthy flavour that isn’t for the faint hearted. For a fruity, easy option, try the Paper Plane.
Ginger Lilly at Pan Pacific, 80 Houndsditch, London EC3A 7AB
