The 100 best bars and pubs in London: special occasions

Come for a quick bite and a sip of something special, daytime or evening.

A tiny space where people come in search of cocktail heaven.

A relaxing post-shopping reviver here is just the thing to get you back on track.

Eye-opening dusky glamour any time of the day.

The kind of exclusive glamour that attracts international playboys and playgirls.

People-watching with the 1 percent.

International hotel glamour; world-beating drinks.

Ultimate self-indulgent luxury in three tiny, cosseting rooms.

A hidden speakeasy with as much substance as style.

One of Soho's most popular cocktail haunts. Low-key when quiet, boisterous when busy.

Drink proper cocktails in clubby but unstuffy surroundings. Discreet, dark, good for larger groups.

The wine bar as it really should be – informal, democratic and fun.

Victorian explorer’s curiosity-filled abode, with spiffing cocktails.

A subterranean hideout metres from the Old Street roundabout.

Hip cocktail bar with a tongue-in-cheek creative streak.

A dark, comfortable hotbed of Japanese drinking culture.

Comparing White Lyan to your local boozer is like comparing Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck to a greasy spoon.

As imaginative a bar as you’ll see in London, with cocktails to match.