Bars & Pubs

1. Mandarin Bar
Decked out with leather armchairs and silk-lined walls, this sleekly modern bar is ideal for cigar aficionados – there are 45 varieties to choose from in the separate smoking room. Otherwise, just sink into a leather armchair with a Mai Tai (£11) and enjoy the live jazz.
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, SW1 (020 7201 3724) Knightsbridge tube.

2. Aquasia
Overlooking the boats moored in Chelsea Harbour and with a heated outdoor terrace for drinking alfresco, Aquasia has a serene Riviera feel. Sip a champagne cocktail (£9) and enjoy a little west London luxury.
Conrad London, Chelsea Harbour, SW10 (020 7300 8443) Fulham Broadway tube. Feature continues

3. Aurora Bar Complete with award-winning ‘mixologists’, live jazz pianists and ‘Victorian with a modern twist’ decor, Aurora harks back to the classic hotel bars of the 1920s. The hangout of choice for City boys and girls, its cocktails cost £8.50, its champagne cocktails £10.50 and beer £4.
Great Eastern Hotel, Liverpool St, EC2 (020 7618 7000) Liverpool St tube/rail.

4. Courthouse Hotel Bar
The old Great Marlborough Street magistrates court (which has previously hosted Mick Jagger and Oscar Wilde) has private tables inside the original prison cells (the urinals are ice-buckets) and iron bars between the lounge and the bar.
Courthouse Hotel Kempinski, 19-21 Great Marlborough St, W1 (020 7297 5555) Oxford Circus tube.

5. Duke's Hotel Bar
Famous for its impeccable ‘classic’ drinks (a delightfully dry and potent Martini), professional bar staff, elegant decor and private setting, this is the place for an intimate date, or if you’re famous, to hide from the paparazzi.
Duke’s Hotel, 35 St James’s Place, SW1 (020 7491 4840) Green Park tube.

6. Bonds
Cocktails come first at Bonds. Alongside the classics, there are original concoctions (the ‘Saporito’ is vanilla vodka and mango) and a magnificent wine list. Cocktails £7-£11.50.
Threadneedles, 5 Threadneedle St, EC4 (020 7657 8088) Monument tube.

7. Claridge's
This stylish den of Mayfair decadence draws in the wealthy hotel guests – so dress up. The bourbon-laced Kentucky Highroller is recommended.
Claridge’s, 49 Brook St, W1 (020 7629 8860) Bond St tube.

8. Lobby Bar
A beautiful, high-ceilinged room with vast windows and original sculptures. Warmed, spiced nuts are on the bar, Martinis come in every flavour imaginable (cocktails £8.85-£10.15) and 22 varieties of vodka are on offer.
One Aldwych, 1 Aldwych, WC2 (020 7300 1070) Covent Garden tube or Charing Cross tube/rail.

9. Long Bar
Love or hate the decor, this legendary 80-foot bar is undeniably ostentatious, and has prices to match (£10.50-£13 a pop). The cocktail menu changes seasonally and uses extraordinary ingredients (fairly traded chocolate, Norfolk lavender, flowers and organic fruit).
The Sanderson, 50 Berners St, W1 (020 7300 1496) Oxford Circus tube.

10. American Bar
This place has history (the world-famous White Lady cocktail was invented here), and in deference visitors should dress smartly and wait to be seated. Order a Martini (£11.50, made with Ketel One, Greygoose or Plymouth) and bag a table overlooking the Thames.
The Savoy, Strand, WC2 (020 7836 4343) Embankment tube or Charing Cross tube/rail.

11. Blue Bar
David Collins, designer of Vivienne Westwood boutiques, did the decorating here – the bar’s made from white onyx and there’s a black crocodile-print leather floor. Prices match the setting (cocktails £10-12), but the service is worth it. If you want to go all out, order vintage Cristal with some Beluga caviar.
Blue Bar, The Berkeley, Wilton Place, SW1 (020 7235 6000) Hyde Park Corner tube.

12. Trader Vic's
This cheerily unsophisticated Americo-Polynesian theme bar never fails to amuse, especially after a couple of good-value atomic cocktails (£7). It claims to be ‘home of the Mai Tai’, but it’s also worth trying the Samoan Fog Cutter, served in an absurd ceramic vase.
London Hilton on Park Lane, 22 Park Lane, W1 (020 7208 4113) Hyde Park Corner tube.

13. The Goring Hotel Bar
The Goring’s decor of marble and dark red walls gives it a gentleman’s club feel, and the bar opens out to the beautiful big garden in the hotel courtyard. (Cocktails £9-£11.50.)
The Goring, Beeston Place, Grosvenor Gardens, SW1 (020 7396 9000) Victoria tube/rail.

14. The Zetter Bar
The black marble counter and huge windows overlooking St John’s Square compete for attention with the exceptional cocktails (which include the £8 Zen Zero Zetter – ginger and lychees muddled with vodka and gin).
Zetter, 86-88 Clerkenwell Rd, EC1 (020 7324 4455) Farringdon tube/rail.

15. Library
With its world-renowned collection of rare cigars and vintage cognacs, the Lanesborough Hotel bar is a class act. Martinis are a speciality here (up to £12.90) and drinks are served with a pot pourri of roast potato flakes.
The Lanesborough, Hyde Park Corner, W1 (020 7259 5599) Hyde Park Corner tube.

16. Polo Bar
This pretty red (somewhat ’80s-style) bar serves tasty tipples. Many (like the Manhattan) have an American slant, in homage to the sister hotel in New York.
Westbury Hotel, New Bond St, W1 (020 7629 7755) Bond St or Oxford Circus tube.

17. Refuel
A stylish joint featuring a privately commissioned mural, oddly illustrating the site’s previous life as an NCP car park. Cocktails are £8.50 (signature drink is the Soho Passion).
The Soho Hotel, 4 Richmond Mews, W1 (020 7559 3000) Leicester Square tube.

18. Oscar
This lobby bar is a suitably chic spot for deal-clinching cocktails (around £9.50).The punters’ favourite is Charlotte’s Secret (a vodka, lychee and champagne concoction).
Charlotte Street Hotel, 15 Charlotte St, W1 (020 7806 2000) Goodge St tube.

19. Dorchester Bar
Housed in one of the swankiest hotels in the world, the decor is all glass and gold, and features a grand piano with jazz pianist. The deferential staff and impeccably mixed cocktails make each visit an indulgent treat.
The Dorchester, 53 Park Lane, W1 (020 7629 8888) Hyde Park Corner tube.

20. Brasserie Max
The Tamarillo Martini (rare red South American Tamarillo fruit with Belvedere vodka and Cointreau, £10.50) is a favourite here, and the place is great for star spotting.
Covent Garden Hotel, 10 Monmouth St, WC2 (020 7806 1000) Covent Garden tube.