London’s top 50 bars and pubs
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Guy Dimond, Ben McFarland, Charmaine Mok and the many reviewers of the ‘Bars, Pubs & Clubs’ guide
Posted: Tue Feb 5 2008
Award winners | Hotel bars | Spirits & cocktails | Real ale & good beer Historic pubs | Good mixers | Wow factor | Gastropubs
Galvin at Windows (© Rob Greig) Wow factor
Artesian
Designer David Collins has done a fine job regenerating this kidney-shaped, high-ceilinged room at the Langham Hotel: lit by huge hanging lamps, the back bar is immeasurably dramatic; the chairs and tables are less eye-catching but still very handsome. Rum is the thing here, where a 50-strong list keeps growing as the bar staff are trained in each new variety – a sure sign of serious dedication to spirits. The prices are equally serious (£11-£14.50), but our classic Champagne cocktail, made with rum, of course, was irresistible – fizzing with fruit flavours and boasting a lovely molasses finish.
When to go When Oxford Street gets too much.
What to have The selection of rums is just asking for it.
Artesian, Langham Hotel, 1c Portland Place, W1B 1JA (020 7636 1000/www.artesia-bar.co.uk) Oxford Circus tube. Feature continuesAdvertisementGalvin at Windows
There’s no more remarkable site for a bar in London than Windows: 28 floors up, at the top of the Park Lane Hilton, with an extraordinary panoramic view of the capital. Add to that a sleek interior that mixes art deco glamour with a hint of ’70s petrodollar kitsch, and you can’t go wrong. Admittedly, it’s not cheap – £11.95 for a cocktail – but the drinks are assembled with care, and service is attentive without being obsequious. Our Heavenly Flower – a mix of gin, elderflower cordial, blueberry purée and Campari – was, yes, heavenly.
When to go With an overseas guest.
What to have A cocktail you can drink slowly.
Galvin at Windows, 28th floor, The London Hilton, Park Lane, W1K 1BE (020 7208 4021/www.galvinatwindows.com) Green Park/Hyde Park Corner tube.
Hakkasan
This thin, aquamarine sliver of a cocktail bar is as renowned as the upmarket Chinese eaterie that it is part of. Tucked down a dog-leg alley behind Hanway Street, Hakkasan is reached via a staircase and incense-scented cloakroom – a descent into another world of beautifully lit, sinful oriental sophistication. Drinkers must navigate the maze-like room configuration – like models on a twisted catwalk – to get to the long, back-lit bar; then it’s simply a case of sitting pretty and soaking up the glamour. There are around 15 martinis and 26 long drinks (£9), with many oriental-inspired creations infused with teas and saké. The signature Hakkatini mixes Campari, Belvedere Pomarancza, Grand Marnier, fresh apple and orange bitters; Purple Emperor is a Matusalem 10 paired with jasmine tea topped with a clipped purple pansy, and the Chinese Mule has ginger, coriander and Platinum vodka. Sold separately cold (£20-£96) and hot (£19.50), saké comes in Kubota Manju and Kenbishi varieties; other premium spirits (Buffalo Trace bourbon, Gran Centenario Reposado) come in £6.50 measures.
When to go As often as possible.
What to have The Hakkatini.
Hakkasan, 8 Hanway Place, W1T 1HD (020 7907 1888) Tottenham Court Rd tube.
Loungelover (© Thomas Skovsende) Loungelover
Owned by the same concern as the Les Trois Garçons restaurant around the corner, this louche-looking cocktail lounge offers a touch of tasteful, low-lit decadence with distressed wooden armoires, hothouse plants, vintage palm-frond chandeliers, a stuffed hippo’s head, man-sized Chinese urns, antlers made of red, mirrored mosaic, a giant disco ball and tea lights set on elegant, glass-topped tables establishing a unique, upmarket ambience. Chinese print-covered menus list cocktails by genre (the Hot Lover and Old Flame are house specialities) and cost around £9, while a glass of Champagne is £8 – but watch out for the 12.5 per cent service charge added to your bill. It may be slightly pretentious, but staff are helpful to the cocktail-confused and if you’re out to impress, the place can hardly be bettered.
When to go When a date requires wooing and wow-ing.
What to have A drink as decadent as the decor.
Loungelover, 1 Whitby St, E2 7DP (020 7012 1234/www.loungelover.co.uk) Liverpool St tube/rail.
Award winners | Hotel bars | Spirits & cocktails | Real ale & good beer Historic pubs | Good mixers | Wow factor | Gastropubs
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26 comments
Love this place. Great to go to in the week to catch up with friends, or at the weekend when the party starts. Excellent music and the drinks are delicious.
My favourite bar in Clapham. Lovely drinks and staff. And hardly any idiots which can so often be a problem in Clapham at the weekend.
We were there last Friday night, the cocktails were superb and the staff were very friendly, attentive and knowledgeable about the small but perfectly formed menu and wine list, which in turn helped to enhance a great evening for me and my girlfriend. Overall: A cocktail bar with a great atmosphere, good food and super cocktails! We’re definitely coming back for more.
A proper bar for grown-ups who appreciate a good drink. Excellent cocktail list, and the food is pretty good too. The place could look a bit cosier during the week, but a great party vibe at the weekends! My local boozer.
Quality bar. It might be above a tesco's but once your inside, what difference does that make? Good decor, and friendly staff, but a really excellent drinks list. Good selection of beer and wine, and very well made, innovative cocktails. Not the cheapest bar in Clapham, but not the most expensive either. And you get what you pay for.
"the loft" Clapham....seriously..
I went with my girlfriend thinking its gotta be great if timeout says so...how WRONG was I. I would say its nice..for the odd drink if your passing.
I would say every bar iv been to in London is better than this one.
12.55% service charge for a guy to get me a bottle of beer...jog on.
Too bad you don't come out as far as Enfield. Enfield Chaseside has some wicked bars.
Im depressed to realise that this list is sadly the best London has to offer. After living in New York for a bit, their bars seriously kick our bars asses! They have gorgeous, beautifully designed, huge buzzy bars, with great crowds and great cocktails. What we get? Bars that all look like they were furnished by Ikea and serve glasses of ice for £12. Anyone want to join me for a mass migration west?
I think you should change your name to sell-out as someone is obviously taking a bung! This bar is over priced, over crowded and pretentious. On the weekend the narrow layout and congestion makes you feel like you are waiting for the tube as you sup your overpriced drink shoulder to shoulder. I would only expect to pay a service charge if I was sitting at a table and was served by a waiter? When it comes to snobbery, I was told that I was not allowed to wear my top tied around my waist, presumably because they wanted me to pay £2 to put it in their cloak room even though I was only stopping for one drink. Then it comes to your comments on cocktails. In these times of the crunch, they do not sound cheap to me. If you want a cocktail in that area go to B@1 in Clapham, Balham or Clapham Junction. Better atmosphere and cheap deals from Monday to Friday I believe.
This is a joke.....Is it April already....The Loft would be the worst bar in Clapham (even my front room is better - do you want to review that!?!?). On my last and only visit I noticed that there were beer taps, but guess what they dont work - they then charge you over the odds for bottles!
honestly, how can anyone say this is the best bar in London???? Clapham has so much more to offer than this, it's located above a tescos for heavens sake!!!!! how can the guys at Time Out get it so wrong- goes to show it's who you know in the drinks business not what you know. Oh well......
Oh well I guess the loft isn't that great then from the reviews here. can someone recommend a good central London or south central london bar then that is spacious, welcoming and could cater for a group of people out on a saturday night. We want atmosphere but not too loud where you can't hear each other talking. Also wher you're not likely to get any hasssle and the drinks not too ridiculously overpriced. I awaityour replies
I have been twice in the Loft before the award. The fact that it is voted as the best bar in London made me sad. Is this really the best bar London can offer?I would count 30 bars back in my hometown in Greece far better than that.
god so many better bars in Clapham and London what are these people thinking !!
I think The Loft is the worst bar I have ever been in. You really have to wonder why TimeOut got it so wrong. What kind of people do they have working for them now. You use to be cool (well just about).