Glam cocktails at Lost Society (© Ming Tang-Evans)
London’s top 50 bars and pubs
-
Guy Dimond, Ben McFarland, Charmaine Mok and the many reviewers of the ‘Bars, Pubs & Clubs’ guide
Posted: Tue Feb 5 2008 -
From louche cocktail lounges to swanky hotel bars, secret speakeasies to earthy real ale pubs there’s a capital watering hole for you
Award winners | Hotel bars | Spirits & cocktails | Real ale & good beer Historic pubs | Good mixers | Wow factor | GastropubsSee all winners of the Time Out Eating & Drinking Awards 2008.
Time Out Eating & Drinking Awards 2008: Best Bar
WINNER
The Loft
Don’t be put off by the unprepossessing location – it may be situated above a Tesco on Clapham High Street, but The Loft is a bar that’s well worth seeking out. Kitted out in slouchy leather sofas, moody downlighting and polished wood, it’s distinguished from the ranks of similar bars by a rather spectacular picture window which curves round two sides of the building, affording some lovely views of London at sunset.
And then there are the drinks. Whether you’re after a martini made to order, or an esoteric twist on a classic – such as a sazerac made with apricot-infused whisky, cognac and a whiff of bitter Fernet Branca – the varied, highly original list of cocktails (costing from £6.80 plus 12.5 per cent service) is full of pithy tasting notes, recommendations and seasonal specials, making choosing not only easier, but a whole lot more fun. Beer-lovers aren’t forgotten, with more than 16 bottled varieties, from crisp Bitburger to creamy Negra Modelo (from £3.50 each), along with a choice of ciders. A great bar that manages to be passionate about drink without being pretentious or over-priced. Visit on a week night for sofa lolling alongside thirtysomething media hipsters, or join a more high-energy crowd for DJ sets at the weekend.
The Loft, 67 Clapham High St, SW4 7TG (020 7627 0792/www.theloft-clapham.co.uk). Clapham North or Clapham Common tube or Clapham High St rail.
Feature continuesRUNNERS-UPAdvertisement
Amuse Bouche
An offshoot of the popular Champagne bar in leafy Parsons Green, this Soho branch of Amuse Bouche continues the philosophy of quality fizz at low prices. The neutral, contemporary surroundings, not unlike an All Bar One, make it friendly and casual. Starting with house Champagne Bouché Père et Fils Brut NV at £5 a glass (plus 12.5 per cent service), the 50-strong list then rises through the ranks of big-name brands through some great vintages – notably Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill ’96 (£130 a bottle) and Krug ’96 (£200 a bottle) – then heads into the stratosphere of Cristal magnums (£750). But most commendable is the effort to include several lesser known houses, several at under £8.50 glass, meaning one can afford to experiment. A choice of Champagne cocktails (from £5) are also crisp and fruity. Staff are friendly and keen to help, even if they don’t always know their stuff.
Amuse Bouche, 21-22 Poland St, W1F 8QQ (020 7287 1661). Oxford Circus tube.
Coburg Bar
Luxurious, elegant and eminently discreet, this bar is everything a good hotel bar should be. From the criminally comfortable grey velvet wing-backed chairs and silky black glass tables to the tiny skewer of iced fruit served on a silver dish alongside each cocktail as a palate cleanser, every detail has been painstakingly thought out. The Champagne and still-wine selection is good, if a bit showy, but it’s the cocktails that make a visit really worthwhile. The knowledgeable staff are also worth consulting, since the spirits list includes several lesser known treasures, particularly in the vein of Italian vermouths, bitters and gins. Prices are inevitably rather stiff, with cocktails starting at £12 (plus 12.5 per cent service charge), but if you’re after somewhere for a special occasion, whether it’s a hot date in the evening or a glass of Champagne with your granny in the afternoon, the Coburg is just the ticket.
Coburg Bar, The Connaught, Carlos Place, W1K 2AL (020 7499 7070/www.the-connaught.co.uk). Bond St or Green Park tube.
The Establishment
This stylish bar and restaurant has already become a fixture for the well-heeled professionals of south-west London. Light and airy, with some eye-popping ’60s geometric prints on the walls and tan-leather upholstery, it’s playful but casually sophisticated – an attitude that’s also reflected in the drinks list. British and seasonal ingredients are a recurrent theme in a fruity cocktail list (from £7) that includes a wide choice of gin (and genevers, gin’s Dutch ancestor), lovage and nettle cordials, apples, mint and even several types of mead, a traditional English drink fermented from honey. A huge and widely varied wine list includes 40 or so by the glass, as well as wine ‘flights’ featuring three 125ml measures of wines (£15) assembled on different themes. Staffed by lots of smiley young ladies, and with the bonus of occasional jazz nights, it’s a welcoming pit stop after a long day at the office.
The Establishment, 45-47 Parsons Green Lane, SW6 4HH (020 7384 2418/www.theestablishment.com). Parsons Green tube.
Westbourne House
Occupying a grand corner site that used to be a big old boozer, Westbourne House has swept up the fag ash and stale beer and replaced them with enough gilt mirrors, fairy lights and twinkly surfaces to keep a flock og magpies happy. And this is a bar that’s very much about showing off – the fag-smoking terrace out the front teems with young professionals wielding Marlboro Lights while people watching, or being watched. The bar, however, makes a valiant effort to take drinks seriously at all times, with a lengthy (somewhat long-winded) cocktail list that includes a section devoted to hardcore martinis. A couple of cosy mezzanine areas are available for private hire for those who want to make a real party of it.
Westbourne House, 65 Westbourne Grove, W2 4UJ (020 7229 2233). Bayswater or Royal Oak tube.
See all winners of the Time Out Eating & Drinking Awards 2008.
Award winners | Hotel bars | Spirits & cocktails | Real ale & good beer Historic pubs | Good mixers | Wow factor | Gastropubs
|
|
More ways to enjoy Time Out
-
Weekly London newsletter
The best of London in your inbox
-
Time Out Widgets
|
|
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).