The best bars for making friends in London

Make friends the old-fashioned way in a bar made to look like a ’70s bachelor pad. The homely vibe aids casual chat with swinging strangers. And the piña coladas don’t hurt the situation, either.

Tequila flows as freely as water at this Dalston party spot. Sit up at the bar and let the conversation flow, too – staff set the tone for a fun night with amigos you’re yet to meet.

With craft clubs, ping pong and chalkboards for you to let out your inner Picasso on, this playful bar practically doubles as an after-school club, and you never had trouble making friends there, did you?

From nipple-tassle making to neon life drawing, the creative master classes at this King’s Cross bar break down serious boundaries. And given that it’s a café by day, when the dance floor opens up in the evenings there’s something of a house party feel to the place.

The layout of the ground floor of Genuine Liquorette is wide open for cross-group conversation to flow, with bench and banquette seating round the perimeter looking inwards. Playful elements make great talking points – from cocktails on tap to Tom Selleck wallpaper.

Staff are so friendly at cocktail bar FAM, you’re sure to leave feeling the warm and fuzzies from chatting to them alone. But you can also charm fellow drinkers using your taste in music – a wall of vinyl can be used as your own jukebox. 

Community vibes are already strong in Copeland Park – a part of Peckham filled with studios and co-working spaces – and Copeland Social could be considered as the hub of it all. Chat to young, friendly Peckhamites over pints, particularly in the bench-filled courtyard where smokers congregate.