The best bars in London

​​What’s the vibe? One for the crate diggers and soundsystem aficionados, Jumbi is a listening bar with big energy. A rolling lineup of London’s finest selectors will soundtrack the evening with sounds chosen from DJ and local hero Bradley Zero’s iconic wall of records, while its food and drink with flavours from the African-Caribbean diaspora will warm your soul.

When to visit: On a summer’s afternoon. Start on the terrace, then roll right through till close on the D-floor.

What to drink: The rum punch, obviously.

What's the vibe? London has been overrun with ‘listening bars’ recently, but few, if any, take such a fastidious approach to their drinks list as this Hackney Road specimen opened by Michael Sager (of Sager + Wilde fame).

When to visit: When you want to go to a bar but don't want to drink booze. Few alcohol-free drinks satisfy the craving for something bitter and grown-up, but Equal Parts’ no/low menu definitely does; so convincing was an alcohol-free negroni that my sober friend thought he’d been given the wrong drink.

What to drink: The ‘Flor’ is a clean and thoroughly refreshing martini made with olive oil-washed vodka, fino sherry and distilled tomato water with just a hint of basil.

What’s the vibe: A 17th century, Grade II-listed building that has been converted into a Bauhaus by way of Blade Runner drinking cave. It’s drenched in pink and orange neon and has a cute terrace out the back – a rare find for a venue so close to Tottenham Court Road.  

When to visit: When nearby Soho gets too rowdy, slink off to historic Denmark Street and this sublime spot.

What to drink: They have over 350 whiskys on offer, and there’s a vending machine packed with Dram’s homemade, pre-packaged cocktails.

What's the vibe? The Standard's ritzy and joyful cocktail bar, discotheque and late-night lounge. Comes complete with floor-to-ceiling views of King's Cross. 

When to visit: Sweeties is open until 2.30am every Thursday to Saturday, so save this one for when you're hunting down a post-midnight bevvy. 

What to drink: See if you can handle a Hot Lips; made with mezcal, worcestershire sauce, pickled hot peppers, spiced tomato juice and smoked salt.

​​What’s the vibe? A small, low-lit room (aka how every good bar should be) with a subtle jazz-age vibe.

When to visit: Come for the live jazz on a Thursday, or the in-house pianist tinkling away on Wednesday and Sundays. And always remember to book – this place is popular for good reason.

What to drink: There’s an upstairs laboratory, which produces bespoke cocktail ingredients such as Guinness reduction, paprika bitters, rhubarb cordial and pine-infused gin. Order something with a home-grown twist.

​​What’s the vibe? A terrifyingly fun horror movie and sports themed bar in central London, with more than 30 screens showing big games and cult movie classics like Nightmare on Elm Street and The Shining. Don’t miss their loaded fries, tomato-based cocktail menu and various opportunities for organised fun (karaoke, arcade games and pool are all available).

When to visit: After your first couple of after-work pints, when you want somewhere reliable to go. Thursday nights get particularly raucous and it has a very decent 2am licence every night of the week.

What to drink: Ease yourself in with a leisurely michelada: a cute concoction of refreshing lager mixed with tomato juice, lemon and spice mix. Tangy yet utterly refreshing.

What’s the vibe? A Soho bar with a split personality spread across two floors – aperitivos upstairs, nightcaps and whisky in the moody downstairs lounge – but all drinks are flawless at Swift. No surprise, really: its owners have worked across London’s best bars. It has a spin-off in Shoreditch. 

When to visit: A date night where it could go either way.

What to drink: The prosecco-based sgroppino contains lemon sorbet. Dreamy.

What’s the vibe: A lowkey, great vibes dive-ish bar from the same people behind sandwich slingers Dom’s Subs. Hackney by way of Chicago, come here some perky b-movie energy and your new fave east London mate date spot.  

When to visit: Every Wednesday is ‘parm night’, and the food menu expands from £4 hotdogs to slap-up slabs of breaded chicken parmigiana.

What to drink: House martinis (which come stacked with five olives) are a miraculous £7.

What’s the vibe? The sweepingly grand Scarfes Bar is found at the front of Holborn’s Rosewood London hotel and is so called because legendary British cartoonist Gerald Scarfe’s caricatures and Pink Floyd artwork graces its walls. Despite this playful energy, it’s definitely not for kids. 

When to visit: There's live jazz most nights, so plan to swing by when you’ll hear something swinging.

What to drink: Keep it sweet with a fizzy Moment of Clarity, made with Diplomático Planas white rum, tangy granny smith, earthy vetiver and fig leaf cordial. 

What’s the vibe? A key part of east London’s queer party scene since it opened in 2009.

When to visit: Late at night, when it becomes more club than bar. Its sweaty basement dancefloor has seen appearances from countless world-renowned selectors over the years, with Bicep, Honey Dijon, Robyn, Octo Octa and the Blessed Madonna all popping behind the decks.

What to drink: Something from the ever-changing cocktail menu. Several drinks can be ordered by the jugful for their especially boozy brunch. 

What's the vibe? The basement of One Hundred Shoreditch hotel is a moody but friendly little listening den with crafty cocktails courtesy of Ryan Chetiyawardana aka Mr Lyan. 

When to visit: They're closed Monday and Tuesday, but we recommend a mid-week or Sunday sesh to beat the crowds and have a chill one. 

What to drink: The famous C.R.E.A.M. Margarita, made with Patron Silver, blood orange, manuka tea, estate dairy cream and champagne. Or go wild with an Orkney Breezer - which has been filtered through a sheep’s pancreas, but somehow tastes like a Solero lolly.

What’s the vibe: A moody affair serving Japanese small plates and natural wine, from Yukiyasu Kaneko former sommelier at P. Franco (now 107 Wine Bar in Clapton).

When to visit: Yuki Bar is Yukiyasu’s first solo venture, located under the railway arches in London Fields. At just 20 covers it’s not a big place, so get there early to bag a table (it opens at 3pm on weekends).

What to drink: The wine selection is compelling, so get on the rare and high-quality natural wines

What's the vibe? Established by Heavenly Records at the end of the '90s and celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024, this bar has been a nightlife hub ever since opening. Lovely wood-lined booths upstairs make you feel a little fancy even if you're just sinking pints and arguing about indie music. 

When to visit: Time your trip for when the downstairs space is hosting live music or literature events, with folk from Faber Social, Trojan, The Quietus and Rough Trade Books often in charge of proceedings.

What to drink: Become a member – which you can do by simply signing up to their mailing list at the bar – and you'll get two for £15 cocktails – think Negroni’s and Tommy’s Margaritas – before 8pm.

What’s the vibe? A cosy, speakeasy-esque atmosphere tucked away under Soho’s famous delicatessen, with a cocktail menu full of Italian twists.

When to visit: The snack menu would make a handy pre-show supper, but the intimate lighting and gentle hum of jazz mean this is also a nice spot for a digestif.

What to drink: The Bloody Martini (vodka, vermouth, crystal clear coffee-filtered tomato water) is set to become their signature, but for something sweeter, the Figlet is tasty too.

What's the vibe? Blondies is as close are you're going to get to a New York-style dive bar in London. This Hackney favourite is a shrine to all things heavy metal – complete with rather demonic lavs. All hail Blondies. 

When to visit: Time your trip with a gig. Hardcore, punk and thrash bands regularly pitch up by the steamy front window to soundtrack the world's smallest, but most intense, moshpits. 

What to drink: You're unlikely to get a very fancy cocktail here, but you will get something cold. Cans followed by shots and then back to the beginning again is the Blondies way. 

What's the vibe? A backstreet Shoreditch buzz bar that's as much about natural wine as it isn banging kitchen residences. Recent decents include Ha's Đặc Biệt, a rightly hype-y Vietnamese pop-up direct from New York and Decatur – the much-loved New Orleans-worshipping one man kitchen.

When to visit: When your favourite pop-up or chef is installed in the kitchen. 

What to drink: Natural wine. Staff are more than happy to help with suggestions, never letting you feel foolish for not knowing the difference between a gewurztraminer and a grechetto.

What’s the vibe? It’s always la dolce vita at Bar Termini, with Continental-style service and Italian aperitifs (and espressos). Lively and always busy, but quiet because of its size, the minute setting offers the rare luxury of peace and quiet in central London.

When to visit: Early evenings are perfect for a cocktail before dinner in Soho – indoors or out on the streets.

What to drink: Marsala Martini (gin, sweet marsala, dry vermouth and almond bitters)
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What's the vibe? This Kingsland Road cocktail bar is a kind of 1980s fever dream of a venue. It’s retro avant garde in a way that brings to mind Slovenian performance art spaces featuring video installations (it even has the industrial trance soundtrack to go with it.) 

When to visit: As part of a bar-hopping extravaganza which also involves Hacha, Brilliant Corners and Three Sheets.

What to drink: The Sango, which features sake, gin and – in a stroke of lip-smacking genius – green tomato. A clean-tasting, genuinely refreshing blast of cocktail genius.

What’s the vibe? An agave-focused bar in the Grade II-listed former Police Station that now houses the NoMad hotel. There’s an old-school gentleman’s club kind of grandeur to this low-lit space.

When to visit: Late at night. Side Hustle is open until 1am on Saturday and Sundays, so is perfect for a night cap. 

What to drink: The chocolate mole margarita, an alchemical concoction incorporating the most unlikely of flavour pairings. 

What’s the vibe? Situated underneath arts space Guts Gallery, this Hackney Downs bar-slash-cafe bills itself as east London’s ‘FLINTA*-gay living room’. With cosy corners, low lighting and a cool but low-key vibe, it makes for a great date spot – just as long as you’re cool with running into half the lesbians in east London.

When to visit: Choose from a series of silly Sapphic events; a pirate-themed night called ‘Scissor Me Timbers’; pre-drinks for Butch, Please!; singles mixers and speed-dating; or fundraisers for queer bookshop The Common Press and local football team Hells Bells.  

What to drink: Classic cocktails at pretty reasonable prices (the dirty martini is especially good) plus European low-intervention wines, and draught beers from east London’s Queer Brewing. 

​​What’s the vibe? One of the very last bastions of ‘Old Soho’, this subterranean speakeasy is stacked full of character – and characters. Like a bar from The Sopranos relocated to central London only so much better.

When to visit: You’ll need to a member – or the guest of one – to visit. So check their Instagram page for details on how to join up. Once you’re in, then Tuesday night karaoke is a blast, and is the live jazz on Saturdays.

What to drink: This isn’t the place for lavish mixologist crafted cocktails. Stick with bottles of beer. Trisha’s is more about the vibe than tasting heaven in a martini glass. 

What’s the vibe? Upmarket mixed drinks in a down-to-earth and devilishly cool location, where you’ll find some of the best cocktails on Bethnal Green’s buzzing booze scene (in among all the taxidermy).

When to visit: Thursday night: the weekend starts early here – they still know how to start a party.

What to drink: Satan’s Americano (Campari, sweet vermouth, grapefruit soda).

What's the vibe? The second London spot to take the Three Sheets name, following the Dalston original. This isn't your trad central London cocktail spot, but rather an innovative, young bar doing contemporary classics brimming with imagination. 

When to visit: Opening up at midday, this is something of an all-day spot. We suggest sneaking over in the early afternoon, before the evening rush to sip something strong and feel extremely chic. 

What to drink: A Mezcal Sunset, which is the grown-up older sister of a tequila sunrise, only more Ibiza than Benidorm.

What’s the vibe? A Thames-side bar from the an award-winning, cocktail-shifting team of master mixologists.

When to visit: When you feel like having your mind expanded. Mr Lyan hasn’t just created new cocktails – he’s created a whole new roster of ingredients to power the drinks list.

What to drink: Try ‘Moo Reed’, with smoked camel milk, hummingbird nectar, grass and lemon – then never look back.

What’s the vibe? Dalston’s tropical party shack where disco tunes rule and zingy drinks will cool the dancefloor heat.

When to visit: When you want to kid yourself you’re on a Caribbean holiday.

What to drink: The ginger Mojito is one of London’s best drinks. Try the frozen pina colada if you're in need of serious refreshment. 

What's the vibe? Super-friendly service and on-trend cocktails all the way up in Crouch End.

When to visit:  Come here for small group catch-ups over cocktails – large, tall tables help you keep it social at just the right distance.

What to drink:  Served from a bottle like sparkling rosé, the bar’s reimagining of a Pornstar Martini makes the UK’s most popular cocktail seriously cool again. Indeed, any of the bar’s bottled cocktails are ideal for taking home, too. 

​​What’s the vibe? A roomy craft beer bar in the middle of the Dalston strip that also does immaculate cocktails. If you're hungry, they do a suprisingly good line in cheese toasties.

When to visit: Just before a gig at Earth across the road, or after dinner at bougie Turkish grillhouse Mangal 2 a couple of doors down.  

What to drink: There’s plenty of beer here for the ale buffs, but we like their super spicy mezcal margarita. 

What’s the vibe? Minimal in style yet maximal in powerhouse cocktails, Tayēr + Elementary is a two-part bar from mixology heroes Alex Kratena and Monica Berg.

When to visit: When you’re looking for the house party, but in a house where they really, really, really know their drinks.

What to drink: Grab a cocktail from a slushy machine in Elementary. Tayēr (at the back) has with drinks made with the bar’s own liqueur with flavours so complex they change from sip to sip.

What's the vibe? A self-described 'occult rock bar', this is a heavy metal bar by any other name. If you like your music loud and your bands bearded, Helgi's is the one. 

When to visit: After the witching hour. This place is open very, very late, every night of the week. 

What to drink: A michelada, the mighty Mexican combo of beer, lime and clamato juice. Think of it as a Bloody Mary lite.

What’s the vibe: An in-the-know underground drinking spot on the outskirts of Chinatown and just by the Soho sprawl. Industrial chic (concrete walls, old pillars, low-lighting) and a young, gorgeous crowd make it one of London’s hottest spots. 

When to visit: A late licence (it’s open until 2am) mean this is place to hit after every other bar in central London has closed. 

What to drink: There’s a dedicated high ball cocktail menu, but their easy-drinking, tequila-addled ranch water is also great. A small plates snacking menu from Jackson Boxer of Brunswick House is also impossible to ignore (you simply must order the octopus gildas).

What’s the vibe? As classy as they come, the Connaught Bar is a must-try for any Londoner. Sip mega-dollar drinks in a mega-dollar Mayfair setting, among a clientele of flashy hotel guests. Hey, you’re worth it.

When to visit: That very special occasion.

What to drink: Order a Martini and they’ll roll a trolley to your table. You may need rolling out after, too.

What’s the vibe? Incredible cocktails, and, in our experience, dazzlingly wonderful service. Join laughing locals quaffing classy cocktails
 in a Shoreditch bar that’s stood the test of time. As the website says, ‘great cocktails, no wallies’.

When to visit: On a late East End night out that demands something a bit classy.

What to drink: A Tokyo Collins (gin, yuzu saké, lemon, grapefruit, sugar, soda)

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What’s the vibe? Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about sake (and every sake you’ve ever wanted to try), you’ll find here. In Whitehall’s luxe Old War Offices, and attached to one of London’s best sushi restaurants, Kioku Sake Bar is as sophisticated and refined as its location demands – but it’s also adventurous and exciting, with top-tier staff.   

When to visit: It’s natural to want to tie-in a visit with a meal at restaurant Kioku at Endo a few floors up, but make sure you leave plenty of time for Kioku Sake Bar. The menu is entirely separate to that of the restaurant, and the experience worth savouring.

What to drink: Whatever you order, you’ll end up drinking sake (the rice wine is in every cocktail), so why not go straight for the real deal? You’re in very safe hands with Kioku’s in-house sake sommelier.

What’s the vibe? Viajante translates to ‘traveller’ in Spanish, and the bar’s concept is based around ‘drinking like a local’, with the menu and the vibe informed by the team’s travels throughout Central and South America. Expect plenty of spice, tequila, and vibrant fruity flavours, as well as some ingredients I guarantee you won’t have heard of.

When to visit: The velvety upholstery and ambient glow of Viajante87 made it feel like a sheltered, cosy cave.

What to drink: The Spicy Marg, for bang-on execution of an absolute classic, or the Blood Moon, a cloudy, zingy, bitter take on something vaguely resembling (and better than) an Aperol Spritz.

What's the vibe? A bar squirrelled away down some stairs and a big old curtain on Mare Street (phew! No actual walls to clamber over). It's safe haven for record enthusiasts, and vinyl is king.

When to visit Have a chill one on a week night (it's open from 6pm every Weds through to the occasaional Sunday), with good tunes and great booze.

What to drink Stick with the classics – we could have ordered manhattans all night: so syrupy, with just a sweet lick of vermouth. 

What's the vibe? Part of the Brasserie Zédel complex, Bar Américain is one of the loveliest bars in London, with an art deco look that’s changed little in decades of its existence.

When to visit: Whenever! Treat it as a way-station en route to dinner, a nightcap-dispensary before heading home, or an evening’s entertainment all in itself (with terrific bar snacks). 

What to drink: Cocktails are split into pre, post and during prohibition eras. We go for slap bang in the middle, with a Blood and Sand, named after the 1922 bullfighter movie starring the dashing Rudolph Valentino.

What’s the vibe? Moto is home to a whole wall of sake and a whole lot of knowledge. The room is narrow, just like the Shinjuku hole-in-the-wall of your dreams.

When to visit: When you’re hungry. The food here is just as good as the drinks – enough to make it one of our favourite Japanese restaurants in London. The otsumami menu of Japanese style tapas is designed to elevate and enhance their sake offering, with a series of down-to-earth comfort dishes. 

What to drink: A sake flight, so you can try a lots of different flavours. 

What’s the vibe? All moody metals and concrete, warmed up by sultry red lighting, this snug subterranean cocktail den beneath a Georgian restaurant serves up bold, playful cocktails with unlikely flavour combinations. 

When to visit: For a post-dinner tipple or a late-night date.

What to drink: The ‘Vision’ is one for the Guinness fans – sweet and creamy at the top, sour and slightly savoury at the bottom, it’s the perfect mouthful.

What’s the vibe? Chic Bethnal Green calvados-and-cocktail bar serving French-tinged tipples to an in-the-know crowd.

When to visit: If a pint after work just isn’t going to cut it, an apple brandy should do the trick instead.

What to drink: The Champagne Piña Colada. Filled with coconut sorbet, it’s the stuff dreams are made of and has basically become east London’s most popular drink.

What’s the vibe? Great pizza, great beer, great outdoor space; Crate is the ultimate brewery bar and the centre point of Hackney Wick’s social scene. It probably doesn’t hurt that it’s placed right by the canal, either.

When to visit: On a sunny evening, the lure of Crate is hard to resist. Failing that, make it a lingering weekend session after a brisk walk by the water. Either way, this place is primed for socially distanced beers. 

What to drink: The irresistibly malty and light Crate Best is a treat any day of the week.

What’s the vibe? Off the wall. Imagine your nan’s front room and times it by ten. And throw in a load of Princess Di and Pat Butcher memorabilia. You’re part-way there to the weirdest trip of a bar in south London.

When to visit: Evenings, when it cranks up the Abba tunes, or afternoon tea with your ma. Sunny days are best right now, as the outdoors has been turned into a Deptford drinking terrace.

What to drink: Any cocktails named after ‘EastEnders’ characters, of course.

What's the vibe? A floating cocktail bar bobbing away on the Islington stretch of the Regent’s Canal. Run by brothers Fin and Lorcan Spiteri, you’ll find it moored next to their equally barge-based restaurant Caravel, which has already made waves (sorry), thanks to its playful take on British cuisine. 

When to visit: Bruno's is relatively tucked away and hidden, so it's the perfect place to hit up on a Friday night when everything else is rammed.

What to drink: Our server said the Hazelnut Sour with Frangelico tasted ‘exactly like a Kinder Bueno’ and it did! More sweetness is available in the Starliner Martini, a turbo Espresso Martini with tequila and chocolate liqueur.

What’s the vibe? London’s most famous rooftop bar, find Frank’s on top of a Peckham multistorey car park and reward yourself with a Campari when you get up there.

When to visit: On rare sunny days in London – it’s only open in the summer months. Just be mindful: the rest of London may have the same idea.

What to drink: Anything red or orange – an Americano or an Aperol Spritz would be our choice.

What's the vibe? Right next door to the Charlotte Street Hotel and Carousel’s achingly cool restaurant-slash-other, is the door to an unassuming little bar that only the most knowledgeable of mezcal heads will have on their map.

When to visit: When you're hungry as well as thirsty; ceviche, salsa macha and pickled onion tostadas come direct from Carousel’s kitchen.

What to drink: The Pina Colada is a thing of utter beauty and leans away from creamy, sickly tropes. Their version is made using coconut water rather than cream, as well as banana liqueur. The result? A dangerously drinkable nostalgia hit.

What’s the vibe? A majestic, ludicrously high-ceilinged space inside St Pancras’s historic Renaissance Hotel, the Gothic Bar is a feat of Victorian architectural sass.

When to visit: When you next fancy a night of maximum drama. The menu is just as extra as the room, with cocktails inspired by the most lavish of feelings; Ecstasy, Temptation, Grandeur and Desire. 

What to drink: Frivolity is a super savoury concoction of gin, Cocchi Americano, benedictine, coriander, sichuan pepper, mint and elderflower.

What’s the vibe? Peckham cocktail bar with just as much know-how when it comes to playing the tunes.

When to visit: Hit up the bar after dinner for a groovy nightcap and a chat with fun regulars. Currently, the bar also serves as a shop, selling local produce and vinyl records. 

What to drink: The Kalakuta Sour is a Fela Kuti-honouring cocktail that’s like a New York Sour but made with Nigerian bitter leaf.

What’s the vibe: Once known as Ruby’s, this cosy basement is now a dedicated agave spirits den.

When to visit: Before, or after, dinner upstairs at one of the best Mexican restaurants in town: Corrochio’s.

What to drink: El Padresito is a mighty Mexican version of the cocktail king that is the Penicillin. It’s made with Pensador espadin mezcal, homemade ginger and honey liqueur, fresh lemon and honeycomb. 

What’s the vibe? Dark, sultry and understated, with plans for a top-quality sound system and vinyl library for guests to peruse and play at their own leisure. Far classier than hijacking the aux cord.

When to visit: When you’re hungry. There’s a year-long kitchen residency from Tasca, who are offering up a delightful Spanish and Portuguese-influenced menu of bar snacks and small plates.

What to drink: The perfectly-executed dill martini.

What’s the vibe? A super-chic cocktail-and-wine spot in an old tobacconist’s, with more than a touch of the Gallic about it.

When to visit: When you’re in the mood for le romance.

What to drink: The Lemon Garden is a fresh and aromatic twist on a Gin Martini. Or go all-out Parisian with a glass of wine from the bar’s own enomatic machine.

What’s the vibe? Imagine 'if Rick James and Jay Gatsby got together' to throw a bash filled with delicious cocktail confections, they say. A lot, but a lot of fun at the same time. 

When to visit: Perfect for an early-evening tipple. 

What to drink: Sample a cocktail from Fitz's 'Theory of Colour' menu.