The best bars in Victoria you have to try

Bar Flor is laden with loveliness. You’d expect little else from Aaron Potter and Laura Hart, the chef and interior stylist duo who gave us the ever-so-elegant Wildflowers restaurant downstairs. With whimsically hand-painted walls, reminiscent of the interiors of Charleston House, pale wood finishes, cosy velvet-clad pews and gentle, romantic light, Bar Flor is great for a date. Ignore the snappy selection of pintxos at your peril. 

What to drink: The Peschiole Martini is a sugary, tangy combination of gin, vermouth and pickled peach liqueur. 

Cute, chic and the perfect place to sip a glass of rose, this wine bar, shop and art gallery over in Eccleston Yards comes from vegan wine brand Amie. You'll feel like you're in your fancy friend's living room here, so act accordingly and try not to spill your sauvignon blanc over the comfy chairs.

What to drink: Amie Sparkling – their Crémant De Limoux.

Head downstairs at this smart gastropub with rooms on an exclusive corner of Pimlico, to find a classy little cocktail bar with a more than decent pizza menu. The Orange is part of the Cubitt House Group of upmarket gastropubs in swanky parts of town: not far away, in Belgravia, is the Thomas Cubitt, and there’s also the Grazing Goat (also a hotel) in Marylebone.

What to drink: Try one of their unique takes on a negroni.

Pretend you’re in ‘Downton Abbey’ with a visit to the bar of superlative London hotel The Goring. A regal fireplace, deep red walls and wingback chairs set the scene for some very fine imbibing. Go regal with a Thank You Your Majesty, a cocktail which pays tribute to the King and is made with rose petal liqueur, mandarin, elderflower and fizz. 

What to drink: The punchy King’s Cure. Inspired by the Penicillin cocktail, it features cacao butter, King’s Ginger spirit, honey, pink peppercorns and cherry.

A food hall inside a handsome old building, Market Halls Victoria is smack-bang opposite the station with a big old bar and an all-important roof terrace. Regular live music makes this one of the more rowdy drinking locations in the area.

What to drink: Grab a spicy pictante margarita with jalapeño chilli.

This Victoria wine bar offers reliable quaffing, with wines grouped by depth of flavour rather than by region. There are a bunch of these urban wineries across the capital now, and this is one of the biggest. Order using the QR code on your table. Grape stuff.

What to drink: Book in for a cheese and wine masterclass, with five cheeses and five x 75ml wine tasters from £35.

A massive great big sports bar, Greenwood is your station-side spot to watch all the big games, from footie to rugby, with some NFL, tennis, basketball, golf, boxing and F1 thrown in for good measure. 

What to drink: Everything from pints to passion fruit martinis.

Transport yourself to bonnie Scotland without leaving the big Smoke. There’s tartan everywhere, and although many come to Boisdale for a slap-up Scotch supper, the whisky bar is William Wallace levels of heroic. 

What to drink: Sample blends from the Highlands, the Lowlands and the bits in between.

Victoria or Bavaria? It’s a question you’ll find yourself asking at oddly named Munich Cricket Club, a beer hall modelled on those straight out of Germany. Order two-pint steins to wash down schnitzel or a sausage platter. If oompah’s your thing (and it is, of course) head here on Thursdays and Saturdays.

What to drink: A brimming stein of the house beer; Munich Cricket ‘Clubhaus’.