London bar reviews

Helmed by Rhythm Section boss Bradley Zero and producer Nathanael Williams, Jumbi is a hi-fi bar in Peckham where dancing is not just encouraged, but irresistible. Jumbi sees a steady stream of weekly events – from DJs at the weekends, to live music, open decks and quieter book clubs during the week, plus they’ve even turned the venue into a pop-up roller rink for certain days over the summer of 2025. Jurkish are in the kitchen, serving innovative Jamaican-Turkish fusion dishes from 12-10pm Thursdays to Saturdays, and 12-8pm on Sundays: think plantain falafel, curry goat manti dumplings, saltfish kofte and more. A one stop shop for great grub and unbeatable vibes that celebrate the Afro-Caribbean diaspora, Jumbi is a treat for all the senses - with free entry most nights (until 10pm on weekends) to boot.Order this: Jumbi’s drinks list is designed “to reflect our small island heritage with a slowly growing rum focus,” says Zero. There’s a rum punch menu, a banana mai tai, and many of the rums have been selected to spotlight Black-owned brands.Time Out tip: Though standard bar entry is normally free, check individual promoter listings before you head down.

A hotel bar can be a staid and stuffy thing but Seed Library has none of that awkwardness or exclusivity. Instead, this basement adjunct to One Hundred Shoreditch is a relaxed, impressively low-lit and supremely welcoming space with terrazzo tables, cool pine panelling and soft 1960s stylings. Megastar mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana – aka Mr Lyan – is behind Seed Library’s menu, which features an unsurprisingly excellent and fairly bonkers selection of beverages. Their Breakfast Bellini contains ‘century beans’ - a twist on Japan’s century eggs - while their Orkney Breezer comes filtered through a sheep’s pancreas. All Bar One, this most certainly is not. The vibe is low-key, unobtrusive and great for a third date, with a muso-satisfying soundtrack oozing out of an expensive-sounding PA. Mr Lyan’s done it again. Order this: There’s nothing on Mr Lyan’s menu that’s going to be boring. A tequila-based Lada Lada with ‘lager sizzurp’? Sure! A gin-centric sipper containing lettuce that’s just called Salad? Why not!Time Out tip: A posh version of a nacho cheese dip, served with Japanese rice crackers, White Lyan Magic Cheese was first debuted at Mr Lyan’s original Hoxton bar and lives once more as a Seed Library snack. They don’t call it ‘stoner food’ for no reason.

It may style itself as ‘The Bar With No Name’, but in reality, everyone knows this place by its address, hidden away from the Upper Street hordes on an Islington backstreet. So well-loved is 69 Colebrooke Row, in fact, that it’s not easy to get a seat without booking. Punters come for the outstanding cocktails – some of which may push the boundaries of what can be put in a glass, but they always maintain the drinkability of the classics. Their upstairs laboratory, meanwhile, produces bespoke cocktail ingredients such as Guinness reduction, paprika bitters, rhubarb cordial and pine-infused gin. There’s a subtle jazz-age vibe in the small, low-lit room and – on certain nights – a pianist belts out swinging standards. The look is chic, the space is small, and the drinks are a cut above the rest.Order this: Not drinking booze? Not a problem. Their cocktail list includes a veritable smorgasbord of zero percent options, from a Blackberry Pie Bellini to the Orris Army and Navy, made with a combination of aperitifs.Time Out tip: As well as their in-house pianist on Wednesdays and Sundays, 69 Colebrooke also has live music every Thursday to ease you into the weekend.

Looking every bit a down-and-out dive bar from the outside, you shouldn’t judge Satan’s Whiskers by its cover. Inside, there’s hip hop on the stereo, a smartly modish setting, vintage French posters on the walls and some of the best cocktails to be found in Bethnal Green. Their menu changes often, with adventurous spirit combinations always at Satan’s heart. But luckily, it’s more of a laid-back neighbourhood hangout than an out-of-place, high-end cocktail bar. Think not so much stuffy, more stuffed animals – there’s plenty of taxidermy pals lounging around, but it never borders on the tacky. Order this The devil’s work is never done and the team here have taken the idea quite literally - last year, their menu featured a carousel of more than 400 cocktails to whet your whistle. There are usually delectable house specials to be found, such as Satan’s Garibaldi (campari, orange, lime, passionfruit and orange soda) or Satan’s Manhattan (Knob Creek whiskey, vermouth and bitters). Time Out tip If you’re in the mood for both people watching and a lesson in liquor, sit at the bar: a prime position to catch the attention of friendly staff, who’ll gladly run you through their favourites on the menu. 

Forget natty wine, Aperol Spritzes and ‘absolutely filthy’ martinis. If there’s one drinks trend that defines the 2020s, it’s agave. Nine Lives was one of the first London cocktail bars to espouse the virtues of Mexican spirits when it opened in 2017, and the subterranean venue tucked down a quiet Bermondsey alleyway remains a must-visit spot if you’re into tequila and mezcal.  The sizeable menu of mostly agave-based drinks divided into four sections – Long and Light; Straight Up; On The Rocks and Fizzy Rascals – featuring some great twists on modern classics (the ‘Cardboard Concord’ is a yummy mezcal-based twist on the Paper Plane) and a smattering of lesser-known Mexican concoctions (here’s hoping the Cantarito catches on in London before long!) The bar’s name is inspired by a staunch commitment to zero waste that extends from the menu –  house bitters are made from discarded citrus peels, Discarded Spirits products are used across the menu and additional waste is composted for growing herbs  – to the decor, which features upcycled furniture, an abundance of rattan lampshades and the general air of a mid-century Mexico City drinking den that might be frequented by William S Burroughs.  Throw in a solid menu of Mexican munchies courtesy of resident kitchen Tigre Tacos and a very credible DJ residency serious making use of the bar’s custom-built hi-fi system, and you’re looking at a seriously zeitgeisty little spot.  Order this The Saturday afternoon brunch menu is £65 a...

From the team behind Shoreditch’s Callooh Callay, Little Bat Bar is a worthy addition to Islington’s drinking scene. A cocktail bar that also flaunts a fine line in small plates, their 2025 food menu is the work of one of London’s hottest chefs, James Cochran, whose jerk fried chicken is the powerfully crispy stuff of legend. Meanwhile, on the tipple list are punchy signature drinks, a trio of ‘cold AF martinis’ (vodka, gin or vesper), plus a reasonably priced wine selection starting at £7 a glass. The front section of the venue is all high stools and low lighting, or grab a booth at the rear where the walls are festooned with eclectic art. Staff are attentive, prices are neighbourhood-friendly, and did we mention that chicken?Order this: If you’re a whisky fan then, the Devil’s Water has a lot of it - four types in fact, plus miso and ginger, all clarified with milk. If that sounds a bit much then the Little Bat team are a dab hand at seasonal specials, including zingy summer spritzes.Time Out tip: Formerly heading up the sadly now defunct 12:51, make sure to go to Little Bat Bar hungry for cookery as devised by Cochran, as well as thirsty. From scallop ceviche to hash browns with confit egg yolk, these are more than just bar snacks.

Opened back in 2018 by Alan Sherwood and brothers Max and Noel Venning of Three Sheets in Dalston (and now Soho) Little Mercies is a jewel in Crouch End’s crown. Their small plates are globetrotting, from croquettes and padron peppers to bao and char siu celeriac, while their signature cocktails are equally playful. A Garden Picante distils mixed greens (basil, lovage and tarragon) to give their classic spicy marg added depth; a Snickers Old Fashioned, with peanut butter, whisky and salted chocolate, sounds like the best bits of the kids’ and adults’ snack table put together. Bare brick walls and accents of midnight blue keep it chic for a neighbourhood crowd that’s bustling and busy: grab a seat at the bar and work your way through their clever and surprisingly reasonably-priced menu, with most cocktails clocking in around the £11 mark.Order this: Waiting for a late mate or simply fancy a tasty preview? Little Mercies sell mini drinks to get you in the mood, such as their £6 lychee martini.Time Out tip: Between 6pm and 7pm every day (including weekends), nab 30% off the whole menu during Happy Hour. 

As its name suggests, the mood is set to funky at this Peckham Rye bar. That’s mostly down to a soundtrack that shows some serious flair, spinning vinyl and playing shoulder-shimmying classics from the Fatback Band to Funkadelic (they even sell records too, if you want a side of crate-digging with your cocktails). The look is bright and fun - far more in line with modern Peckham than a fur-covered shag pad, while their list of cocktails is as tight as a Chaka Khan chorus. There are intriguing spins on familiar favourites, such as their Bananaperol Spritz (made with a banana-infused version of the spirit, plus pet-nat wine) or a Frosé Paloma, where rosé is added to a traditional tequila and grapefruit combo. You can even buy some of their cocktails bottled, to take home.Order this: A homage to their home, the Rye Lane cocktail combines rye whisky, martini, fennel seeds and olive brine. They’ve also got a couple of tasty zero-percent offerings, made using Everleaf Forest non-alcoholic aperitif. Time Out tip: Funkidory’s vinyl shop isn’t just limited to funk - have a peruse for all your disco, hip hop, jazz needs and more.

Muse is not your average brass-and-marble speakeasy. Just off The Strand, it’s like stumbling into an elegant little laboratory dedicated to turning small-batch and sustainably sourced British spirits into memorable (and reasonably priced) cocktails. What marks it out is its location: right in the heart of the Royal Society of Arts, a Georgian temple to creativity that once counted Charles Dickens and Benjamin Franklin as regulars. Chat to the boss, Marcis Dzelzainis, or his long-time potion master Kevin Price-Houghton about foraged ingredients, their favourite Cotswolds eau de vie or Kentish rhubarb soda and it’s clear they’ve embraced the RSA’s spirit of high-IQ invention. Or just kick back at the end of a long work day with a classic martini (£9.50) and watch the world go by in a blur outside. You might just meet a genius.

While looking for the Spy Bar, I get lost. Which is, perhaps, the point.  Located deep in the bowels of the glossy OWO and Raffles hotel complex – once the HQ of the Ministry of Defence – the Spy Bar trades heavily on its history. Yes, this is the building in which Ian Fleming worked and came up with the idea for James Bond, and they don’t let you forget it. The basement bar is behind a door marked with a tiny 007 - it’s easy to miss, and we do - twice. It was once a storage vault for the reports and papers of MI5 and MI6 agents, while the entrance lobby was once a guard room. Once inside, we’re greeted as an ‘agent’, but thankfully, this isn’t laboured upon. The Spy Bar isn’t an immersive experience, but simply a very good place to drink a cocktail.   Aside from the real Aston Martin sunk into the wall behind the bar, it’s a relatively demure spot; painted brick walls, comfy velvet armchairs and a second room lined with cosy, private-ish booths just asking for a scandal of Profumo levels. It’s dimly lit – so much so that a light has to be delivered to our table in order for us to read the menu – but it seems churlish to order anything but a Vesper martini. At £27, it’s not cheap, but it is ridiculously smooth, and, when you’re halfway finished, a smart, suited bartender will pour the dregs into a glass fresh from the freezer. An elite touch. Cocktails are all loosely themed around Bond and the storied building, with references to Churchill’s prodigious booze intake (a...