London bar reviews

If you find yourself yearning for red cups, beer pong and running around a stranger’s house while buzzed on rum punch, this one is for you. House Party, co-founded by rapper Stormzy, is a unique bar concept modelled around an old-school house party, slap-bang in the middle of Soho. Set across a seven-floor townhouse, you’ll find a teenager’s bedroom, complete with Page Three pin-ups tacked to the wall and a clunky, noughties-style PC; the parents’ room, where you can roll around in a double bed and queue karaoke songs; a kitchen (known to host secret gigs); a rooftop (for beer pong); a living room with game consoles and a DJ-soundtracked basement that fills up like a club. The attention to detail is quite wild – at moments I felt genuinely nostalgic (especially when I was belting out Avril Lavigne in the bedroom). It’s recommended you register for a party ‘invitation’ online for priority access, rather than risking not being let in on the night. Make sure you arrive before 10pm, so you don’t miss any surprise performances.  Order this The cocktail menu has all of the classics, but the standout is the ‘Kitchen Punch’, made with rum, blueberry purée and pineapple juice. It sounds like the sort of questionable concoction you made in university halls using leftover mixers and odd spirits, but actually tastes good.   Time Out tip Want a little privacy for you and your mates? You can book rooms – the basement, terrace treehouse, living room, parents’ bedroom and teenager’s...

Walk through the beloved, turquoise-hued Lina Stores deli on the corner of Brewer Street, past shelves of pasta and polenta, and, through an unassuming door at the end, you’ll find the entrance to their subterranean drinking den Bar Lina. There is no signage. If you know, you know. Small but perfectly formed, with room for just 28 quaffers tucked along the deep red velvet banquettes and high bar stools, it’s the low-lit, after hours antithesis of their bright and breezy upstairs shop. The menu, however, unites the two. Daily taglieri boards of meats, cheeses and fat slabs of focaccia vary depending on the deli’s current wares, while the all- Italian cocktail menu offers a comprehensive selection of spritzes and negronis, plus innovative signatures. A Bloody Martini remains almost clear with its additional tomato water element, while the Porto Nuovo - named after the Milanese district is heavy and sweet, made with grappa, vermouth and cola syrup. Advance booking is highly recommended.

This tucked-away test kitchen for nearby bars Discount Suit Company, The Sun Tavern and Parasol, weirdly might be the best of the bunch and finding it is all part of the fun. Head down an alleyway it doesn’t look like you should be heading down and you’ll be greeted with the site of a teeny, tiny 12-seater bar situated in a 19th century atelier workship. At once dramatic and extremely cosy, it would be perfect for an illicit liasion were you that kind of person. If not, use it as a place to try out a host of weird and wonderful cocktails that might end up on the menus of the other Umbrella Project bars. On our last visit we tasted a baklava old fashioned and saw God. Seats outside double the capacity, and there might not be a nicer place in the area to drink away a warm summer evening. Time Out tip You are but steps away from one of the best restaurants in London; Rochelle Canteen. Order this If none of the experiemental specials take your fancy, they can make pretty much any classic cocktail you care to drink.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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...

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. 

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.