Hannah Crosbie

July 2026: If you’ve had the pleasure of strolling down Exmouth Market recently, you’ll know the historic Clerkenwell strip is the buzziest pedestrianised street in London, full of al-fresco fun, convivial pintspeople and sidewalk tapas as far as the eye can see. Which is pretty much all down to the new Number 1 in our list of the best bars in London. Congratulations are due to Cafe Kick, the breezy Euro-chic sports bar about to celebrate 30 years of tricking your brain into thinking you’re on holiday. The rest of our Top 50 features bars old and new, posh and divey, and cheap and pricey, but all of them with great drinks and an unparalleled vibe. Fancy a drink? You’ve come to the right place. This is Time Out’s list of best bars in London, our curated guide to London’s drinking scene, which features the greatest bars in the capital right now. These are the places we’d recommend to a friend, because we love drinking in them and have done many times over. From classy cocktail counters to delightful dives, sleek hotel bars, rooftop bars and places to sip wine, London’s got them all. You’ll find historic drinking holes here as well as brand new openings. But what makes a truly good bar? Our critieria is simple; a menu of great drinks is important, but so is the overall energy of the place – there’s no point having the perfect paloma if you have to drink it in a bar that smells of bin juice. To make it into our Top 50, a bar has to be fun, friendly, convivial and inclusive, as we

These days, it’s not just the specialty wine bars and caves that are putting together the best lists in London. A burgeoning interest in wine across all regions, colours and styles has encouraged many restaurants to up their game to meet the curiosity. So, the 20 suggestions here encompass wine bars, pubs and restaurants where you can order a glass without needing to buy food (although I strongly advise you do so, as each place recommended has an excellent menu that informs each venue’s drinks offering). Everything here has passed the vibe check and will hold a special place in my heart, and liver, for life. RECOMMENDED: These are London’s best bars.  Hannah Crosbie is a London-based wine writer for The Guardian, GQ, and the FT. She hosts regular wine clubs and has appeared on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch. She published her debut book, Corker: A Deeply Unserious Wine Book, in 2024