What makes a neighbourhood cool? For eight years now, Time Out has been answering that exact question. A genuinely exciting roster of restaurants, cafés and bars, irrepressibly colourful nightlife and art scenes, a welcoming and diverse community, a sense that a place is really having a moment – these are the sorts of things that, in our eyes, make somewhere truly cool.
Last week Time Out published the 2025 edition of our global ranking of the planet’s coolest neighbourhoods, celebrating places that embody the many different ways a place can be ‘cool’. Two British areas made the cut – one in London and another in Birmingham – but that was only a teaser. Now it’s time to crown the coolest places in the UK.
Our hottest ’hoods in Britain were chosen by local Time Out contributors who live, work and eat in them day in, day out. Some of these areas are established hotbeds of creativity, some are where you’ll find the city’s hottest new openings, and others are currently hitting their peak, after years of gradually increasing buzz. Critically, all of the neighbourhoods you’ll find on this list are genuinely great places to be right now.
1. Camberwell, London
Camberwell captures all the stuff that makes southeast London the liveliest corner of the capital – the young-at-heart vibe, the independent spirit, the multiculturalism – and crams it all into a green, community-oriented little patch. The jewel in Camberwell’s crown is its food. Church Street is easily one of the heaviest hitting foodie roads in the capital, with a new iteration of iconic Xinjiang restaurant Silk Road, the area’s best Lebanese falafel wraps at Falafel and Shawarma, a fine gastropub in the form of The Camberwell Arms, unbeatable Kurdish cuisine at Nandine and bready geniuses at Toad Bakery.
Time Out tip: From September, the South London Gallery is celebrating its relationship with Mexico City’s Museo Jumex, which will see it hosting the best of its collection. Lauren O'Neill
📍 Time Out’s guide to Camberwell.
📸 In pictures: Camberwell, the coolest neighbourhood in London right now.
2. Digbeth, Birmingham
Long established as Birmingham’s creative quarter, Digbeth is home turf for many of the city’s writers, artists and filmmakers. Its arty ascension is set to continue – not for nothing is the BBC moving its headquarters to the old Typhoo Tea factory here in 2026. All abandoned shunt lines and arches slick with wet brick, Digbeth’s aesthetic is haunted by the ghosts of industry but illuminated by iridescent street art, which colours large swathes of the neighbourhood. Its rough-edged beauty consistently draws major new attractions, such as Digbeth Loc Studios, a multimedia warehouse project for film and tv production.
Time Out tip: Digbeth doubles as Birmingham’s Irish quarter, so head there in March for St. Patrick’s Day and hit up Nortons, Hennessey’s and more for Guinness and good times. Taylor Burns
📍 Time Out’s guide to Digbeth.
3. Canton, Cardiff
For years, Canton was seen as a funnel for football fans heading to the nearby Cardiff City Stadium, but now it’s a thriving neighbourhood. Reached via a 30-minute walk from the city centre, it’s home to a selection of shops and cafes which are well worth the amble out of town; Chapter Arts Centre offers everything from indie flicks and vogue balls to top-class cocktails, while Hard Lines Coffee and Ffloc boast exquisite lunch offerings. Then there’s Corp Market, a defunct pub refashioned into a brilliantly eclectic traders market which is also home to Head Above The Waves, a non-profit skatewear boutique and mental health support hub.
Time Out tip: Swish new bakeries may be creeping up all around Canton, but the OG institution remains the area’s finest. Established in 1898, Brutons The Bakers’ chocolate ring doughnuts are the stuff of local legend – simple, unpretentious fare served crispy-hot. Sophie Williams
4. London Road, Brighton
London Road’s proximity to Brighton Station (a mere 10-minute walk), not-that-soulless regeneration projects plus the very, very gradual cropping-up of some really cool bars, coffee spots and gig venues, means I almost always take out-of-town friends here to explore. A couple of local institutions are still going strong – have a gander around the Open Market before catching a screening at the Duke of York’s cinema – but newer must-tries include Curio for cocktails, Amari or Mogu Mogu for dinner, and Presuming Ed’s for comedy.
Time Out tip: Brighton’s best pizza is in London Road at Fatto A Mano, but you can get equally good one just over the road at Unbarred Taproom – a brewery and bar with funky craft beers. Liv Kelly
5. Cotham, Bristol
Cotham will take you by surprise. Its community may be small and chock-full of students, but it has more character oozing out of its few streets than some entire cities. On Cotham Hill you’re greeted by cutesy boutiques, well-stocked charity shops and a parade of delicious restaurants – including authentic tapas al fresco at Bravas (one of the best restaurants in Bristol) and Middle Eastern/British fusion at Rubicon Too. With its building-sized mural overlooking a microbrewery beer garden, Cotham is the best of Bristol in one tiny, self-contained community.
Time Out tip Catch the Cotham Hill Street Party at the end of May (2026 dates still TBC), a community event where the street is shut off for vendors selling food, antique jewellery and Aperol spritz. Annie McNamee
6. Ancoats, Manchester
Liam versus Noel. City versus United. Ancoats versus the Northern Quarter. The great quarrels of Manchester’s townies – and right now, the crown goes to Ancoats, an oasis of small plates and even smaller dogs just north of the city centre. Yes Ancoats does, whisper it, take cues (and, sigh, queues) from London – but where the NQ has leaned into novelty, Ancoats has focused on quality. Home to Manchester’s first Michelin-starred restaurant Mana – a gem of modern British cuisine – from the chilled-out Cutting Room Square to the picturesque New Islington Marina, the former industrial district has become a hub of food and drink that’s chic without being chi-chi.
Time Out tip Spend a night at Manchester’s best kept secret, Peste, an eccentric bar with gothic decor, Victorian drinks and esoteric curiosities. For other tipple spots, you’re never more than a cork’s throw away from suave cocktail bar The Jane Eyre; trendy natural wine spot Kerb; or elevated boozer The Edinburgh Castle. Kyle MacNeill
7. Finnieston, Glasgow
In 2025 you’ll still find plenty of the warehouses and exposed brick interiors of Finnieston’s industrial past, only now they’re features of trendy music venues like SWG3 or Michelin rated restaurants Ka Pao and Ox and Finch. New spots are always popping up down this end of Sauchiehall and Argyle streets: renowned chef Modo Diagne just opened Trust, a restaurant where you pay £30 for five mystery courses. Then there’s the continued brilliance of classic Finnieston spots like the Hidden Lane, which remains an ever-evolving community where local artists can create, collaborate, and sell their work.
Time Out tip The Commonwealth Games are returning to Glasgow in 2026, and several sports will be held in Finnieston’s Scottish Exhibition Centre. You can register your interest for tickets now, or head to a local pub streaming the events live. Annie McNamee
The 39 coolest neighbourhoods in the world in 2025.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.