London is packed with must-visit bars for cocktail-lovers. From iconic classics like Dukes – inspiration for James Bond’s Vesper Martini – to cutting-edge venues like the Bauhaus-inspired A Bar with Shapes for a Name.
The good news is you’ll be able to find a drink to suit any taste; whether you’re looking for a decent Old Fashioned or a brand new molecular mixology creation. But where to start? Our edit offers a diverse snapshot of London cocktail bars across the city.
Best London cocktail bars
A Bar with Shapes for a Name
232 Kingsland Rd, Whitmore Estate, E2 8AX
Yellow triangle, red square, blue circle. Look for the shapes on the signage out front and you’ve found the right place. This achingly hip, minimalist bar is inspired by Bauhaus concepts and certainly looks the part with staff in chic boiler suits, retro furniture and cocktails that are almost too cool to drink. Even the ice cubes are works of art. There’s a short list of six House Cocktails – including the Pastel (vodka, rhubarb, recomposed lime, capreolus raspberry) and Birne (whisky, pear, olive) – plus six Classic Drinks with a house twist: think Negronis with coconut oil. Make a reservation for tables on the weekend.
(Image credit: Julie Sheppard)
Bar Termini
7 Old Compton St, W1D 5JE
Proof that good things come in small packages, Termini may be tiny but it’s a star of the Soho bar scene. It only does two things – coffee and cocktails – but does both extremely well. Founders Tony Conigliaro, bar supremo, and Marco Arrigo, head of quality for Illy, took their inspiration from classic Italian train station buffets of the 1950s. Expect excellent espressos and Italian mixes such as the house Negroni or Marsala Martini (Beefeater Gin, Marsala wine, vermouth and almond bitters). Walk-ins are welcome if you’re feeling very lucky, but it’s best to book one of the hour-long slots to guarantee a table at this bijou bar.
Lyaness
Sea Containers London, 20 Upper Ground, SE1 9PD
The endlessly creative Ryan Chetiyawardana – AKA Mr Lyan – is the brains behind Lyaness and a string of other top international bars. (His lo-fi Seed Library in Shoreditch is also well worth a visit.) The current list is the Collaboration Menu. Mr Lyan explains: ‘Collaboration is at the heart of what we do at Lyan… We work with other bars and restaurants, material scientists, agronomists, food scientists, alongside other industries and experts, to marry their insight with our own to create something neither of us would have done in isolation.’ This translates into 12 one-of-a-kind ingredients at the core of the menu, including Lego Olive Oil – deconstructed olive oil. Leave your preconceptions at the door and dive in.
(Image credit: Lyaness)
Nightjar
129 City Rd, EC1V 1JB
An unassuming doorway off Old Street roundabout is your portal to this award-winning speakeasy that celebrates its 15th birthday this year. After its opening in 2010, husband-and-wife founders Edmund Weil and Rosie Stimpson went on to launch Oriole and Swift (see ‘10 more…’ below), both echoing Nightjar’s signature mix of Jazz Age style and cutting-edge cocktails. Low lights, dark wood and gleaming mirrors envelop you in a cosy boozy cocoon as you enjoy slick table service and a soundtrack of live blues, jazz and swing. Reservations are essential.
(Image credit: Nightjar)
Side Hustle
NoMad Hotel, 28 Bow St, WC2E 7AW
Crowned Best International Hotel Bar at the Spirited Awards in New Orleans earlier this year, Side Hustle belongs to the London outpost of NoMad. It’s housed in a Grade II-listed building formerly home to Bow Street Police Station – though today the focus is on serving great drinks at the bar, rather than putting bad guys behind bars… Expect a Latin American vibe, with accomplished cocktails from a list that focuses on agave spirits. Favourites on my last visit were the Classic Mezcal Martini (Siete Misterios Doba-Jay, Tapatio Blanco, Dolin Blanc) and Sexy Olivia, a seductive combo of Altos Blanco Tequila and manzanilla Sherry.
(Image credit: Julie Sheppard)
The Connaught Bar
The Connaught, 16 Carlos Place, W1K 2AL
It’s hard to beat the effortless glamour of this chic London hotel bar. Boasting a design inspired by 1920s Cubism, it’s a shimmering shrine to mixology, with a team of world-class bartenders, creative cocktails and decadent canapes. But the jewel in the crown is the sleek Martini Trolley. ‘The secret of a perfect Martini is the sound,’ smiles head of mixology Ago Perrone, as he slowly stirs Tanqueray No. Ten over blocks of hand-cut ice, mixed with the house vermouth and a choice of seasonal bitters to create a bespoke Martini for every guest.
(Image credit: The Connaught Bar)
9 more London cocktail bars to try:
Amaro – 15 Kensington High St, W8 5NP
Artesian – The Langham, 1C Portland Pl, W1B 1JA
Donovan Bar – Brown’s Hotel, 33 Albemarle St, W1S 4BP
Dukes Bar – 35 St James’s Pl, SW1A 1NY
Oriole – 7-9 Slingsby Pl, WC2E 9AB
Satan’s Whiskers – 343 Cambridge Heath Rd, London E2 9RA
Scarfe’s Bar – Rosewood London, 252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN
Swift – 12 Old Compton St, W1D 4TQ
The Fumoir – Claridge’s, Brook St, W1K 4HR
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(Image credit: Future)
