Crowned the world's best bar in 2016, this David Collins–designed sanctum channels English and Irish 1920s cubism through faux crocodile banquettes and amber-lit intimacy. Head mixologist Agostino Perrone orchestrates a menu balancing heritage cocktails with inventive signatures—the Mulata Daisy layers dark rum with cocoa cream and fennel seeds, while the theatrical Martini Trolley delivers tableside theater. A complimentary gin aperitif sets the tone upon arrival.
Multiple-time winner of the World's Best Bar title, this Art Deco landmark on the Strand has shaped cocktail history since 1893. The black and gold interior, mirrored walls, and nightly piano set the scene for drinks born here—the White Lady, the Hanky Panky—crafted by bartenders trained in the tradition of Ada Coleman and Harry Craddock. Smart dress; reservations essential.
Four consecutive years as the World's Best Bar cemented Artesian's reputation long before its current reinvention under head bartender Giulia Cuccurullo. Inside The Langham's David Collins-designed space—tiered brass chandeliers, purple leather chairs, art deco lines softened by Southeast Asian touches—the menu now spotlights unexpected ingredients: chicory, daikon, marshmallow, each preserved and layered through sustainability-driven techniques. Chef Chet Sharma's bar bites match the cocktails' inventive precision.
Perched on the sixth floor of Grand Hotel Parker's, Bidder Bar commands sweeping views across the Gulf of Naples to Vesuvius and Capri—a cinematic backdrop for its official Bond bar status. Named after the hotel's founder, a Victorian marine biologist, this self-described temple of mixology pairs inventive cocktails with gourmet Neapolitan street food on the adjacent terrace. Reservations recommended.
Beneath the Blakes hotel lies a cave-like sanctuary draped in red and black, where oriental antiques and candlelight set the stage for London's most secretive evenings. Open Wednesday through Saturday to hotel guests and select friends only, this basement retreat pulses with in-house DJ sets while bartenders craft meticulous cocktails. The Asian-inflected décor strikes a careful balance—dark enough for intrigue, luminous enough for ease.
David Collins Studio's Art Deco interiors set the stage for serious drinking at this Mayfair institution, where pre-Prohibition American whiskeys share shelf space with rare champagnes and sought-after spirits. The cocktail list runs from the house Martini to the Lakeland Sunset—whisky brightened with grapefruit, passion fruit, and pale ale. For private gatherings, The Snuggery accommodates up to twenty guests in intimate seclusion.
An award-winning French cocktail bar installed within an 18th-century Parisian palace, CopperBay Lancaster channels Mediterranean kitchens through liquid form—Pan con Tomate rendered with passata, Tapenade sharpened by caper brine. A centenary menu honours the hotel's storied guests across ten decades. From five o'clock, the ground-floor space beside a private courtyard shifts into spirited evening territory, serving until half past one.
Ian Fleming's preferred drinking den, tucked behind an unmarked door off Piccadilly, remains a pilgrimage site for martini devotees. Head bartender Alessandro Palazzi wheels a trolley tableside, assembling six-ounce pours from frozen spirits and bespoke vermouth, finishing each with Amalfi lemon peel. The Vesper—Bond's original Casino Royale recipe—outsells all others. Jackets required, ties for gentlemen; arrive before five to skip the queue.
From Level 52 of The Shard, GŎNG commands Western Europe's highest hotel bar perch, with Tower Bridge and the Thames sprawling below. The space channels dougong architecture through cinnabar lacquer panels and bronze cabinets, while the Nature & Earth cocktail programme traces single Asian-heritage ingredients from seed to glass. Three zones—Cocktail Bar, Champagne Bar, and a weekend Sky Pool—suit everything from intimate drinks to lavish celebration.
Pavilion Road's artisanal charm finds liquid expression at Hans' Bar & Grill, where the Chelsea Bar serves a considered Negroni collection—the Milk Punch version a velvety house signature alongside inventive options like the Rhubarb–Sage Bellini. The all-day venue hits its stride come evening, maintaining that particular London equilibrium: animated enough to signal quality, sufficiently intimate for unhurried conversation over cocktails before dinner.
Soho remains the epicenter, with dozens of bars packed into a few blocks around Old Compton Street and Wardour Street. Shoreditch attracts a younger crowd to its inventive cocktail spots along Curtain Road and Rivington Street. For hotel bars and a more polished atmosphere, Mayfair around Mount Street and the surrounding streets delivers consistently.
Many do, particularly in Mayfair, Knightsbridge, and hotel bars throughout the city. Smart casual is the minimum at most upscale establishments—trainers and sportswear are frequently declined. Speakeasies and Shoreditch venues tend toward relaxed dress expectations, though looking put-together never hurts your chances at the door.
Most bars close between 11pm and midnight on weekdays, with weekend hours extending to 1am or 2am. Venues with late licenses—particularly in Soho, Dalston, and Shoreditch—may serve until 3am. Hotel bars often maintain the latest hours, some remaining open for guests until the small hours.
The British capital's drinking culture runs far deeper than the corner pub. Mayfair's hotel bars draw a well-dressed evening crowd for expertly mixed martinis, while Soho's narrow lanes hide speakeasies behind unmarked doors—some requiring passwords, others merely a confident knock. Shoreditch offers a grittier scene: industrial spaces turned cocktail laboratories where bartenders treat spirits like a chef treats ingredients. For something more refined, the members' clubs of St James's occasionally open their bars to hotel guests, and Fitzrovia's wine bars pour natural bottles from small European producers alongside British charcuterie.
After drinks, many visitors continue to dinner at one of the city's remarkable restaurants—the two experiences often intertwine, with pre-theatre cocktails in Covent Garden or late-night negronis after a meal in Clerkenwell. Hotel bars remain a particular strength; the city's best properties often feature destination drinking spots in their own right, from Art Deco lounges to contemporary rooftop spaces with views across the Thames.
