Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
The monarch of London's after-hours scene, Fabric is a huge subterranean rave cave housed in a converted meat cold store. Each room has its own sound…
Must-see nightlife in London
Kensington & Hyde Park
Seasoned with age and decades of ale-quaffing patrons (including Charles Dickens, who lived on the same road, and DH Lawrence), this old-school pub boasts…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
In an area famous for its edgy, don't-give-a-damn attitude, this exquisite cocktail bar stands out for its classiness and cocktail confidence. The drinks…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Behind the Fox & Anchor's wonderful 1898 art-nouveau facade is a stunning traditional Victorian boozer, one of the last remaining market pubs in London…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Behind a nondescript, gold-knobbed door just north of the Old Street roundabout is this bona fide speakeasy, pouring award-winning libations from a four…
Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court
In a line of small riverside cottages facing wooded Oliver's Island (where Cromwell is alleged to have taken refuge), this excellent pub looks straight…
Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court
The riverside location and fine food and ales make this bay-windowed pub – on the site of a former friary – a winner. There are entrances for low and high…
London
Down a darkened alley through the eerie evening quiet of Smithfield Market is an unlikely spot for one of London's best cocktail bars, but the journey of…
Notting Hill & West London
On a comparable spiritual plane to Paris' Shakespeare and Company bookshop, this eccentric, time-warped and convivial boho bar-cafe has been serenading…
The West End
Perpetually busy, the pint-sized Lamb & Flag is full of charm and history: there's been a public house here since at least 1772, when it was known as the…
The West End
Home of the Lonely Street, Concrete Jungle and other house cocktails named after iconic songs collected in the 'Savoy Songbook', the seriously dishy…
Notting Hill & West London
This classic tavern on the brow of Campden Hill Rd has history, nooks and charm on tap. Alongside a decent beer selection and a solid gastropub-style menu…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Tucked away like a hidden seam, Discount Suit Company is one of the city's finest speakeasies – though on weekends you'll see that this closet-sized space…
London
There's something Great Gatsby–ish about The Ned hotel: the elevated jazz pianists, the vast verdite columns, the classy American-inspired cocktails. Of…
The West End
For a dose of colonial glamour with a touch of Oriental elegance, the sumptuous (often crowded) bar at the Langham hits many marks. Its cocktails (from …
Kensington & Hyde Park
In a part of town traditionally bereft of choice, the K Bar is a reassuring presence. A hotel bar maybe, but don't let that stop you – the place exudes…
The West End
Sip a bourbon or a classic cocktail in the 1920s art-deco ambience of this stylish bar at the hallmark Beaumont hotel. It's central, glam and like a…
The West End
Merrily undefinable, Sketch has all at once a two-Michelin-starred restaurant, a millennial-pink dining room lined with nonsensical cartoons by British…
North London
This kooky little outlet in a former Victorian bathhouse will not be pigeonholed. As its name suggests, it is many things to many people: a bar, a cafe,…
Zetter Townhouse Cocktail Lounge
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Behind an unassuming door on St John's Sq, this ground-floor bar is decorated with plush armchairs, stuffed animal heads and a legion of lamps. The…
North London
This beautiful Grade II–listed Georgian pub boasts a splendid antique interior, with open fires in winter. It has a knack for making you stay longer than…
Kensington & Hyde Park
Tomtom has built its solid reputation on amazing coffee: not only are the drinks fabulously presented, but the selection is dizzying: from the usual…
North London
Charming nooks and crannies, an old circular bar and an enticing beer garden make this 1663 pub the perfect place for a pint while walking between…
North London
Come the weekend, the only remotely chilled-out space in this large, buzzy bar is its first-rate and generously proportioned rooftop terrace. Count on a…
North London
Large and relaxed, the Edinboro offers a fun atmosphere, a fine bar and a full menu. The highlight, however, is the huge beer garden, complete with warm…
The West End
This legendary, twin-storied bohemian boozer has quite a history: it was the meeting place of the Free French Forces during WWII and de Gaulle is said to…
The West End
From the 28th floor of the Park Lane Hilton, this swish bar boasts delightful views, especially during the golden sunset hour to which '10°' refers…
The West End
The Grade II–listed Punchbowl, one of Mayfair's oldest pubs, is split between the public bar, a more formal dining room, and a reservations-only club…
Notting Hill & West London
Severely inundated by the epic floodwaters of 1928, this gem of a 17th-century Fuller's pub revels in historic charm and superb Thames views. Scottish…
The West End
Drinkers who know their stuff single out the travelling martini trolley for particular praise, but almost everything mixed at the silver-and-platinum…
The West End
Purl is a fabulous underground drinking den – decked out in overstuffed vintage furniture in intimate nooks, and adorned with antique wood, stripped…
The West End
You may not quite need a diamond as big as the Ritz to drink at this art-deco marvel, but it might help. All camphor wood, illuminated Lalique glass,…
The West End
Superb martinis and a gentlemen’s-club-like ambience are the ingredients of this classic bar, where white-jacketed masters mix up perfect preparations…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Given it’s inspired by Jabberwocky, Lewis Carroll’s nonsensical poem, this bar’s eccentric decor is to be expected, and the top-notch cocktails have…
Paradise by Way of Kensal Green
Notting Hill & West London
With its statues, religious paintings, gaunt oil portraits, panelling and dense drapes, the wildly eclectic, eccentric, boho and gothic Kensal Green bar…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Single-handedly propping up Shoreditch's cocktail scene this side of Rivington St, speakeasy-style Found employs a decidedly simple equation for success:…
The West End
Despite this 1602 coaching inn's Lilliputian dimensions, swarms of lawyers from nearby Lincoln's Inn congregate here after each day's business. Expect to…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Legendary Danish microbrewery Mikkeller is known for its collaborations, but its latest is next level. Mikkeller's founder met musician Rick Astley on a…
Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court
This traditional pub in Twickenham overlooks a quiet stretch of the Thames from what must be one of the most English-looking streets in London. It boasts…
The West End
A favourite Soho drinking spot, Swift has a sleek, candlelit upstairs bar for walk-ins seeking a superior cocktail before dinner or the theatre, and a…
