Notting Hill & West London
Tread the bare wood floorboards of this roomy bar/cafe in this erstwhile library, and grab a paperback play or two from the dense collection stuffed onto…
Must-see nightlife in London
East London
Once owned by infamous gangsters the Kray brothers (who bought it for their old ma to run), this chic yet cosy pub has been beautifully restored and its…
North London
This festive boozer is popular with London’s Spanish community and therefore feels quite authentic. Drinks, too, are representative of what you’d find in…
Greenwich
If it were in any other part of London, Little Faith would be unbearably busy. But in a slightly derelict corner of Deptford, this taproom serves up its…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
This no-frills Shoreditch basement venue throws together a pulsing and popular mix of gigs and club nights. It hosts a rotating selection of resident DJs…
Kensington & Hyde Park
When you've shopped your legs off in Knightsbridge, this serenely seductive zone welcomes you into a world of Chinese bird-cage lanterns, subdued lighting…
East London
London’s first board-game themed cafe-bar – it has over 900 to choose from – offers a delightfully geeky way to while away an afternoon. Food, wine and…
London
Almost too well hidden down a quiet alleyway parallel to Fleet St, Black Parrot is a surprising plant-filled, rum-obsessed bar that puts a cool London…
Brixton, Peckham & South London
While some pubs that festoon their ceilings with bric-a-brac and hang London Underground station signs on the walls can be tiresome, the Prince of Wales…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Whisky might not grow on trees, but at Black Rock, it sure grows in them. The centrepiece of this tiny bar is a 5m-long, 185-year-old oak tree that's been…
Kensington & Hyde Park
When your legs are turning to lead traipsing around Harrods, gravitate towards the shop's curvilinear deco-style bar in the Roastery and Bake Hall for…
Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club
East London
As it says on the tin, this is a true working men’s club. Except that this one has opened its doors and let in all kinds of off-the-wall club nights,…
South Bank
Cool Gǒng on the 52nd floor of the Shard, in the Shangri-La hotel, is London's highest bar. Naturally sunset's the optimum time, and it's all about…
Brixton, Peckham & South London
The first brewery in this part of town, Kernel is perhaps the originator of the Bermondsey Beer Mile. It closed its taproom years ago, before relaunching…
South Bank
Market Porter is one of London's last remaining early-morning pubs that caters to Borough Market workers. Inside, this traditional Victorian stalwart has…
The West End
Incongruously carved out of a corner of a leisure centre, this branch of a nine-strong chain boasts 15 cask pumps from UK microbreweries, as well as 30…
South Bank
With excellent coffee from Ozone Roasters and an unusually large selection of teas, this cafe attracts a loyal following. Four Corners is travel-themed,…
Notting Hill & West London
A garrulous hubbub frequently spilling from its ivy-clad and port-coloured facade, this Victorian-era pub tempts locals, visitors, foodies and drinkers…
Kensington & Hyde Park
This beautiful bar/pub in the heart of Chelsea is a hit – from the red banquette in the stylish dining room to the elegant terrace for summer evenings,…
Brixton, Peckham & South London
The newest rooftop to open in Peckham is this Italian restaurant-bar on top of a refurbished Edwardian building. The mix of indoor and outdoor space means…
Notting Hill & West London
Gin and alluring cocktails are on the menu at this former pub, refreshed into a nifty, narrow cocktail bar. There's live music every Thursday from 7.30pm,…
The West End
If you are seriously into singalongs, head for this attractive free house in Marylebone, where the keys of the old 'goanna' (piano) get tickled by Tony …
North London
We're going out on a limb and calling this London's best Irish pub. The staff are sharp, the Guinness is good, and the live entertainment is frequent and…
South Bank
This converted warehouse is one of many lively pubs and bars on Bermondsey St, where the friendly bar staff are ready to mix up a cocktail, advise on your…
East London
With its large windows, fine beer garden and displays recalling the hanging nearby of the eponymous pirate in 1701, this is a favourite riverside pub…
North London
Enjoy a fine selection of real ale in this cosy, eclectic, nautical-themed award-winning boozer. Regulars keep the bar propped up and the dimly lit…
North London
The hair of this particular dog is craft beer, with around 20 different brews on tap. BrewDog's own brewery is up in Scotland, but more than half of the…
Brixton, Peckham & South London
If you don't have time to make it to all of South London's best breweries, you can get the cliff-notes version at this small market-based taproom…
Brixton, Peckham & South London
Downstairs, this long-running local institution has a cavernous DJ and live-music bar, mobbed by a young South London crowd. The main bar is as casual as…
Brixton, Peckham & South London
Awaken the artist within and pop down to this funtastic Bermondsey bar within a railway arch. A former pop-up in Battersea before migrating to SE1, there…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
It’s a distinctly bohemian crowd that mixes in the cosy, traditional interior of this brilliant Spitalfields pub, famous as the watering hole for the…
East London
If you're wandering through Victoria Park and fancy either a refreshing beverage or a game of minigolf, here's where to head. There's a fabulous beer…
Greenwich
On the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, the Old Brewery once housed Greenwich Meantime, one of London's earliest craft breweries. Now owned by…
East London
You won’t find cans, bottles or barrels in this pleasantly grungy brewery bar, just 10 gleaming tanks containing ales and lagers straight from the source…
Brixton, Peckham & South London
Regularly hosting the best gay club nights in South London, Fire is an expansive space under Vauxhall's railway arches that also attracts hetero clubbers,…
Brixton, Peckham & South London
The playful space, decorated with cartoons and fairy lights, hints at the quirkily labelled range of beers with zingy citrus and dry-hopped notes brewed…
Brixton, Peckham & South London
Tucked into two railway arches under Elephant and Castle station, Corsica Studios is where the weekend never dies: its license extends to 3am during the…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
The bar is named after the pre-existing signs on the two shops whose space it now occupies, a nonchalance that typifies Shoreditch chic. The street-level…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
This low-lit, basement bar with good-value cocktails is relaxed and intimate, overseen by dapper-looking staff in white shirts and colourful suspenders…
Brixton, Peckham & South London
Located in the heart of Tooting, the Castle is the oldest pub in the area (it opened in 1832), and still one of the most popular. The beer is brewed…
