Must see nightlife in 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…

Home of the Lonely Street, Concrete Jungle and other house cocktails named after iconic songs collected in the 'Savoy Songbook', the seriously dishy…

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 …

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…

Merrily undefinable, Sketch has all at once a two-Michelin-starred restaurant, a millennial-pink dining room lined with nonsensical cartoons by British…

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…

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 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…

Drinkers who know their stuff single out the travelling martini trolley for particular praise, but almost everything mixed at the silver-and-platinum…

Purl is a fabulous underground drinking den – decked out in overstuffed vintage furniture in intimate nooks, and adorned with antique wood, stripped…

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,…

Superb martinis and a gentlemen’s-club-like ambience are the ingredients of this classic bar, where white-jacketed masters mix up perfect preparations…

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…

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…

This intimate basement bar has DJs, comedy, drag-king cabaret, burlesque, live music and party nights, all in addition to a generally friendly and…

Pendant bar lights, bright clutter, graffitied walls and raucous atmosphere give a New York vibe to this snug basement saloon just north of Oxford St. If…

Encouraging hedonism since 1979, when it opened on the site of a former roller disco, this perennially popular mixed/gay bar under the Charing Cross…

Inaugurated in 1723, this storied pub has refreshed scholars from the British Museum's Reading Room including Karl Marx, George Orwell, Sir Arthur Conan…

This stunner of an art-deco bar (cocktails £17) offers gorgeous views, especially of the Thames, South Bank and Trafalgar Sq, from the open-air terrace on…

Make this the first stop on your crawl because there’s no way you’ll make it down (or up) the stairs (not much more than a ladder) after a few drinks. It…