Pub-Culture is a big part of the lifestyle in the UK. So, if you are visiting London, here are my top recommendations that would make you feel – MONEY WELL SPENT!!
There are great bars in London to enjoy well-crafted brews along with awesome city views, like the view of the river Thames & famous landmarks like London Bridge.
When we talk about Nightlife & London – they have always been hand in hand. London is, undoubtedly, one of the best places to land your mind, soul, and body. The diverse & vibrant nightlife vibe is catching popularity more and more these days and even by every passing second and how’s that possible? It’s through the globalization of trends and sharing of lifestyles across the globe. This globalized & hashtag generation looks for places to capture & hit some like-crave for such bars. Good food with great music to groove on, old & rugged styled bars & wooden furniture to live-music venues, indie rock & techno clubs invite most of the crowd & London seems to have it all. So, if you are looking for London’s most happening bars, it doesn’t matter what neighborhood you’re in! We have got you covered.
If you are looking for the best places for expertly curated delicious drinks with an impressive cocktails menu & snackable with a great atmosphere & top-notch service in London then look no further, we have got you the list of best bars to impress a date, your mates or anyone you want to show off your seemingly expansive knowledge of the London Bar scene with.
So, following is the carefully curated list of bars in London that will surely make you wait for more :
The American Bar at The Savoy :
Voted No.1 in World’s Best Bar at Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards 2018 and World’s 50 Best Bars 2017. with Head Bartender Erik Lorincz and Bar Manager Declan McGurk. The term ‘American Bar’ means a bar serving American-style drinks, commonly known as cocktails, and The American Bar at The Savoy has maintained its name since the late 19th century, making it the longest-standing bar in Europe. Award-winning bartender Erik Lorincz takes us on a cocktail journey of the UK from coast to coast, making five classics: Kentish Cob, The Shire, Tunnel Piper, Black Diamond, and Sapphire Jubilee Fizz.
The drinks are good and the lounge is lush. It is situated in the iconic Savoy Hotel on the Strand which is an excellent location easily accessible by all modes of transport including walking if you are in the vicinity. It is close to Covent Garden and an ideal pit stop or meeting place during a day out in London.
This is also a bar that caters to traditional Londoners and the age group is not millennial so don’t expect a see-and-be-seen cool vibe. This is a traditional establishment.
• Location: Strand, London, United Kingdom WC2R 0EZ
• Landmark: Savoy Hotel, Covent Garden
• Specialty: Cocktails – Black Diamond, Double Decker & Kentish Cob
• Vibe: Vintage
Tayēr + Elementary:
Tayer is a cocktail bar combining modern technique & old-fashioned practices to create drinks that expresses simplicity & uniqueness. Voted No.5 in The World’s Best Bars 2020 sponsored by Perrier. This high position, higher than all other new entries this year, has earned it the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award 2020.
All the elements of this cocktail bar had been reconceptualized, from the design to converged service and drink making. It’s a venue of two parts. Elementary is the industrially styled street-side space, the everyday bar you pop into for a quick drink, with a long communal table and seasonal cocktails served from taps, or the equally at-home own-label wine and beer. Here you’ll find the signature One Sip Martini and a rotating menu of seasonal spins on classics. They are simple serves, without affectation, served in uniform glasses that emphasized the liquid.
• Location: 152 Old St, London EC1V 9BW, United Kingdom
• Landmark: Trade – Coffee store
• Specialty: San Marzano tomato with Suze, Martini Amrato vermouth, Tio Pepe fino sherry
• Price: Mid-range – They offer amazing cocktails with not-so-expensive rates
• Vibe: Old fashioned with a hint of street style
Callooh Callay Bar:
A cocktail bar that opened in Nov’2008 in Shoreditch. They have been in the market for 13 years. They’ve been very lucky to have made drinks for, and served, hundreds of thousands of guests. They’ve been even luckier to win an award or 2 from our peers along the way. They were named Top 50 Cocktail Bars 2022, 2019, Top 500 Bars 2021, 2020, 2019, with Imbibes Best Drinks List 2020, Best International High Volume Cocktail Bar at Tales of the Cocktail 2016, and Top 4 Best Int’l High Volume Cocktail Bar 2019, 2018 and 2015, Not to mention World’s Best Cocktail Menu in 2012 and have been named in Drinks International’s World’s 50 Best Bars in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016. It is an eccentric and beautifully quirky cocktail bar in Shoreditch, tended to by some of London’s best bar staff. The venue is great for a private party and all guests loved the intimacy and coziness of Jub Jub.
• Location: 65 Rivington St, London EC2A 3AY, United Kingdom
• Landmark: Old Church Street
• Specialty: Disco Gin Pernod, Bloody Janet Street-Porter
• Vibe: Quirky
Red Room:
The Red Room Bar in Mayfair’s Connaught hotel features artworks by female artists among an extensive mix of furnishing. Tucked behind a velvet finish doorway. The red room serves a selection of wines from the hotel’s 30,000-bottle cellar. This bar’s name signifies the artwork on its wall, all of which features a touch of crimson. It also owns 2 pieces from the most famous French-American artists – Louise Bourgeois & Tia-Thuy Nguyen.
Defining the bar furthermore, it has a walkway with a terrazzo finish leading up to the bar counter, where guests can sample the red wine menu as well as a roster of seasonal wine-based cocktails.
• Location: The Connaught London W1K 2AL, United Kingdom
• Landmark: The Connaught
• Specialty: Red wine
• Vibe: Posh
Coupette:
Was launched in 2017, and it became famous for its authenticity & unpretentious style. It gained its reputation in 2019 after it successfully retained its position in “World’s best bar”.
They specialize in French cooking techniques. They balance the drinks with beautiful glassware. At Coupette they believe that there are no egos as the bartenders are always learning there is a new day for perfection. They always believe in keeping their taste exceptional then it is not a good drink. Trying to achieve high-level results whilst creating a friendly & warm environment. This place provides an atmosphere that is dynamic yet relaxed.
• Location: 423 Bethnal Green Rd, London E2 0AN, United Kingdom
• Landmark: Near Fuckoffee
• Specialty: French
• Vibe: Casual & Relaxed
Bunga – Bunga Covent Garden:
Karaoke, Live shows, Booze & some amazing food to go with it!!
What are we waiting for?
Bunga Bunga awaits you. It gives you amazing live shows from late-night dinners to wild weekend brunches. Also featuring a jaw-dropping variety of immersive entertainment. It is an Englishman’s Italian bar – There lies the infamous pizzeria & gondola-shaped bar. With interactive entertainment throughout the night. Upstairs they have a stunning L’Osservatorio for private dinners & drinks. On the top floor, they have Eurovision rooms which are perfect for private parties. Every Friday & Saturday, 10:30 PM to 02:30 AM
• Location: 167 Drury Ln, London WC2B 5PG, United Kingdom
• Landmark: Chelsea
• Specialty: Pizzas
• Vibe: Dazzling & Happening
BYOC Camden:
Lady Luck is sure to be on your side and would make stumble through the charming black door arched on the side-lines of the roads of Mornington Crescent station; you would be astounded for thinking you have set foot into a mid-1920s casino. The old but gold blackjack, the not-so-Russian roulette, and poker play tables around the room stocked with BYOC’s range of home-curated ingredients and mixes deliver a full house of flavor with every handmade cocktail. So, whether you get your kink from sex on the beach or French 75’, and if you’re looking for a bar with a twist, you are in luck. BYOC’s ritzy indicate cocktail experience has come to Camden High Street, promising their “most squandering venue to date” this time around. Guests step through a nondescript door and descend a slender staircase to find this latest outlaw-themed drinking den. The fundamentals are essentially the same, and guests still pay £30 and bring a bottle of their favorite spirit with them for BYOC’s expert bartenders to conjure up 5 cocktails in a two-hour stint.
• Location: 11-13 Camden High St, London NW1 7JE, United Kingdom
• Landmark: Mornington Crescent Station
• Specialty: Rum and Ginger beer
• Vibe: Relaxed
Tonight Josephine Birmingham:
Why should men have all the fun?
Josephine’s girl gang for cocktails in Waterloo. Josephine De Beauharnais, one of history’s most famous lovers, started as a nobody but with sass, hustle, and a little bit of luck, she became the Empress of the French.
This is a very pretty, very pink cocktail bar that’s creating a lot of buzz in London. Taking us back to our love of Mean Girls, fabulous drinks, and neon lights, this very instagrammable cocktail bar in London is just a few minutes away from Waterloo train and tube station. Josephine is bringing a new hangout to Shoreditch.
• Location: 111 Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8UL, Opposite Waterloo station
• Landmark: Waterloo
• Specialty: Prosecco
• Vibe: Feminine
Bar Crispin, Soho:
A bluzy wine bar with a smacking snack list in a prime spot in central London. Inspired by Eighties Soho, the team collaborated with an interior designer Jermaine Gallacher to shape a distinctly retro space. There’s a chunky silver-zinc bar, jewel-toned triangle mirrors, and fun zig-zag designs, plus a chilled playlist from DJs Peaches, Eliza Rose, and Flo Dill. Crispin serves hand curated 150 vintage wines. This place serves some exceptionally amazing & unique dishes. Black garlic ice cream is something that you should try.
• Location: Bar Crispin, 19 Kingly Street, Carnaby, London W1B 5PY
• Landmark: Kingly street
• Specialty: Creamy burrata and crunchy fennel doused in Château La Coste olive oil
• Vibe: Classy
Spiritland, King’s Cross :
A tremendous new concept. If you are interested in music and atmosphere then this is the place to go. The sound quality of the speakers is worth a trip alone. The space is beautifully designed, warm and atmospheric. The food was quality although the portions could have been a bit bigger, and the service was great. Perfect to escape from the hustle of the city for a while. By day, it’s a casual café, workspace, and recording studio; by night a bar, restaurant, and venue for label launches and DJ residencies. Each night, a different DJ takes to the decks of its world-class sound system and towering speakers, while guests sink into wonderfully retro green felt chairs to enjoy what the bar’s founders describe as a ‘deep listening experience’.
• Location: 9 – 10 Stable St, London N1C 4AB, United Kingdom
• Landmark: Stable Street
• Specialty: Cocoa Butter Chivas 12, Beefeater Gin, Fennel & Elderflower Cordial
• Vibe: Groovy & Classy