These 18 on the map
The 18 bars on this page, pinned where they actually are. Tap a marker to see which one it is — all 50 are on the map in the Whosly app.
Where to drink
Mayfair and St James's keep the grand hotel bars, Soho the late basements, and Shoreditch, Hoxton and Dalston the small craft rooms that set the pace.
18 of the 50
Soho 3
Swift
SohoCocktail bar££A Soho favourite with an Art Deco standing bar upstairs for martinis and Irish coffee, and a candlelit basement with a big whisky list.
The Vault
SohoHidden whisky bar£££A whisky bar entered through a bookcase at the back of Milroy's whisky shop in Soho, with leather sofas and a huge list of malts.
Trisha's
SohoLate-night basement bar£A legendary Greek Street basement bar, officially the New Evaristo Club, open to the public and known for very late nights.
Mayfair 2
The Connaught Bar
MayfairHotel cocktail bar££££The Connaught's silver-and-grey bar, regularly ranked among the best in the world and famous for the martini trolley wheeled to your table. Dress up a little.
Kwānt
MayfairCocktail bar£££Erik Lorincz's Mayfair bar, from the former head bartender of The Savoy's American Bar, with a seasonal menu and polished service.
St James's 2
Dukes Bar
St James'sMartini bar££££The tiny St James's hotel bar famous for its gin martini, mixed from a trolley at your table and served ice cold and very strong. Ian Fleming was a regular.
The Rivoli Bar
St James'sHotel cocktail lounge££££The Ritz's gilded Art Deco cocktail lounge, styled after the Orient Express, where champagne cocktails come with flakes of gold.
Bethnal Green 1
Satan's Whiskers
Bethnal Green££A Bethnal Green favourite with taxidermy on the walls, hip-hop on the stereo and a cocktail list rewritten daily; it has featured on the World's 50 Best Bars list.
Dalston 1
Three Sheets
Dalston££A tiny candlelit Dalston bar with marble tables for two and a short list of brilliant original cocktails.
Haggerston 1
A Bar With Shapes For A Name
Haggerston££A two-floor Bauhaus-style bar on Kingsland Road, open late, with excellent martinis and bottled cocktails.
Holborn 1
Scarfes Bar
Holborn£££A fireside bar in the Rosewood, hung with Gerald Scarfe's satirical cartoons, with jazz played live on most evenings and one of London's best cocktail lists.
Hoxton 1
Happiness Forgets
Hoxton££A small basement bar on Hoxton Square pouring some of London's best cocktails without any fuss.
Marylebone 1
Artesian
Marylebone££££The Langham's opulent bar, four times named the best in the world, with imaginative cocktails and a long rum list.
Peckham 1
Jumbi
Peckham££A Peckham listening bar behind warehouse doors, with a big sound system, Caribbean food and a relaxed crowd.
Piccadilly Circus 1
Bar Américain
Piccadilly Circus££The Art Deco cocktail bar beneath Brasserie Zédel by Piccadilly Circus, as grown-up and civilised as London bars get.
Shoreditch 1
Nightjar
Shoreditch£££A speakeasy behind an unmarked door on City Road, with vintage-style cocktails and jazz and swing bands every night.
South Bank 1
Lyaness
South Bank£££Ryan Chetiyawardana's South Bank bar inside Sea Containers, a calm riverside room where each cocktail is built from ingredients the team makes in-house.
Strand 1
American Bar at The Savoy
Strand££££The Savoy's Art Deco bar, where Harry Craddock wrote The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930. Classic cocktails, a pianist and usually a short wait at the door.
The other 32
The 50 are spread across 26 neighbourhoods. Soho (9), Shoreditch (6), Mayfair (5), Bloomsbury (2), Covent Garden (2) and Dalston (2) have the most; the other 20 have 1 to 2 each.
+32 more in the app
A 1940s Underground ticket hall in a Kingly Street basement, a ten-seat mews bar whose menu changes weekly, negronis in the basement of an Italian deli, a mezcal bar under a Michelin-starred restaurant, ice-cold martinis at a Hackney dive, and more.
Add all 50 to your Whosly mapEvery one lands on your own map in a tap — save them, rate them, plan around them. City Packs are included with Planner Pro.
Or search “Whosly: Plans, Places & RSVPs” on the App Store
For something lower-key, see the best wine bars in London.
Common questions
What is the best cocktail bar in London?
Where is the best martini in London?
What are the best hidden bars in London?
Which London neighbourhood is best for cocktail bars?
What are the best cocktail bars in Central London?
What are the best cocktail bars in East London?
Where can I see all 50?
All 50, on your own map
This page is 18 of them. The London Cocktail Bars pack in Whosly has all 50 — add it and every one drops onto your map, ready to save, rate and turn into a plan your friends RSVP to from a text, no app needed to answer. The pack is included with Planner Pro.
Get Whosly — free on iPhoneOr search “Whosly: Plans, Places & RSVPs” on the App Store
“Whosly: Plans, Places & RSVPs”.
More London lists
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