When it comes to London bars there are so many to choose from; speakeasies, cocktail bars, basement bars, rooftop bars, hotel bars, the list really is endless. To make the ‘Top 10’ a bar would need something special, unique even, that makes them the real deal. After much deliberation we’ve come up with our recommended list for the Top 10 Bars in London, these places will charm you and keep you coming back for more, which is exactly why they’ve made our prestigious list.
- DRINK SHOP & DO
By day: a mild-mannered King’s Cross café and spritz bar serving specialty teas, coffees, healthy lunches and dreamy cakes. By night: a merry den of drinking and dancing, where guests can reconnect with their inner big kid. Keen to get crafty? DSD is the place for you. You’ll find an events schedule packed with everything from Lego Robots to Play With Clay, Lionel Rich Tea to Papier Mache Monsters. They’re usually free to take part; just buy a drink and get stuck in.
Slip on your dancing shoes come Friday and Saturday where you’ll catch our resident DJs playing old skool favourites, the classics you can’t help but dance to and the new releases you’re desperately trying to Shazam. It’s free to get in before 10pm, too. Party ’til 2am, get some kip then return for brunch; where you’ll find DSD serving unlimited bagels, booze and board games all day.
Hen do? They love you. Corporate meet? They’re right up your street. After-work boozing? They’re the ones to get you grooving.
Location: Kings Corss
2. LONDON COCKTAIL CLUB GOODGE STREET
Follow the bright red-light slap bang in the middle of Goodge St. and you’ll find yourself in everyone’s favourite port-of-call and hedonistic haven! Be greeted with party vibes & high-fives as soon as you enter through our red ‘Downing Street’ door. Gin is the name of the game in our punked up palace with a back bar full of curious tipples to help you let your hair down. Not forgetting, out back is the Hendricks private phone booth where you can dial your round in without even leaving your seat. Buckle up, you’re in for one hell of a ride!
Location: Fitzrovia, Central London
3. BURLOCK
Taking inspiration from the 1920s Havana heydays, Burlock one of the largest rum houses in the UK. As well as more than 200 types of rum, there is a menu of authentic Cuban and Caribbean food to try with paired cocktails – anyone brave enough for a grasshopper?
The venue is located in Marylebone, and features a grand house veranda which is bookable for up to 40 guests, as well as a Havana-style barber shop which doubles up as a drinking den.
The bar offers a unique happy hour from 5pm till 9pm from Monday to Friday and 6pm till 9pm on Saturdays.
Location: Mayfair
4. TRAILER HAPPINESS
Trailer Happiness is an intimate lounge bar, den and kitchen on Portobello Road with the e-z-boy feel of a low rent, mid-60s California valley bachelor pad.
Set in a basement on Portobello Road, this is one of the very fine cocktail bars in West London and certainly Notting Hill. The decor is quirky, off-beat and buzzes with young Londoner’s looking to party and sample of the best cocktails around. It’s a cosmopolitan kitsch Tiki Bar in London, something a little different and a fun night in London. Booking recommended.
Ideal for all cocktail aficionados, their team of mixologists will amaze even the most die-hard of cocktail fans with their incredibly innovative mixes. Also hosting regular DJ nights, it’s a really fun party place that you won’t want to miss out from.
Location: Notting Hill
5. NIGHTJAR
Nightjar in Shoreditch is conceived as an antidote to overcrowded West End bars and flashy nightclubs. As a destination for discerning drinkers to meet, linger and relax, Nightjar entices with quality cocktails, attentive personal service and a vibrant and varied live music programme. This is the ultimate speakeasy bar of London – descend the stairs and be prepared to be enchanted by a 1920’s scene of candlelit tables, glorious tin cup cocktails, where jazz and swing bands will soundtrack your evening. It is seating only at Nightjar, so make a booking and soak up the magical atmosphere of this jazz and cocktail heaven. There is no other bar in London, let alone Shoreditch, like this.