Our selection of the best London Bridge cocktail bars

Just a hop away from Borough Market is Swift – an effortlessly classy London Bridge cocktail bar. With a classic menu, Swift likes to keep you on your toes with its well-known aperitivo cocktails, but out of everything, we commend a good old-fashioned Irish Coffee; a must-try in our book.

Additionally, we’re going to let you in on a secret: go to the Back Pocket. Swift’s downstairs is a speakeasy in style with its cushy booth, bar stools, and dim lighting. Swift always keeps space for walk-ins but we do recommend booking to ensure you get a seat.

While we only have one life, we’d still like to stop by Nine Lives. At least once. Or twice. Or nine times. The cocktails are worth a try, especially paired with the tacos.

Inside a Victorian basement, Nine Lives calls its aesthetic ‘Tropicalifornication’, and we can see why. The cocktail bar is adorned with lush greenery and wicky lampshades all lending it that tropical jungle feeling. The pendant lamps illuminate the space, casting everything in its warm glow and music pours from the custom full-range speakers, adding to the atmosphere.

Overlooking the Thames, Lyaness is an ideal spot for tossing soulful gazes at the water. Take your next date here, and chat in the velvet armchairs and sofas. The ambience is elegant, but the real show-stopper is the cocktails.

The cocktail menu is what we call a drink and a think. Underneath each item is a short blurb that tells a story (such as the creation of crisps or how World War II disrupted bananas in the UK). It doubles as a conversation starter, and we applaud the creativity.

While we can’t bring 1930s Manhattan to London, The Nickel Club transports you there. With its marble-topped bars, emerald columns, and diamond-chequered floor, this London Bridge cocktail bar exudes Gatsby grandeur.

While they could’ve stopped there – they didn’t. In the centre of the bar and restaurant, jazz trios and blues artists take the stage.

Alongside the live performances, The Nickel Club offers American classics like burgers, key lime pies, and Philly Cheesesteaks. We think the Wall Street cocktail, made with Glenturret Triple Wood, Woodford, Dr. Hostetter’s, Port, Sipello, Szechuan, apple, and milk, is swinging.

If you’re looking to get a drink at Gong, go to the Shard and climb 52 flights of stairs. We’re kidding, of course. Take the lift. This London Bridge cocktail bar overlooks the city skyline, arguably the best in London. We recommend making a reservation at sunset.

Gong’s ambience is swanky, and the interior is modern, featuring wood accents. The red and blue chairs offer a nice place to lounge with a drink in hand. The cocktail menu is centred thematically around colour; get the Silent Blues if you like umami and if you’re feeling peckish, order a sushi roll. Otherwise, just take in the view.