Our favourite cocktail bars in London

Occupying prime real estate on Windmill Street in Fitzrovia, The Royal Cocktail Exchange is a locally owned and cosy two-storey cocktail bar & restaurant. It has a grand and playful name, but the RCE is down-to-earth with a hard-to-attain neighbourhood spot feeling—their words sum it up best: a spritz-o’clock courtyard, but also a pub in every sense of the word.

A couple of outdoor tables surround a distinct exterior filled with windows that flood the ground floor with natural light. Beneath the Exchange is a moodily lit basement, the Development Bar & Table, complete with tealight candles and framed kitsch illustrations on the walls (including a few classic Mad magazine covers). The ground floor exchange and the basement Development Bar can be hired separately or together for a party or event.

Somebody at the RCE had a lot of fun naming the dishes and we fully appreciate it—there's nothing like ordering the Wu-Tang Naan cheeky naan dough. The signature cocktail menu is genuinely creative and utilises flavours like matcha and oolong tea, the seasonal Smack My Peach Up, made with bourbon, caramelised peach, clove, nutmeg and vanilla whey, was a stellar standout.

All in all, a sweet little cocktail bar and restaurant that feels like a local.

Whilst the thought of shaking, mixing and pouring your own cocktails may seem like a crafty marketing trick thought up to reduce labour costs, it actually works.

Lucky Pig is an underground bar in the shadow of the iconic giant sonic screwdriver (AKA the BT Tower). Descending beneath Cipstone Street, you'll be met by a sort of neo-Victorian meets 1920s speakeasy complete with velvet upholstered couches, travel trunk tables, exposed brick and purple walls. It's intimate and tasteful and proves a seductive space to drink the inky London night away.

The draw, though, has to be their genuinely excellent cocktail masterclass. These classes aren't exactly a rare breed in London – you'll find versions of them across the city. Lucky Pig stands out purely through the excellence of their instructions and the quality of the drinks. An experienced bartender will take you through the motions of crafting 3 drinks of your choice. We went for the simple but deadly Martini, followed by a chilli-infused margarita and finishing on a classic negroni infused with dehydrated rosemary smoke. There's a lot of shaking, smoking and, of course, drinking.

Your only difficulty is listening attentively on the third drink. A perfect outing for friends or work.

Want to cross the English Channel this weekend without the lengthy train ride or nausea inducing ferry? Coupette, situated in the heart of Bethnal Green, promises to drop you in the streets of Paris with its French-inspired tapas and artisanal cocktail offerings.

If you’ve ever thought “boy, this drink needs more squid ink,” Coupette’s Ombre is the tipple for you — combining malt whiskey, vermouth, carob, balsamic and squid ink to give your glass that moody, goth aesthetic.

Fit for your 90 closest friends, test out the whole drink menu for an unforgettable, alcohol-filled journey.

A super compact London cocktail bar, Three Sheets features a polished interior with a minimalist design that focuses on clean lines and a neutral colour palette.

The cocktail menu at this bar is an impressive study of the classics. Whether you’re in the mood for a classic martini or something more adventurous, like the Peaches (a mix of peaches, cloud tea, bourbon, and soda), there is a variety for everyone. The cosyness of it makes it a top date spot.

Funkidory lives up to its name as a retro-like London cocktail bar with natural wine and vinyl records in addition to great cocktails. Their drink menu includes local ingredients and twists on classics — like a Paloma transformed into a frozen delight with the addition of rosé wine for a refreshing sip.

The Funkidory bottle store lets you grab some of their popular cocktails or a bottle of natural wine to bring home.

Its retro and cosy atmosphere is welcoming for those elevating their after-work pint or for friends getting together on a weekend. Funkidory is the type of bar where the regulars know the regulars.

If a wine cellar is not your vibe, you may prefer TT Liquor’s Cellar Bar filled with spirits and highly inventive cocktails. Enjoy the greatest hits of their seasonal cocktail menus, including the Groglet from their ‘British Culture’ menu — mixing tea, lime marmalade and gin never sounded so right.

The London cocktail bar boasts one of the finest roof terraces in Shoreditch, cocktail-making masterclasses, and a bottle shop to boot.

Trailer Happiness is the Notting Hill tiki bar you never knew you needed. Check out their array of rum-forward cocktails with an extensive selection of daiquiris, citrus tipples and sharing cocktails to split between up 2-5 friends.

The whole London cocktail bar is available for private hire for up to 110 guests, so the next time the unrelenting grey of London gets you down, plunk yourself down in the kitsch tiki surroundings of Trailer Happiness and whistle the tune to Harry Nilsson's "Coconut".

Tucked away down a cobbled street in London Bridge is Nine Lives. They care as much about their music as they do about their cocktails, with a custom sound system for top-quality playback.

The drinks menu is just as curated as the Nine Lives playlist is, with shareables, classics, and signatures. Nine Lives is the type of bar that epitomises SE London with its potted plants and trendy wicker lampshades from which soft cocktail lighting emanates. Tunes, tacos, and cocktails. Done deal.

Situated beneath Happy Face Pizza in Kings Cross is the not-so-secret haven of cocktails and music, Supermax brought to you by the good folks behind Spiritland.

The Supermax cocktail menu features vermouth-forward creations accompanied by a soundtrack of Italo, Disco, Funk, House, and the like.

Move over Negroni Sbagliato, Little Mercies house cocktails include a new take on the classic — their Black Beet Negroni features beetroot gin and beetroot & blackberry vermouth.

When your drinks are this good, you don’t need all the bells and whistles in the bar itself. Nothing embodies that like Little Mercies. There is also a selection of takeaway cocktails if you want to continue the rose-tinted tipsy shenanigans at your flat.

Full hire of the London cocktail bar fits up to 80 guests.

Inside an old tailor’s shop, the Discount Suit Company has reinvented the space for a speakeasy-style bar with brick and wooden interiors. The dimly lit space creates an intimate atmosphere, and the soul and old-school rock & roll soundtrack keeps the bar lively.

Cocktails here are far more reasonably priced than what a suit will run you these days, so drink up! The Shing-a-ling features two types of rum, sweet potato shochu, chestnut and ube soda and the signature cocktails come recommended with an "If you like [insert classic cocktail]" to help you choose a cocktail.

It gets quite busy in the little space so we highly recommend booking a table in advance.

Cosy, intimate cocktail bars with dim lighting is fine and all but sometimes you just want to throw a party, fill up a dance floor, and open a tab for Porn Star Martinis. You need a late-night party spot, room to dance, and plenty of neon lights. Legacy Camden has all of the above with a decadent taste in jewel-toned decor to boot. The more the merrier here, with a capacity of 350 guests, the ground floor reception area is a top pick for party, party, party.

The Cocktail Trading Company is the creation of three friends and life-long bartenders who wanted to go into the business of running killer bars. Their rotating cocktail menus ensure that innovative creations are always at your fingertips.

Past cocktail creations have featured concoctions like the Navigator, smoked salmon gin, sesame & black pepper, lemon and cream cheese (a combination of alcohol and breakfast components we couldn’t have dreamed up in any world, but who knows).

Don’t be fooled by their descriptions, this bar is serious about their craft and is a cocktail enthusiast’s dream.

We love the Swift bars for offering that old-school cocktail bar charm and the Shoreditch outpost is no different. The cosy, dimly lit space is dominated by Swift's white marble bar from which aperitivo and cocktails are served from afternoon until late.

Bookings are always recommended even though they try to leave space for walk-ins, and its intimate size makes Swift Shoreditch a great little spot for private hire.

The younger sister of their original Dalston location, Hacha in Brixton offers a Mirror Margarita bar and bottle shop and an upstairs agaveria (as the name suggests, there are a plethora of agave-forward cocktails) lounge and kitchen.

The concept of a ‘mirror’ margarita was foreign to us, before gazing into the crystal-clear liquid that looks nothing like the classic, citrus-clouded tipple. Another Hacha brainchild is their award-winning Reforma, a tequila cocktail with toasted rice syrup, sherry and rhubarb bitters.

Hacha is available for full hire and offers interactive events like a tasting session or margarita workshop.

This basement cocktail bar creates top-floor-level cocktails. In Happiness Forgets you’d be remiss not to savour every drop. The underground, grungy interiors let the drinks do all the talking.

One standout on their menu is the Racketeer with Scotch whisky, sweet vermouth, umeshu and amaro.

Enjoy a rotating cocktail menu and inspired creations at this London cocktail bar where the only thing you're bound to forget is your phone after having one too many.

There's no need to brave the crows of Central London for a Nightjar experience. Enjoy top-class cocktails, an old-school jazzy cocktail bar atmosphere and live music at Nightjar's Shoreditch outpost, one of the most popular London cocktail bars.

Bar Termini is a coffee and aperitivo bar that brings the traditional bar culture of 1950s Italy to the heart of Soho. With vintage Italian posters, checkered flooring, and the ever-favoured exposed brick wall, you’ll feel like you’re at a retro Italian spot.

In true Italian style, small plates of cheeses and charcuterie, paninis, and carpaccios are offered. There are six authentic Italian coffees to choose from, and even more cocktails. Try the Marsala Martini, a delicate blend of beefeater gin, marsala dolce, dry vermouth, and almond bitters.

The award-winning Connaught Bar was named the fifth-best bar in the world by The World’s 50 Best Bars in 2024. That’s right… no.5. Situated in the Connaught Hotel in Mayfair, the bar features Cubist-inspired wood panelling and grand mirrors.

Try any of the masterpiece cocktails – Faraway Collins, Good Fellas, Wayfarer – the ones that have made this bar legendary.

Aptly named after the intellectual supergroup, The Bloomsbury Club Bar defies all rules of what a bar should be creating an atmosphere straddling the lines of academic and esoteric.

With drinks inspired by a special tarot deck, The Bloomsbury Club’s 14 cocktails correspond to 14 states of mind or body. For those feeling particularly guilty, try the Fallen Angel which mixes gin, pineapple vodka, vermouth, orange zest extract and grapefruit tincture. Their menu assures this tipple will clear your mind of all negativity.

This is the perfect place to escape from the real world and delve into a bit of old-world whimsy. The Bloomsbury Club fits up to 35 people, a great London cocktail bar for hire for celebrations of any sort.

The Last Talisman is a short walk from London Bridge Station. Grab a drink at the bar to enjoy what the heart of Bermondsey Street has to offer: beautiful artwork, natural lighting and a wide variety of drinks. If you’re looking to try one of the Talisman signatures, we’d opt for their peach, raspberry and vanilla infusion. Topped with prosecco and goji berries, the Talisman #1 Bellini is a pretty decent version of the Italian classic.

With a standing capacity of 300 people, there’s enough space for you and, well, 299 others.

This swanky Central London locale curates an eclectic and cosy atmosphere. With a vinyl wall, a jukebox and a ‘fam’ photo wall, this homey bar is perfect for catching up with friends.

FAM does not keep it casual with their cocktails, however, one of their signature drinks, Operation Neptune, combines cider brandy, ginger liqueur, peach bitters and more with an absinthe mist to send you out of this world. There are also FAM classics to please the less adventurous.

Available for private hire, the London cocktail bar fits 50 guests, perfect for an intimate gathering with friends.