London's Best Bars to Grab a Drink

Whether you're looking to catch a quiet beer in a neighbourhood drinking spot or quaff all the tequila in London, here's the best places to grab a drink.

A “London neigbourhood bar with a French accent”, Coupette opened in Bethnal Green in 2017. While it occupies a prime location on this hectic stretch of East London, right by the tube station, Columbia Road flower market and Victoria Park, its exterior is unassuming… in a good way. Pass it once; pass it twice. Inside it feels just how a great cocktail bar should: busy, intimate, dimly lit, the sound of rattling ice and a great playlist. A third date place, a fourth date place! There is exposed brick, gilded mirrors and French paraphernalia. The drinks menu, freshly revamped, is split into chapters and features left-field concoctions like the Golden Pearl Tea, Brick By Brick and the Corny Gimlet. There is a focus on Calvados, but all the big hits are covered. If you’re after an exceptional Negroni, Old Fashioned or Martini (or four), there’ll be no eye rolling from the bar staff, the philosophy here is “simplicity and discovery,” an open-minded outlook that saw it voted one of the world’s best bars last year. Coupette is a place to try something new or stick with what you know. Just how a great cocktail bar should be.

423 Bethnal Green Rd, E2 0AN, coupette.co.uk

It's getting increasingly hard to boast that you “know a place” in London, unless your suggestion is a slightly less packed Sam Smiths. A lot of our favourite back pocket bars have been forced to shut down over the years (the problem with being a hidden gem is often the ‘hidden’ part). So praise be to The Black Book, a former member’s club on Soho’s bustling Frith Street (down an easy-to-miss flight of stairs on the corner of Old Compton Street) that’s recently been transformed into a boutique basement wine bar. Founded by two master sommeliers, you’re provided with a (wait for it) black book (hurrah!) which holds London’s largest ‘by-the-glass’ list. The food and cocktails options are impressive too, and the dark wooden interior is a welcome reprieve from the chaos of the streets outside. Top marks.

23 Frith St, Soho, W1D 4RR, blackbooksoho.co.uk

Usually, drinking alcohol in a tea room would be grounds for strong-armed removal – but not at Wun’s, a neon-laced restaurant and bar on Greek Street, Soho. Inspired by the drinking scene of 1960s Hong Kong, the drinks menu is full of classic cocktails with a Cantonese twist. The food is delicious too, especially the barbecue beef spare ribs and sour plum braised duck. Soho isn't short of late night haunts, but Wun's offers something a little different.

23 Greek St, Soho, W1D 4DZ, tearoom.bar

As you might expect of a bar named after our most famous wartime leader, the Churchill does a mean line in cigars from Cuban importer Hunters & Frankau. It also offer the perfect alfresco terrace to enjoy it in - not to mention one of the best cocktail menus in the city.

30 Portman Square, W1H 7BH, hyatt.com

Not too far from Green Park tube station, if you know where to look, you’ll find Below – the calm basement bar to chef-owner Ollie Dabbous’s Michelin-starred restaurant Hide. Spearheaded by Swedish bar manager and part-owner Oskar Kinberg, the ethos is clear and simple: beautiful drinks, nice lighting, good music and an overall sense of understated luxury. The (not inexpensive) cocktails are unfussy but inventive and often crafted with an inventive twist – the dry martini, for example, is stirred with frozen birch sap instead of ice to give it a silkier mouthfeel – and the menu itself is seasonal for optimum freshness. What’s more, there’s a walk-in brick-walled wine cellar and three different private dining rooms.

85 Piccadilly, W1J 7NB, hide.co.uk

Meraki Bar has something for everyone with a secret bar beneath complete with live DJs and giant private booths. From founders Alain Dona, Laurent Manuel, Adam Bel Hadj and the Waneys - the brains behind Zuma, Roka and Coya - Meraki is a welcome late night addition to Fitzrovia. A fusion of London glamour and the relaxed atmosphere of Greek islands, drinks and food are modern with timeless flavours.

30 Foley St, W1W 7TJ, meraki-restaurant.com

After more than 30 years, The Groucho still retains its Cool Britannia feel. On its night, the now-venerable Dean Street member’s club is still home to the great and the good – from Sir Bradley Wiggins to Sheridan Smith and Stephen Fry – letting their hair down in private.

45 Dean Street, W1D 4QB, thegrouchoclub.com

Mexican food is tremendous, and the décor is stylishly done. You’re here for the tequila, though, and there’s plenty of it served directly to your table via the ingenious means of a shot train.

7-12 Sloane Square, SW1W 8EG, tonteria.co.uk

Situated on the 24th floor of Tower 42 in Old Broad Street, Jason Atherton’s art deco bar boasts a cocktail menu that’s almost as impressive as its panoramic sights of London – and just as dizzying if you’re not careful. Crafted by bar manager Catalin Ciont, highlights include the Eterno Amore (gin infused with lavendar, italicus, clarified grapefruit juice) and the confidently-titled Ultimate Espresso Martini (toffee fudge vodka, Maestro Café, espresso coffee & coffee foam), and the food menu is filled with delicious staples. But whatever it is you order, it’ll play second fiddle to the view.

25 Old Broad St, EC2N 1HQ, citysociallondon.com

Running until the 21 June, The Savoy has teamed up with whisky-makers Bowmore to pull together this pop-up bar and restaurant, which currently shimmers in front of the historic London hotel. Named Solas – Gaelic for light, joy and comfort – the al fresco set-up is a truly impressive sight, with dramatic décor (including a huge chandelier, an ice sculpture and hanging glassware) that contrasts with the understated cocktails and seafood on offer. Get in there before it’s too late.

Strand, WC2R 0EZ, thesavoylondon.com

Step into the tiny backyard of this north London pub, then gaze up at the enormous tree house-like beer garden featuring stairs, gangways and terraces. Outdoor heaters make it the perfect winter retreat.

Bocca di Lupo owner Jacob Kenedy’s Louisiana-inspired pub on the Regent’s Canal is the best place in London to find famous New Orleans cocktails, from Hurricanes to Mint Juleps. What's more, live jazz acts perform regularly in the space.

139 Graham St, The Angel, N1 8LB, plaqlock.com