Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
The monarch of London's after-hours scene, Fabric is a huge subterranean rave cave housed in a converted meat cold store. Each room has its own sound…
Must-see nightlife in London
Kensington & Hyde Park
Seasoned with age and decades of ale-quaffing patrons (including Charles Dickens, who lived on the same road, and DH Lawrence), this old-school pub boasts…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
In an area famous for its edgy, don't-give-a-damn attitude, this exquisite cocktail bar stands out for its classiness and cocktail confidence. The drinks…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Behind the Fox & Anchor's wonderful 1898 art-nouveau facade is a stunning traditional Victorian boozer, one of the last remaining market pubs in London…
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Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Behind a nondescript, gold-knobbed door just north of the Old Street roundabout is this bona fide speakeasy, pouring award-winning libations from a four…
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Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court
In a line of small riverside cottages facing wooded Oliver's Island (where Cromwell is alleged to have taken refuge), this excellent pub looks straight…
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Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court
The riverside location and fine food and ales make this bay-windowed pub – on the site of a former friary – a winner. There are entrances for low and high…
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London
Down a darkened alley through the eerie evening quiet of Smithfield Market is an unlikely spot for one of London's best cocktail bars, but the journey of…
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Notting Hill & West London
On a comparable spiritual plane to Paris' Shakespeare and Company bookshop, this eccentric, time-warped and convivial boho bar-cafe has been serenading…
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The West End
Perpetually busy, the pint-sized Lamb & Flag is full of charm and history: there's been a public house here since at least 1772, when it was known as the…
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The West End
Home of the Lonely Street, Concrete Jungle and other house cocktails named after iconic songs collected in the 'Savoy Songbook', the seriously dishy…
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Notting Hill & West London
This classic tavern on the brow of Campden Hill Rd has history, nooks and charm on tap. Alongside a decent beer selection and a solid gastropub-style menu…
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Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Tucked away like a hidden seam, Discount Suit Company is one of the city's finest speakeasies – though on weekends you'll see that this closet-sized space…
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London
There's something Great Gatsby–ish about The Ned hotel: the elevated jazz pianists, the vast verdite columns, the classy American-inspired cocktails. Of…
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The West End
For a dose of colonial glamour with a touch of Oriental elegance, the sumptuous (often crowded) bar at the Langham hits many marks. Its cocktails (from …
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Kensington & Hyde Park
In a part of town traditionally bereft of choice, the K Bar is a reassuring presence. A hotel bar maybe, but don't let that stop you – the place exudes…
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The West End
Sip a bourbon or a classic cocktail in the 1920s art-deco ambience of this stylish bar at the hallmark Beaumont hotel. It's central, glam and like a…
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The West End
Merrily undefinable, Sketch has all at once a two-Michelin-starred restaurant, a millennial-pink dining room lined with nonsensical cartoons by British…
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North London
This kooky little outlet in a former Victorian bathhouse will not be pigeonholed. As its name suggests, it is many things to many people: a bar, a cafe,…
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Zetter Townhouse Cocktail Lounge
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Behind an unassuming door on St John's Sq, this ground-floor bar is decorated with plush armchairs, stuffed animal heads and a legion of lamps. The…
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North London
This beautiful Grade II–listed Georgian pub boasts a splendid antique interior, with open fires in winter. It has a knack for making you stay longer than…
Kensington & Hyde Park
Tomtom has built its solid reputation on amazing coffee: not only are the drinks fabulously presented, but the selection is dizzying: from the usual…
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North London
Charming nooks and crannies, an old circular bar and an enticing beer garden make this 1663 pub the perfect place for a pint while walking between…
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North London
Come the weekend, the only remotely chilled-out space in this large, buzzy bar is its first-rate and generously proportioned rooftop terrace. Count on a…
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North London
Large and relaxed, the Edinboro offers a fun atmosphere, a fine bar and a full menu. The highlight, however, is the huge beer garden, complete with warm…
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The West End
This legendary, twin-storied bohemian boozer has quite a history: it was the meeting place of the Free French Forces during WWII and de Gaulle is said to…
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The West End
From the 28th floor of the Park Lane Hilton, this swish bar boasts delightful views, especially during the golden sunset hour to which '10°' refers…
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The West End
The Grade II–listed Punchbowl, one of Mayfair's oldest pubs, is split between the public bar, a more formal dining room, and a reservations-only club…
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Notting Hill & West London
Severely inundated by the epic floodwaters of 1928, this gem of a 17th-century Fuller's pub revels in historic charm and superb Thames views. Scottish…
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The West End
Drinkers who know their stuff single out the travelling martini trolley for particular praise, but almost everything mixed at the silver-and-platinum…
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The West End
Purl is a fabulous underground drinking den – decked out in overstuffed vintage furniture in intimate nooks, and adorned with antique wood, stripped…
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The West End
You may not quite need a diamond as big as the Ritz to drink at this art-deco marvel, but it might help. All camphor wood, illuminated Lalique glass,…
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The West End
Superb martinis and a gentlemen’s-club-like ambience are the ingredients of this classic bar, where white-jacketed masters mix up perfect preparations…
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Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Given it’s inspired by Jabberwocky, Lewis Carroll’s nonsensical poem, this bar’s eccentric decor is to be expected, and the top-notch cocktails have…
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Paradise by Way of Kensal Green
Notting Hill & West London
With its statues, religious paintings, gaunt oil portraits, panelling and dense drapes, the wildly eclectic, eccentric, boho and gothic Kensal Green bar…
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Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Single-handedly propping up Shoreditch's cocktail scene this side of Rivington St, speakeasy-style Found employs a decidedly simple equation for success:…
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The West End
Despite this 1602 coaching inn's Lilliputian dimensions, swarms of lawyers from nearby Lincoln's Inn congregate here after each day's business. Expect to…
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Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Legendary Danish microbrewery Mikkeller is known for its collaborations, but its latest is next level. Mikkeller's founder met musician Rick Astley on a…
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Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court
This traditional pub in Twickenham overlooks a quiet stretch of the Thames from what must be one of the most English-looking streets in London. It boasts…
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The West End
A favourite Soho drinking spot, Swift has a sleek, candlelit upstairs bar for walk-ins seeking a superior cocktail before dinner or the theatre, and a…
