The 10 Best Cocktail Bars in London (2026)

Updated November 2026 · 10 picks

The best cocktail bars in London in 2026 are the Connaught Bar in Mayfair for martinis mixed at your table, Tayēr + Elementary on Old Street, Satan's Whiskers in Bethnal Green for classics, the Savoy's American Bar for history, and Artesian at The Langham for a grand hotel bar.

London's cocktail scene splits between grand hotel bars in Mayfair and the West End, where you dress up a little and pay for the setting, and independent bars in Shoreditch, Hoxton and Bethnal Green, where drinks are as good and the room is looser. Most hotel bars take a few bookings and keep the rest for walk-ins; independents vary. Expect a cocktail to cost roughly £15 to £25, with a discretionary service charge added in many bars. For drinks with a view, see our best rooftop bars; for something more traditional, the best pubs.

1. The Connaught Bar — Mayfair, Soho & the West End

London's most celebrated hotel bar, famous for martinis mixed at your table.

$$$$ Splurge

The Connaught Bar sits inside The Connaught hotel in Mayfair, a sleek room of platinum, silver and pale leather. Its signature is the martini trolley, wheeled to your table so the bartender can mix the drink with your choice of gin and bitters in front of you.

Order the trolley martini first, then something from the seasonal menu. It is expensive and busy; arrive early or late in the evening for a seat.

Good to know: Book ahead if you can. Walk-ins queue at peak times.

The Connaught, Carlos Place, London W1K 2AL

Google Maps Website

2. Tayēr + Elementary — Old Street, Shoreditch & East London

Two bars in one: a fast walk-in front bar and a slower, more inventive back room.

$$$ Upmarket

Tayēr + Elementary is two bars under one roof on Old Street. Elementary, at the front, is a walk-in neighbourhood bar with quick, well-priced drinks, while Tayēr at the back serves a more experimental menu.

Start at Elementary, then move to Tayēr if you want to explore. It is a few minutes' walk from Old Street station.

Good to know: Book Tayēr for a weekend; Elementary is walk-in.

152 Old St, London EC1V 9BW

Google Maps Website

3. Satan's Whiskers — Bethnal Green, Shoreditch & East London

A Bethnal Green bar for classic cocktails done exactly right.

$$ Mid-range

Satan's Whiskers is a small, dark bar near Bethnal Green station, with taxidermy on the walls, a hip-hop soundtrack and a menu built around classic cocktails made precisely. It has a loyal following among London's bartenders.

Ask the bartenders to make you something off-menu in a style you like. It is walk-in friendly early in the week.

Good to know: Go on a Monday or Tuesday for the easiest seat.

343 Cambridge Heath Rd, London E2 9RA

Google Maps Website

4. The American Bar at The Savoy — Strand, Soho & the West End

London's most historic cocktail bar, home of The Savoy Cocktail Book.

$$$$ Splurge

The American Bar at The Savoy is the bar where Harry Craddock wrote The Savoy Cocktail Book, and it is often called the oldest surviving cocktail bar in London. Expect white-jacketed bartenders, a pianist and a menu that mixes classics with new creations.

Order a classic, such as a Hanky Panky, created at The Savoy. Combine it with a show in Covent Garden.

Good to know: Queues form after the theatres let out at about 10:30pm, so go before the show.

The Savoy, Strand, London WC2R 0EZ

Google Maps Website

5. Artesian — Marylebone, Soho & the West End

A grand, high-ceilinged hotel bar at The Langham with inventive menus.

$$$$ Splurge

Artesian is the bar at The Langham hotel near Oxford Circus, a tall room of dark wood and purple leather. It says it has been named the World's Best Bar four times, and its menus change around a theme each year.

It suits a special occasion after shopping on Regent Street. Book a table if you want to sit rather than wait.

Good to know: Ask for a table near the bar if you want to watch the bartenders work.

The Langham, 1C Portland Place, London W1B 1JA

Google Maps Website

6. Lyaness — South Bank

Mr Lyan's riverside bar, built around its own house-made ingredients.

$$$ Upmarket

Lyaness is the bar from Ryan Chetiyawardana (Mr Lyan) inside Sea Containers London on the South Bank. Its menus are built around a small set of unusual house-made ingredients, each used across several drinks.

It suits drinkers who like to try something they have never had before. It is a short walk from Blackfriars Bridge.

Good to know: Walk the South Bank to the Tate Modern before or after.

Sea Containers London, 20 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PD

Google Maps Website

7. Scarfes Bar — Holborn, Soho & the West End

A clubby hotel bar with caricatures on the walls and live music.

$$$$ Splurge

Scarfes Bar at Rosewood London is named after the cartoonist Gerald Scarfe, whose caricatures cover the walls. Its open fire, velvet sofas and bookshelves give it the feel of a private club, and it has live music most evenings.

Book a table for the music sets. It suits a long evening rather than a quick drink.

Good to know: Check the music programme on the website and book a table for the set you want.

Rosewood London, 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN

Google Maps Website

8. Bar Swift — Soho

A Soho favourite with an aperitivo bar upstairs and a whisky bar downstairs.

$$ Mid-range

Bar Swift on Old Compton Street has a bright, standing-room aperitivo bar at street level and a darker basement bar with a long whisky list. It also has branches in Shoreditch and Borough.

Order its Irish coffee upstairs, then head down for a whisky. A good stop before or after a West End show.

Good to know: Upstairs is walk-in; book downstairs for a seat at weekends.

12 Old Compton St, London W1D 4TQ

Google Maps Website

9. Nightjar — City Road, Shoreditch & East London

A speakeasy with live jazz and vintage spirits.

$$$ Upmarket

Nightjar is an underground speakeasy on City Road with live jazz, swing and blues, and a menu built around pre-Prohibition, Prohibition and post-war cocktails alongside vintage spirits.

Book a table for a music night and arrive in time for the first set. A cover charge applies on music nights.

Good to know: The entrance is an unmarked door next to a shopfront. Look for the address number.

129 City Rd, London EC1V 1JB

Google Maps Website

10. Happiness Forgets — Hoxton, Shoreditch & East London

A basement bar on Hoxton Square with serious drinks and no attitude.

$$ Mid-range

Happiness Forgets is a small basement bar on Hoxton Square that has built a reputation for excellent cocktails at fair prices, served without fuss.

It suits a relaxed drink with friends. Book a table, or arrive early for the bar.

Good to know: Book ahead on Fridays and Saturdays; the room is small.

8-9 Hoxton Square, London N1 6NU

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

What is the best cocktail bar in London?

The Connaught Bar in Mayfair is the most famous, known for martinis mixed from a trolley at your table. Tayēr + Elementary on Old Street and Satan's Whiskers in Bethnal Green are the independents most often named alongside it, and the American Bar at The Savoy is the most historic.

How much is a cocktail in London?

Expect roughly £15 to £25 at the top bars, more at grand hotel bars, and a discretionary service charge of about 12.5% on the bill in many places. Independent bars in east London are usually at the lower end.

Do I need to book a cocktail bar in London?

It helps at weekends. Hotel bars such as the Connaught Bar, Artesian and the American Bar take some bookings and keep space for walk-ins, so arrive early in the evening. Many east London bars are walk-in, with queues on Fridays and Saturdays.

Is there a dress code at London hotel bars?

Most ask for smart casual. Sportswear, shorts and flip-flops can be refused at the Mayfair and Strand hotel bars, and a jacket never looks out of place.

Which London cocktail bars have live music?

Nightjar on City Road and Scarfes Bar at Rosewood London both have live music on many nights, mostly jazz. Check the bar's programme and book a table for the sets.

1. The Connaught Bar — Mayfair, Soho & the West End

2. Tayēr + Elementary — Old Street, Shoreditch & East London

3. Satan's Whiskers — Bethnal Green, Shoreditch & East London

4. The American Bar at The Savoy — Strand, Soho & the West End

5. Artesian — Marylebone, Soho & the West End

6. Lyaness — South Bank

7. Scarfes Bar — Holborn, Soho & the West End

8. Bar Swift — Soho

9. Nightjar — City Road, Shoreditch & East London

10. Happiness Forgets — Hoxton, Shoreditch & East London

Frequently asked questions

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