Bars
The 6 Best Cocktail Bars in London
Where the drink itself is the point: the bartenders, the rooms, and the seats you will not want to leave.
In short: our top picks are The Connaught Bar, Tayer + Elementary and Swift. 6 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
London does cocktails as well as anywhere in the world, and the best rooms are a particular kind of pleasure: a bartender who reads you in a sentence, a short menu that knows what it is doing, and a seat you do not want to leave. These are the bars we send people to when the drink itself is the point.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| The Connaught Bar | Mayfair | ££££ |
| Tayer + Elementary | Shoreditch | £££ |
| Swift | Soho | £££ |
| Nightjar | Shoreditch | £££ |
| Bar Termini | Soho | ££ |
| American Bar at The Savoy | Covent Garden | ££££ |
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Editor’s choice
The Connaught Bar
Why we pick itThe silver-leaf room and the martini trolley have been a London ritual for years, and the bar still sits near the top of the world's best lists. They wheel it to your table and build the drink in front of you, choosing from house bitters. No bookings, so come early on a Friday or wait it out with a glass of something cold.
Worth knowingSkip it if you want a quiet local, or you are not in the mood to dress for a room
The benchmark for a serious Mayfair martini.
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Tayer + Elementary
Why we pick itTwo bars in one: a fast Elementary up front for a quick, perfect drink, and the slower Tayer behind for the full experience. Some of the most inventive drinks in the city.
Worth knowingSkip it if you are after plush surroundings or a hotel-bar hush
For drinkers who want genuine invention.
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Swift
Why we pick itQuick upstairs for a sharp aperitivo on the way somewhere, or down to the dark basement for whisky and atmosphere later. It does both moods better than most.
The most versatile of the lot, early or late.
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Nightjar
Why we pick itA basement jazz bar with live sets nightly and a cover charge that goes to the band
Worth knowingA cover charge after 8pm, mid-teens drink prices and booking-only seating add real friction, and the speakeasy format is no longer novel.
When you want music and atmosphere with the drinks.
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Bar Termini
Why we pick itTiny, Italian, and serious about three things: negronis, espresso and aperitivo. Stand at the counter, order a Negroni Classico, and see how little fuss a perfect drink needs.
Worth knowingSkip it if you are more than three people, or you want to linger for hours
For a perfect negroni with no fuss.
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American Bar at The Savoy
Why we pick itThe grande dame of London cocktail bars, all live piano and white-jacketed precision. Expensive, and entirely worth it once for the sense of occasion alone.
Worth knowingSkip it if you are chasing whatever is newest
For pure occasion and old-school glamour.
Before you book
A few rules. The best bars are small, so go early or book where you can. Sit at the bar if you want the show and a word with whoever is mixing; take a table if you would rather talk to your own company. Trust the bartender: tell them what you usually drink and let them take it from there. And if there is a martini trolley, say yes.
Common questions
What are the best cocktail bars in London?
The Connaught Bar is our editor's choice: The silver-leaf room and the martini trolley have been a London ritual for years, and the bar still sits near the top of the world's best lists. They wheel it to your table and build the drink in front of you, choosing from house bitters. No bookings, so come early on a Friday or wait it out with a glass of something cold. The Connaught Bar, Tayer + Elementary and Swift lead the guide, with 6 places in total, all chosen on merit.
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