Bars
The 6 Best Bars in Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell after dark: apothecary cocktail dens, all-day wine rooms and craft-beer temples tucked between the old print works and St John's Square.
In short: our top picks are The Zetter Townhouse Cocktail Lounge, Vinoteca Farringdon and The Craft Beer Co. Clerkenwell. 6 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
Clerkenwell drinks like a neighbourhood that has nothing to prove. The medieval lanes and converted workshops hide an apothecary cocktail lounge, one of London’s best-stocked beer pubs and a wine bar that has outlasted most of Soho’s. It rewards the wander rather than the queue, so the move here is a slow crawl between St John’s Square, Exmouth Market and Leather Lane. These are the rooms worth crossing town for.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| The Zetter Townhouse Cocktail Lounge | Clerkenwell | ££££ |
| Vinoteca Farringdon | Clerkenwell | £££ |
| The Craft Beer Co. Clerkenwell | Clerkenwell | ££ |
| Coin Laundry | Clerkenwell | £££ |
| The Holy Tavern | Clerkenwell | ££ |
| The Exmouth Arms | Clerkenwell | ££ |
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Editor’s choice
The Zetter Townhouse Cocktail Lounge
Why we pick itTony Conigliaro built the menu around tinctures and cordials kept behind an apothecary counter, served in a fire-lit room full of taxidermy and curios.
apothecary cocktail lounge
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Vinoteca Farringdon
Why we pick itOpen since 2005 with a list hundreds of bottles deep, all sold at shop retail prices to take home, plus seasonal small plates from the open kitchen.
wine bar
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The Craft Beer Co. Clerkenwell
Why we pick itTwenty-one keg lines, sixteen cask pumps and over 200 bottles under a chandelier and ornate glass ceiling salvaged from the old Victorian gin palace.
craft beer taproom
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Coin Laundry
Why we pick itA relaxed corner of Exmouth Market doing house cocktails, natural wine and craft beer, with a pinball machine and an easy local crowd well into the night.
neighbourhood cocktail bar
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The Holy Tavern
Why we pick itThe former Jerusalem Tavern, a tiny Georgian frontage with bare boards, mismatched furniture and candlelight, still pouring St Peter's ales by the fire.
historic pub-bar
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The Exmouth Arms
Why we pick itA green-tiled Victorian corner pub on Exmouth Market doing craft beers, real ales and proper burgers, with pavement tables that catch the evening crowd.
Victorian pub
Before you book
Farringdon is the anchor station, with Exmouth Market a short walk north and Leather Lane to the west. The Zetter Townhouse and Vinoteca are worth booking, especially for a weekend evening; the pubs and Coin Laundry take walk-ins happily. Most places run to 11pm on weeknights, so arrive by mid-evening rather than late.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
The Zetter Townhouse Cocktail Lounge is our editor's choice: Tony Conigliaro built the menu around tinctures and cordials kept behind an apothecary counter, served in a fire-lit room full of taxidermy and curios. The Zetter Townhouse Cocktail Lounge, Vinoteca Farringdon and The Craft Beer Co. Clerkenwell lead the guide, with 6 places in total, all chosen on merit.
How does Lamplit London choose its recommendations?
Every place is chosen on merit, after first-hand visits where possible, with no pay-for-placement. Read our full method at https://www.lamplitlondon.com/how-we-choose/.
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