Bars
The 6 Best Bars in Farringdon
Where Smithfield meets Clerkenwell after dark: apothecary cocktails, all-day wine, craft beer cellars and a Victorian pub.
In short: our top picks are The Parlour at The Zetter Clerkenwell, Vinoteca Farringdon and The Holy Tavern. 6 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
Farringdon drinks like the City has loosened its tie. The old meat-market grit still hangs around the edges, but the bars here run from genuinely smart cocktail rooms to wine shops you can drink your way through and pubs that were pouring long before the railway arrived. It is a compact patch, easy to cross on foot, and it rewards people who like a proper sit-down over a queue. These are the rooms worth a detour east of the City wall.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| The Parlour at The Zetter Clerkenwell | Farringdon | ££££ |
| Vinoteca Farringdon | Farringdon | £££ |
| The Holy Tavern | Farringdon | ££ |
| Fox and Anchor | Farringdon | ££ |
| Bounce Farringdon | Farringdon | £££ |
| The Craft Beer Co. Clerkenwell | Farringdon | ££ |
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Editor’s choice
The Parlour at The Zetter Clerkenwell
Why we pick itApothecary-style cocktails built on homemade cordials and tinctures, served among antiques and curiosities in a townhouse on St John's Square.
hotel cocktail lounge
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Vinoteca Farringdon
Why we pick itThe original branch from 2005, with scores of bottles by the glass or to take home, plus seasonal European plates from an open kitchen.
wine bar and shop
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The Holy Tavern
Why we pick itThe former Jerusalem Tavern, a tiny candlelit recreation of an 18th-century tavern serving St Peter's ales straight from casks racked behind the bar.
historic ale house
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Fox and Anchor
Why we pick itA Grade II-listed 1898 pub on the edge of Smithfield, with a Doulton-tiled frontage, pewter tankards of cask ale and snug panelled booths.
Victorian pub bar
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Bounce Farringdon
Why we pick itAn underground room of ping pong tables, DJs and proper cocktails, built on the spot where the modern game is said to have been patented.
ping pong cocktail bar
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The Craft Beer Co. Clerkenwell
Why we pick itA Leather Lane corner pub with a glittering chandelier and glass ceiling, pouring dozens of cask and keg lines from breweries worldwide.
craft beer pub
Before you book
Farringdon station (Elizabeth line, plus Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith and City) drops you in the middle of it all, with Barbican and Chancery Lane close behind. Book the Zetter’s lounge and Vinoteca at the weekend; the Holy Tavern and Craft Beer Co. are walk-ins, though both shut on Sundays. Smithfield trade means many spots open early and wind down by midnight, so start your night on the earlier side.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
The Parlour at The Zetter Clerkenwell is our editor's choice: Apothecary-style cocktails built on homemade cordials and tinctures, served among antiques and curiosities in a townhouse on St John's Square. The Parlour at The Zetter Clerkenwell, Vinoteca Farringdon and The Holy Tavern 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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