Bars
The 6 Best Bars in Southwark
From a Shard sky bar to a railway-arch taproom: the cocktail dens, rooftops and wine rooms that make Southwark drink well after dark.
In short: our top picks are Oblix East, The Distillery Bankside and Seabird. 6 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
Southwark crams more good drinking into a short stretch of the river than almost anywhere south of the Thames. You can start with oysters and frozen palomas on a rooftop, descend into a 1940s postal depot for a cocktail sent overhead by air tube, then finish with cask beer in a Bermondsey arch. It is a patch that rewards walking between Bankside, Borough and the beer mile. These are the bars worth crossing the river for.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Oblix East | Southwark | ££££ |
| The Distillery Bankside | Southwark | £££ |
| Seabird | Southwark | ££££ |
| The Boot & Flogger | Southwark | £££ |
| Anspach & Hobday: The Arch House | Southwark | ££ |
| Cahoots Postal Office | Southwark | £££ |
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Editor’s choice
Oblix East
Why we pick itOn the 32nd floor of the Shard, this lounge pairs serious cocktails and live music with a wall of glass framing the City skyline.
sky bar, cocktails
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The Distillery Bankside
Why we pick itSet in a former Victorian essence works, it pours more than a hundred gins and seasonal cocktails for anyone who takes their juniper seriously.
gin and cocktail bar
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Seabird
Why we pick itLondon's longest oyster list, frozen cocktails and natural wine on the 14th-floor terrace of The Hoxton, with views straight across to St Paul's.
rooftop, seafood, wine
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The Boot & Flogger
Why we pick itA wood-panelled Davy's wine house off Borough, trading since 1965 under a Free Vintners' licence, where the by-the-glass list and the unhurried mood never really change.
historic wine bar
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Anspach & Hobday: The Arch House
Why we pick itA fixture on the Bermondsey Beer Mile, a railway-arch taproom with a dozen keg lines and the brewery's own porter poured at the source.
brewery taproom
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Cahoots Postal Office
Why we pick itEnter a 1940s mail depot beneath Borough Yards where cocktails arrive overhead by pneumatic tube; theatrical, daft and good fun.
immersive cocktail bar
Before you book
London Bridge and Borough are your best stations; most of these sit within a fifteen-minute walk of each other. Book Oblix, Seabird and Cahoots ahead, especially Thursday to Saturday, but The Arch House and The Boot & Flogger are walk-in friendly. Aim for the rooftops before sunset, then move inland as the evening cools.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
Oblix East is our editor's choice: On the 32nd floor of the Shard, this lounge pairs serious cocktails and live music with a wall of glass framing the City skyline. Oblix East, The Distillery Bankside and Seabird 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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