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 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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
Connaught Bar
Why we pick itThe martini is made at your table from a trolley, with a choice of bitters, and it is rightly held to be one of the best in the world. Hushed, grown-up, and worth dressing for.
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.
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 speakeasy with live jazz most nights and a menu that reads like a history book. Book ahead, the tables fill, and the music is as much the point as the drinks.
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.
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.
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 top picks in this guide?
Connaught Bar is our editor's choice: The martini is made at your table from a trolley, with a choice of bitters, and it is rightly held to be one of the best in the world. Hushed, grown-up, and worth dressing for. Connaught Bar, Tayer + Elementary and Swift 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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