12 London Bars You Should Visit at Least Once

London has no shortage of bars.

In fact, that's probably the problem.

You can find a tiny cocktail bar hidden behind an unmarked door, a rooftop overlooking St Paul's, a legendary hotel bar, a place playing live jazz, a sports bar that feels like you're somewhere in Europe, or somewhere you can sit beside the Thames with a drink in hand.

So when someone asks “What's the best bar in London?”, there isn't really one answer.

The best bar for cocktails might not be the best bar for a night out with friends.

The best rooftop might not have the best drinks.

And the most famous bar might not be the most fun.

Instead, these are 12 London bars worth knowing about, each for a slightly different reason.

1. Café Kick for a fun, laid-back night

Cafe Kick

Clerkenwell

If you want a bar that feels more like a proper London night out than a formal cocktail experience, start here.

Café Kick has been around since 1997 and sits on Exmouth Market, with a distinctly European feel, outdoor seating and plenty of atmosphere.

And there's a pretty good reason it's first on this list.

Time Out's current 2026 guide ranks Café Kick as its number-one bar in London. The guide describes it as a Euro-chic sports bar and highlights its long-standing popularity on Exmouth Market.

It's also a good reminder that a great bar doesn't have to be expensive or covered in fancy cocktail awards.

Sometimes you just want good drinks, good people and somewhere you can actually relax.

Go for: a casual evening with friends, sports and outdoor drinks.

2. Waltz for serious cocktails in a tiny setting

Waltz

Shoreditch

Waltz is one of the newer names on London's cocktail scene, but it has already made a serious impression.

The Japanese-inspired cocktail bar opened in 2025 and builds its drinks around Japan's 72 micro-seasons, meaning the menu changes with the seasons rather than remaining completely fixed.

It's tiny, intimate and deliberately understated.

And that's part of the attraction.

There are only a limited number of seats, with the bar itself being the place to sit if you want to watch the bartenders work.

The drinks are precise, unusual and much more thoughtful than simply throwing a few ingredients into a shaker.

Waltz was also named Best New Opening at Europe's 50 Best Bars 2026 and ranks among the highest London newcomers in the current rankings.

Go for: inventive cocktails and a more intimate night.

3. Satan's Whiskers for cocktails without the pretension

Satan's Whiskers

Bethnal Green

Don't expect a giant room or flashy entrance.

That's not the point.

Satan's Whiskers is a relatively unassuming East London cocktail bar that has become one of the city's most respected places for classic drinks.

Its menu changes daily, which means you never quite know what you'll find when you arrive.

And the bar's reputation isn't based on Instagram aesthetics.

It's the drinks.

In the 2026 Top 50 Cocktail Bars ranking, Satan's Whiskers is the highest-ranked London bar at No. 3 in the UK, while Time Out also calls it its best place for a margarita in its current cocktail guide. (timeout.com, designmynight.com)

It's the sort of place where the cocktail matters more than the room.

Go for: exceptional cocktails without the formal atmosphere.

4. The Connaught Bar for a genuinely special occasion

The Connaught Bar

Mayfair

Then there's the opposite end of the spectrum.

The Connaught Bar is the kind of place you visit when you want the entire evening to feel like an occasion.

Inside The Connaught in Mayfair, the bar combines an elegant setting with famously polished service and one of London's most recognisable cocktail traditions: the Martini Trolley.

The bar currently operates Monday to Saturday, 4pm–1am, and its official site says it operates a no-reservations policy.

It also has some serious recognition behind it.

The Connaught Bar was ranked 10th in The World's 50 Best Bars 2026 and named Best Bar in the UK.

Yes, it can be expensive.

But this isn't really a “cheap drinks with friends” recommendation.

It's a go once and experience one of London's legendary cocktail bars recommendation.

Go for: a special occasion and the famous Martini Trolley.

5. Lyaness for experimental cocktails beside the Thames

Lyaness

South Bank

Lyaness gives you a very different cocktail experience.

It's at Sea Containers London, right beside the Thames, so you've got the river setting before you've even ordered a drink.

But the main attraction is what's happening behind the bar.

Lyaness is known for its inventive approach to ingredients and cocktails, making it a good choice if you're bored of ordering the same Negroni or Espresso Martini everywhere you go.

It also remains one of London's internationally recognised cocktail destinations, ranking 25th in the 2026 UK Top 50 Cocktail Bars.

And the location makes it particularly easy to combine with an evening around South Bank.

Go for: creative cocktails and riverside drinks.

6. Bar Termini for an Italian aperitivo

Bar Termini

Soho

Not every great London bar needs to be loud.

Bar Termini is tiny, elegant and inspired by the traditional Italian coffee-and-aperitivo bar.

It works particularly well when you want to sit down, order a Negroni or another classic and actually have a conversation.

The bar's current listing describes it as an Italian coffee, cocktail and aperitivo bar inspired by 1950s Italian bar culture, and it welcomes both bookings and walk-ins.

It's also not just a random Soho recommendation.

Bar Termini ranks eighth in the 2026 UK Top 50 Cocktail Bars, while Time Out currently recommends it as one of London's best places for a Negroni

Go for: Negronis, aperitivo and a quieter Soho drink.

7. Nightjar for cocktails with live jazz

Nightjar

Old Street

If you want the bar itself to feel like part of the entertainment, Nightjar is the one to know.

It's a cocktail bar and live music venue, with jazz and other performances adding another layer to the evening.

That makes it very different from simply sitting at a bar with background music.

You're going for the combination of cocktails, atmosphere and live performance.

The Old Street location is also currently open late, with weekend hours extending into the early morning.

So this works particularly well when you're not looking for somewhere to have one drink before dinner.

You're looking for somewhere to stay for the night.

Go for: cocktails, live music and a late-night atmosphere.

8. Aviary for drinks above the City

Aviary

Finsbury Square

London rooftops can be hit or miss.

Aviary is one that's worth knowing.

Situated on the 10th floor of the Montcalm Royal London House, Aviary offers views across the City alongside cocktails, food and an outdoor terrace.

Visit London's current 2026 rooftop guide includes it among its leading rooftop bars and specifically highlights its City skyline views.

This is the sort of place where the view genuinely forms part of the experience.

Go around sunset and the whole thing changes as the City lights begin to come on.

Go for: skyline views, cocktails and sunset.

9. Radio Rooftop for a central London view

Radio Rooftop

Strand

If you're already around Covent Garden or the West End, Radio Rooftop is an easy option for drinks with a view.

It's on the 10th floor of ME London and offers views towards landmarks including Big Ben, the London Eye and St Paul's Cathedral. (visitlondon.com)

There's also a DJ programme on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, so it can shift from a relatively relaxed rooftop drink into something much livelier.

It's particularly useful for visitors because you can combine it with an evening around central London rather than travelling specifically to a far-flung rooftop.

Go for: central London views and a livelier rooftop evening.

10. Cahoots for something completely different

Cahoots Underground

Soho

Cahoots is less about pretending you're in a normal bar.

The whole concept is built around a 1940s London Underground theme, with the Underground-inspired setting forming a major part of the experience.

It's theatrical, playful and very different from the serious cocktail bars elsewhere on this list.

That's exactly why it's worth including.

You don't necessarily go here because you want the most technically complicated drink in London.

You go because you want a night that feels like an experience.

And being in Carnaby makes it easy to combine with dinner and other Soho bars afterwards.

Go for: themed drinks, atmosphere and something unusual.

11. Swift Soho for a classic cocktail-bar night

Swift Soho

Soho

Swift is one of those London bars that has been around long enough to become part of the city's cocktail vocabulary.

It does classics well, has a strong whisky selection and offers the sort of atmosphere that works whether you're having your first drink of the evening or stopping somewhere after dinner.

It also appears in the 2026 UK Top 50 Cocktail Bars, ranking 15th overall. (designmynight.com)

And because you're in Soho, it's surrounded by restaurants, theatres and other bars.

So if you don't know exactly what kind of night you're having yet, Swift is a useful starting point.

Go for: classic cocktails, whisky and a reliable Soho night.

12. Café Kick isn't the only casual choice but here's why it's worth returning to

Actually, make this one The Cocktail Trading Co.

The previous version repeated the casual-bar idea, so this is where I'd make the final change.

Shoreditch

The Cocktail Trading Co. is for people who think a cocktail should be fun.

This is not the place to expect every drink to arrive in a conventional glass.

The bar is known for elaborate, playful presentations and cocktails that are designed to be talked about.

It's also a good fit for Shoreditch because you can easily make an entire evening around the area.

Start with food, head here for cocktails and then see where the night takes you.

The point isn't that it's London's most serious cocktail laboratory.

It's that going there is fun.

And sometimes that's exactly what you want from a bar.

Go for: playful cocktails and a fun night with friends.

You don't need to find London's “best” bar

That's probably the biggest mistake you can make.

London's bar scene is so varied that asking for the single best bar doesn't really make sense.

Time Out's 2026 overall list has a sports bar at number one. Its cocktail guide has a tiny Shoreditch test-kitchen at the top. The UK's specialist cocktail ranking puts a Bethnal Green bar third nationally and a Mayfair hotel bar tenth in the world.

They're all completely different experiences.

And that's exactly what makes London's bar scene so good.

You can have a pint outside a neighbourhood bar in the afternoon, drink a perfectly made Martini in Mayfair later that evening, head underground for a themed cocktail and finish the night listening to jazz.

You don't need one best bar.

You just need the right bar for the night you're trying to have.

And in London, there is probably one not too far away.

Planning your next London day out? Discover more neighbourhood guides, hidden gems, food spots and things to do on LondonYaar.com.

Follow @rohan.londonyaar for more London places, stories and things worth knowing before you visit.