7 Best Nightlife in London, England

This sophisticated bar on Level 31 of The Shard is worth a visit for the phenomenal views alone. The cocktail list is pretty special, too—big on fruit purees and unusual bitters. No reservations are taken in the bar, so be prepared to wait during busy periods.

This former Victorian pub near the cricket grounds has been hosting drag acts since the days of World War II, with Princess Diana reportedly visiting in the late 1980s disguised as a man and accompanied by Freddy Mercury. LBGTQ+-oriented entertainment is still its mainstay, including performance art, Miley Cyrus tribute nights, and traditional drag performance extravaganzas, some featuring alums from RuPaul's Drag Race. The atmosphere is welcoming, inclusive, and fun.

Not every pub is also a Grade I–listed, National Trust property, but this is London's last surviving galleried coaching inn. Dickens once frequented the inn's Coffee Room (now the Middle Bar) and name-checked The George in Little Dorrit. The gallery overlooks a cobblestone courtyard where plays may have been performed in Elizabethan times (galleried inns were frequently used as production venues), although the current building dates back only to 1677 after the original was destroyed in a fire. The interior is a maze of 18th-century low-ceilinged rooms replete with wood-paneled walls and period features. The cozy Parliament Bar, where passengers would have waited for the coach, is on the ground floor, while a restaurant is upstairs on the galleried level. Luckily the pub is not just a museum piece—it also has modern amenities like a beer garden and Wi-Fi.

If you find yourself craving a drink at 11 am, this traditional London pub, dating back to 1638 (although the name was changed in 1890), is for you. The early opening hour is not because it caters to alcoholics but for the Borough Market stallholders, who have already put in several hours by opening time (in fact, the pub is actually also open weekdays from 6 am to 8:30 am for this very reason). The S-shaped Victorian-era bar, with its walls and ceiling covered in pump badges and beer mats, is packed when the market is busy but calms down during off-peak hours. There are 12 real ales on draught, and decent pub grub using seasonal produce from the market is served in the restaurant upstairs. The pub also provided the location for the Third Hand Book Emporium in the movie version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

With a solid claim to being the oldest pub on the Thames, this deeply atmospheric riverside inn dates back to the mid-16th century (although it was rebuilt in the 17th) and comes with exposed beams, mullioned windows, open fires, and nautical design touches. You can sit outside on the heated-deck jetty that overlooks the Mayflower's original mooring. When the ship sailed for America in 1620, it was here that Captain Christopher Jones took on the 65 passengers who became some of the original Pilgrims (Jones is buried in the nearby church of St. Mary's in Rotherhithe; legend has it that he moored here to avoid paying taxes farther down the river). The Mayflower, formerly known as The Spread Eagle, is also the only pub licensed to sell U.S. and U.K. postage stamps (inquire at the bar), a tradition dating back to the 1800s when time-pressed sailors were able to order a pint and a postage stamp at the same time.

Epitomizing a new breed of Brixton bar, the compact Three Eight Four is known for its innovative cocktails and tapas-style shared plates. The cocktail menu changes seasonally but always involves specialty spirits and unusual mixing techniques—try the Ziggy Stardust, a combination of  infused-in-house citrus vodka, creme de cassis, pomegranate, lemon, and egg white, with David Bowie’s trademark red lightning bolt stenciled over the top. The distressed brick walls and moody lighting contribute to the postindustrial vibe.