19 Best Bars in London, England

Festooned with a chin-dropping array of old club ties, vintage celebrity-signed photographs, sporting mementos, model airplanes, and baseball caps, this sensational and usually busy hotel cocktail bar has superb martinis and Manhattans. The name dates from the 1930s, when hotel bars in London started to cater to growing numbers of Americans crossing the Atlantic on ocean liners. The collection of paraphernalia was started in the 1970s when a customer gifted a small carved wooden eagle. They serve great hot bar snacks and small dishes, too.

They don't take reservations at this jewel box of a cocktail bar at The Langham hotel, but you can order a drink while you wait for a chic mirror-top table surrounded by some of London's most beautiful people. The innovative, creative cocktails, involving exotic ingredients like aromatic bitters from Marrakesh, are simply unforgettable, if pricey. Service is also top-notch, making this a nightlife treat.

Things could hardly get more glamorous than at the Savoy's lesser-known Beaufort Bar—a black-and-gold Art Deco–inspired spot with dramatic low lighting that specializes in vintage Champagne and an enticing spread of heritage cocktails. Dark and sultry, with a rising cabaret stage that was once graced by Gershwin and Josephine Baker, this venue has nightly live jazz piano music beginning at 7 pm.

The walls are platinum silver leaf and everything's all buffed and burnished at this glamorous David Collins--designed 1920s cocktail lounge at The Connaught. Hail the famous martini trolley for a classic dry martini or sip signatures like a Ron Zacapa rum–based Vieux Connaught, which is presented on a mirrored tray with a swirl of saffron smoke.

Loved by Londoners and owned by the well-respected St. Peter's Brewery in Suffolk, The Holy Tavern is one-of-a-kind: small, historic, atmospheric, and endearingly eccentric. Antique Delft–style tiles meld with wood and concrete in a converted watchmaker and jeweler's shop dating back to the 18th century. The beer, both bottled and on tap, is some of the best available anywhere in London. It's often busy, especially after work, but well worth a visit.

This striking building has had two former lives: the first, from 1893 to 1934, was as a power station that generated light for nearby Liverpool Street Station, while the second, from 2000 to 2014, was as an iconic venue that exemplified the rise of Shoreditch as a nightlife destination. Now it's back, saved from demolition and again providing one of the most stylish drinking and dining options in this part of town. The best views of this gorgeous space, resplendent with original architectural details, are from the mezzanine Copper Bar, but there's really not a bad seat in the house.

Explorers of all stripes will be captivated by this Jules Verne--inspired cocktail parlor, which is chock-full of the weathered maps, hunting trophies, taxidermy, suspended penny-farthings, and Around the World in 80 Days globe-trotting items of eccentric fictional Victorian British adventurer Phileas J. Fogg. Expect Victorian tipples and gin-based afternoon "Tipsy Teas" from staff in bow ties and other old-fashioned getups.

Try and snag a seat in the cozy wood-paneled and open-fire Punch Room (open from 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday), located within the London EDITION hotel. The bar's reinventions of traditional punches (the type favored by pirates and privateers) are a revelation. Visitors to Ian Schrager's hotel are spoiled for choice when it comes to bars. High ceilings, eclectic artwork, and innovative cocktails can also be found at the all-day Berners Tavern and in the Lobby Bar, which opens in the evening.

Named after renowned London-born artist and caricaturist Gerald Scarfe (whose work adorns the walls), the Rosewood’s seductively glamorous bar is one part Edwardian gentleman's club to two parts Downton Abbey drawing room. Recline on sofas by a roaring log fire or sink into velvet armchairs and explore the bar's impressive collection of fine wines, cocktails, and spirits (there are more than 180 single malt whiskies alone to choose from). Bar snacks are restaurant-standard dishes, and there's complimentary live music six nights a week.

One seat never looks like the next at this downright extraordinary collection of esoteric living-room bars off Savile Row. The exclusive Parlour, a patisserie during the day, exudes plenty of rarefied charm; the intimate East Bar at the back is reminiscent of a sci-fi film set; the Gallery is a golden-yellow wonderland; and in the Glade it's permanently sunset in an enchanted forest. The space-age dinosaur egg–pod-shape restrooms are definitely London's quirkiest.

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. Window tables are bookable with special "Starry Night" packages (£65).

This elegant faux-speakeasy might be London's tiniest cocktail lounge. Book one of the handful of tables or perch at the cozy bar and get ready to discover the delights of a cocktail menu that is part classic cocktails, part inventive twists on the classics. Service is friendly and diligent, but never overbearing.

Perfect for a midafternoon pick-me-up or late-night drinks, this quirky, friendly bar has a continental feel and a sporty vibe. Soccer memorabilia and bank notes from across the globe line the walls while formica furniture and not one, but two foosball tables fill out the space. World beers and cocktails are the drinks of choice (the caipirinhas are legendary), and simple but tasty pub fare is served all day.

On the ground floor of what was once the Reading Room of the Old Westminster Library, the book-lined Library Bar of this contemporary Indian restaurant (the curries are superb) has Indian-theme cocktails (mango mojitos, "Delhi mules"), delicious bar snacks, and a clientele that includes young politicos. The bar is sometimes used for private events, so it can be a good idea to call before you visit.

This elegant Mayfair meeting place remains unpretentious even when it brims with beautiful people. The bar has an Art Deco heritage made hip by the sophisticated touch of designer David Collins. A library of rare Champagnes and brandies as well as a delicious choice of traditional and exotic cocktails—try the Flapper or the Royal Stag—will occupy your taste buds. Request a glass of vintage Cristal in the darkly moody, leather-walled, 36-seat Fumoir.

With 37 beers on tap and 350 more in bottles (one brewed exclusively for The Craft Beer Co.), the main problem here is knowing where to start. Luckily, friendly and knowledgeable staff are happy to advise or give tasters—or why not sign up for a guided tasting session? A huge chandelier and a mirrored ceiling lend antique charm to the interior, and a smattering of tourists and beer pilgrims break up the crowds of Leather Lane workers and locals. As is the case with many pubs in this neighborhood, they are closed on Sunday.

Enjoy canal-side craft beer and pizza at the busiest of a handful of grown-up bars in this ultratrendy area of East London. Rub shoulders with the locals—the community still has its share of artists who made their way east following rent hikes in Shoreditch—as well as visitors who come for late-night raves in the area's many warehouses. There's a warm atmosphere inside, with quirky upcycled interior design and DJs playing on weekend evenings. The beer comes from the on-site brewery, while thin-crust pizzas emerge from the open kitchen.

A deliciously camp vibe, toned bar staff, and a friendly atmosphere make this one of Soho's most popular LGBTQ+ bars. The crowd is mostly male, but women are very welcome. Head to the quieter upstairs lounge bar for a more laid-back mood, or dance the night away at Ku Klub in the basement. There's a second branch around the corner on Lisle Street, near Chinatown and Leicester Square.

The feel is moody, Prohibition-era 1920s Chicago at this fabulously low-lit, tin-tiled-ceiling speakeasy and basement jazz cocktail bar in Shoreditch. Book a table or chance it on the door at this no-standing venue, where live jazz and swing bands nightly keep things lively.