6 Best Bars in London, England

Background Illustration for Nightlife

The pace with which London bars and clubs go in and out of fashion is mind-boggling. New trends, likewise, emerge all time. In one somewhat recent development, the dreaded velvet rope has been usurped by the doorbell-ringing mystique of members-only drinking clubs. Some of the city's most talked-about nightlife spots these days are those attached to some of the best restaurants and hotels—no wonder, when you consider the increased popularity of London cuisine in international circles. Moreover, the gay scene in London is still going strong. One constant of the nightlife here is variety. The understated glamour of north London's Primrose Hill, which makes movie stars feel so at ease, might be considered dull by the übertrendy club goers of London's East End. Likewise, the price of a pint in Chelsea would be considered blasphemous by the musicians and poets of multicultural Peckham.

Whatever your pleasure, however your whim turns come evening, chances are you'll find what you're looking for in London's ever-changing arena of activity and invention.

Bar Américain

Soho Fodor's choice

The beaux arts--style interior of this enduring and popular subterranean bar just north of Piccadilly Circus is so opulent that you'd be forgiven for thinking it had been here since the 1890s. In fact, it's a relatively new revival and has been a hit since it was reconverted in 2012, along with the cavernous Parisian-inspired Brasserie Zédel and the adjacent Crazy Coqs cabaret, which share the premises. The outstanding cocktail list covers Pre-Prohibition, Prohibition, and Post-Prohibition classics—ranging from an 1884 Turf Club vermouth to a 1948 Army & Navy gin—with additional special menus on occasion.

Experimental Cocktail Club

Chinatown Fodor's choice

It's easy to miss the unmarked shabby-chic black door with a scuffed wash of red paint on Chinatown's hectic Gerrard Street main drag, but once you find it and make your way past the sometimes hard-to-please doorman, you'll be in a secret three-floor speakeasy that is also one of London's coolest cocktail joints. With a lively crowd, heavenly cocktails, moody lighting, and a knowledgeable DJ spinning smooth jazz sounds, the vibe is sexy Parisian cool.

Le Bar at Louie

Covent Garden Fodor's choice

On any given night, ace jazz player Trombone Shorty might work his way through this beyond cool New Orleans–meets-Paris cocktail lounge on the second floor of Louie restaurant. Even if Shorty's not there playing that night, the friendly staff dish out deviled eggs, truffle pizzas, and theme cocktails until 2 am five nights a week.

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Swift

Soho Fodor's choice

Book ahead to avoid the lines at Soho's top-ranked bar and cocktail lounge on Old Compton Street. Split into two distinct areas, head through the ground-floor aperitivo bar to the infinitely more sexy speakeasy in the basement, where there are lambent brass lamps, antique mirrors, dark red leather booths, and an array of world-class theme cocktails, ranging from a rum-based Josephine Baker to a vermouth and orange bitters–tinged Dita Von Teese.

Upstairs at Rules

Covent Garden Fodor's choice

Discretion is the word at this under-the-radar cocktail lounge on the first floor above Rules, London's oldest restaurant (established in 1798). In rooms where King Edward VII used to clandestinely dine with his socialite mistress Lillie Langtry, old-school bartenders serve traditional classic cocktails, from Manhattans and Hemingways to sidecars and martinis (which are stirred, never shaken). The decor reflects a bygone era, with impressive royal portraits, mounted antlers, patterned carpets, and copious Edwardian hunting scenes.

The Rooftop

Shoreditch

Both the terrific views over the rooftops of Shoreditch and the California-chic decor make this bar at the One Hundred Hotel the ultimate location for a sunset. Tables on the terrace are first-come-first-served.