The guide
The best cocktail bars in London
London has more world-ranked cocktail bars than any other city — and dozens more that never make a list but pour just as well. Here's the full picture, sorted by neighbourhood.
Best for classics
Mayfair & St James's
Best for experimental
Shoreditch & Hackney
Best for a big night
Soho & Covent Garden
Best value
Peckham & Deptford
How to pick a London cocktail bar
Start with what you want the night to feel like. A hotel bar in Mayfair is a slow, seated, immaculate martini. A Soho basement is loud, fast and social. East London is where the menus get weird in the best way — fermentation, clarified everything, house-made bitters.
Price tracks postcode more than quality. Some of the sharpest drinks in the city are being poured in south and east London for £4 less than the equivalent in W1.
Our pick of London's cocktail bars
We're updating this list — check back soon.
Frequently asked
How much is a cocktail in London?
£13–£16 is the going rate across central London, £16–£22 in Mayfair and hotel bars, and £10–£13 further out. Most bars list prices on their own site — linked from each bar's page.
Do you need to book a cocktail bar in London?
For Thursday to Saturday evenings, yes. Weeknights before 7pm are usually walk-in friendly, and many of the best bars keep a few seats at the counter for walk-ins.
Which London neighbourhood is best for a cocktail crawl?
Soho packs the most bars into the shortest walk. Shoreditch is the best mix of quality and variety. Peckham gives you the best value for a long night.
Plan a cocktail crawl
Pick three or four, drop them on a map and send the route to Google Maps.