Best Cocktail Bars in London

Hidden in the depths of Smithfield Market, Oriole is a den of tropical libations and swinging live music. Inspired by the Pacific, drinks are served in stunning vessels (think shells and elephant-shaped mugs) and are mixed with everything from peanut butter through to banana loaf infusion.

You're going to need an appointment to get into this luxe little Liverpool Street hideaway. Tucked down some stone steps, a decadent cocktail bar awaits, decorated in gorgeous, golden tiles and velvet furnishings. Grab one of the classic concoctions and take your date night to the next level at this Grade-II listed spot.

Fusing swing music with live jazz bands, Kansas Smitty's is a taste of the good cocktail life in London. Not only host to some of the best Juleps in the business, the bar swings to life over the weekend with a regular roster of live music in their basement room.

It would be impossible to cite the best cocktail bars in London without mentioning the famously elusive Nightjar Bar in Shoreditch. Candle-lit tables, experimental (and extremely creative) cocktails and a genuine speakeasy feel come as standard here.

If you like your London cocktail bars dark, moody and underground, then Demon, Wise & Partners is the place for you. The City bar has 'date night' stamped all over it, with dark leather booths, low-hanging lights, and drinks such as Naked in the Snow, a simple mix of whisky, homemade apple spiced tonic and soda.

Sure, it might be named after one cocktail, but this Old Street haunt is an incredible lair of crafted drinks. The work of a former Nightjar bartender, The Gibson creates some of the wackiest tipples in London - from dried worms to rare spirits. 

A stalwart on the Shoreditch drinking scene, Callooh Callay has been churning out award-winning drinks for more than 10 years. Split into two, the venue has a chilled, 70s-style seating downstairs, while upstairs, the secret Jub Jub room awaits.

Simmons boast some of the most quirky cocktail spots in London. Step inside to discover intimate spaces adorned with all sorts of unusual ornamentation... and the cocktails are equally eccentric. Have your long island iced tea served up in a teapot as you spend the night mingling with a crowd of partygoers. Try their Camden and Fitzrovia branches for more quirky cocktail cavorting.

Taking its inspiration from the 1920s Havana heydays, Burlock features a selection of more than 200 different types of rum at its cosy set-up in the heart of Mayfair. The rum cocktails are matched by a selection of Cuban and Caribbean food to complete the experience, and the unique happy hour here runs from open until close - so there's no need to spend big while you're at it.

Industry heavyweights Eric Yu, Luca Cordiglieri and Martin Malley have come together to unveil 68 Boston, a refined drinking spot bringing a specialist blend of wine and cocktails to Soho. Make for the cocktail bar upstairs after work, where expertly-made classics are served alongside cutting-edge originals in an intimate, low-lit space.

Stoke Newington may not be the first place some people think of when it comes to London's best cocktail bars, but they'd be surprised. Hidden and charming, head on down to Victory Mansion for an experience that comes with small plates and cocktails combined. 

Perfect for anyone that's bored of brushing elbows and awkwardly bumping into people at packed out bars, The Basement Shoreditch is a venue that combines expertly-made cocktails with attentive hosting and an unbeatable music playlist. Head down, grab a hand-crafted cocktail and watch the hours float by at this fun Old Street spot.

Fitz's is a truly unique drinking den that boasts an old school glamour unmatched by any other bar in London. From its lavish furnishings to the expertly-curated menu of high-end cocktails, it's a perfect date night or celebratory location.

This slinky French hideaway in Bethnal Green was recently named as one of the world's best bars, so you know they've got plenty of tricks up their sleeves when it comes to cocktail creation. An evening here will consist of sipping elegant concoctions, paired perfectly with enticing cheeses and charcuterie. 

With old movie starlets on the walls and copper tones throughout, Megaro Bar is the sort of place that will keep you sipping for hours. And what to sip? Their Prohibition-inspired list of classics is always a good place to start.

With celeb mugshots, neon signs and bright pink decor, Tonight Josephine will grab you from the moment you descend into the basement. Along with gorgeous interiors, they also have a delicious selection of cocktails.

Mews Cocktail Bar have joined forces with drinks master Richard Woods to create a classy list that plays on classics. We recommend The Mayfair Tart, a seductive mix of vodka, fresh raspberries, ginger, honey and lime.

Dirty Martini is a well-established name in the cocktail world. With a smattering of venues all over London, their mixologists have mastered a number of classic recipes and really let their creativity take control, producing an array of intriguing concoctions for adventurous revellers to enjoy. Try their Dirty Martini Bishopsgate and Dirty Martini St Pauls bars for more.

Eve has enough delicious cocktails to tempt, well, Eve in the Garden of Eden. A bar built on the ideas of indulgence and hedonism, come here for theatrical cocktails served in luxurious surroundings, and if you're peckish - it's part of the award-winning Frog.

Have you Found it yet? Nope, didn't think so. Meander along the streets of Shoreditch and hidden beneath Casita on Ravey Street you should find a secret hideaway where some of London's best mixologists like to mingle in low lighting. Take up a seat at the bar or in one of the cosy rooms and experience a truly intimate cocktail bar in London.

Imitated by many yet matched by very few, Ruby's is an absolute gem of a basement bar worth stumbling across in Dalston. The main bar area puts the focus on a seasonal menu of innovative drinks, with table service and an intimate atmosphere well suited to all occasions. The Lounge is the livelier space of the two, with a wide choice of beers, wines from Clapton's Verden and Vietnamese street food from the Hanoi Kitchen on offer alongside a curated programme of music and live entertainment.

This cool hangout near Tottenham Court Road oozes NYC attitude with its collage-covered walls and neon signage. It's not just the decor that makes it great, you can order bespoke cocktails to be delivered, the ingredients are all ethically sourced and there's cocktails on tap downstairs. 

Owing to some of the most innovate mixology in the business, WM Barker & Co has done well to preserve its secretive nature being nestled under Bishopsgate. Their bar is well versed in the art of manipulating unusual ingredients to create drinks that are ultimately original and stylish. That paired with its old world style interiors makes this place one cool cocktail bar in London. 

From the Parlour to the Decantery, Six Storeys in Soho is a twisty turny vintage bar with six floors on which to have fun. Join in with gin drinking, cocktail sipping and nibbling across the laid-back and seductive venue. 

This intimate drinking den claims that the “creation and execution of exceptional drinks is our passion”, and who are we to argue? Pop a couple of Hell in the Pacific's down the hatch and it'll be hard to counter this claim, and they're pretty darn serious about the quality of their Dim Sum plates too.

Barrio is a party group of bars that comes bursting with Latina energy. Shaking up exotic cocktails that go hard on the rum and tequila front, these neighbourhood joints blend Latin flair with fresh cooking and great music. Come for their renowned Amigo Hours, when cocktails are £5, bottled beers are £3 and there's a fiver off your bottle of wine. Try their Barrio Angel or Barrio Shoreditch branches for more! 

The Four Sisters in Islington uses seasonal and locally sourced ingredients to create fresh cocktails. Their speciality, however, is their home mixed tipples, which include the likes of infused syrups, barrel-aged cocktails, and pre-bottled concoctions.

Goat DRINK is a blend of Kensington class and New York charm bringing you a selection of tried and tested experimental cocktail creations reviving forgotten classics with modern, signature twists added. Their death in the afternoon is a cocktail recipe delivering just what it says on the tin with a cheeky splash of absinthe to warm your cockles.

The fifth instalment of the London Cocktail Club family is up there with our favourites. Come in, soak up the biker-themed ambience and prepare to make some big decisions at the bar. Cocktails like the 'Confessions of a Cucumber Salesman', 'Brixton Riot' and 'Smoking Barrel' are every shade of delicious, each mixed with the style and substance that makes LCC such a fan favourite.

The Karma Sanctum Soho Hotel should be on your list of rooftop restaurants. Their kitchen serves creative and responsibly-sourced dishes, with meat from the best butchers in the city and produce from fresh suppliers, meaning you can hang out in either the covered lounge bar or the inside bar area in style.

Offering bold and imaginative cocktails, cosy date night vibes and some of the friendliest service in town, Little Bat is an absolute must if you're looking for something special around Angel's Upper Street. A venture brought to London from the same team at Callooh Callay, expect Alice in Wonderland themed quirks and chilled out vibes from this welcoming new neighbourhood haunt.

Styled as a cosy cafe during the day and a bustling cocktail bar at night, Map Maison is a characterful, colourful spot that's always adapting and changing itself to suit the demands of East London's revellers. What this spot really excels at, however, is Japanese whisky, of which they have London's largest collection.

Chelsea Funhouse is something of a West London triple threat. Split over three floors, this place is home to an explorer-themed restaurant, late-night espresso martini lounge and an immersive 1940s cocktail experience. Weekends will never be the same again...

Part of the plush Crazy Bear group, this Fitzrovia cocktail bar does not disappoint when it comes to opulence. Decked out in blacked mirrored tables and red velvet staircases, this spot is perfect for a special occasion, especially when you add in one of their fruity cocktails.

Earth didn't start with Adam and Eve, it started with dessert and cocktails. Heralded for their sweet treats, not only is Basement Sate the front runner for desserts in the city, their cocktails are a sweet smasher too. From their bespoke, speakeasy inspired setting to their hand-made cocktails, this is a neat treat not to be missed. 

The illusive Moonshine Saloon is popping up for a few says a week to bring you a rootin tootin good time. Discover their secret bar for a night of cowboys, moonshine, cocktails and sheriffs breathing down your neck.

Forget sneaking a little hip flask of something when times are hard, BYOC in Camden actively encourage you to bring your own alcohol in. The underground bar is themed around 1920s prohibition, with guests sitting around poker-style tables, in the middle of which is your expert mixologist.

Don't be fooled by the name; Disrepute is one of London's best cocktail bars. The Soho basement bar has lived one hell of a life, including as the setting for the Profumo Scandal in the 60s. Now, it's just as slinky, with short, sharp concoctions served to punters on long leather sofas.

London cocktail bars don't get quirkier than this. Hidden behind shutters is a secret prison, where bribery and contraband rule, Alcotraz is one hell of a drinking experience. You'll have to smuggle your favourite liquor past the guards and get into the hands of one of the other inmates, who can mix you up something grand. But don't, under any circumstances, get caught.

Inspired by Christmas monsters, Batch is one of Peckham's most interesting - and prettiest - cocktail bars. Fir tree branches are strapped to the ceiling, walls are painted with magical murals, and the inventive cocktails largely come in at under a tenner.

The oldest bar on this list, the iconic Portobello Star has been open since a stonking 1740. And by god have they progressed with the times; delicious cocktails paired with homemade fare are the order of the day here. Gin lovers, this one is definitely for you.

The Ten Bells is a pillar of Spitalfields boozing, but have you discovered their secret cocktail bar upstairs yet? Under the trusted guidance of renowned head bartender Jerome Slesinski, a talented bar team whip up signature shorty cocktails made with home-infused spirits and a flourish of class. Vintage Chesterfields, mis-matched tables and iconic artworks contribute to the chic ambience.

Tucked away amidst the stately grandeur of the London Edition Hotel is The Punch Room, an exclusive, reservations only drinking den. Come in and get cosy, the oak panelling and majestic sofas evoke a nineteenth century private club feel. A playlist of vintage soul and blues fills the room, while guests enjoy gin-infused punches laced with jasmine tea and oak moss.

Nobu isn't just known for their fantastic array of world-renowned Japanese food. They also boast an excellent selection of signature cocktails, available from the stunning bar area. You can also enjoy these in their gorgeous, intimate outside space.