Best for After Work Drinks

If you're looking for a few post-office tipples, this restaurant and live music venue overlooking Cabot Square is the perfect combination of refined and casual, a top spot for after work drinks in London.

One of top bars for after work drinks in Canary Wharf, Roka offers a stunning spot for a few beers or a Japanese-inspired cocktail before you hop on the DLR home.

Want some happy hour merriment in the city? Patch St. Paul's and Patch East will happily oblige, laying on all kinds of cheap and cheerful drink deals between 4pm and 7pm every day. Get along to this handsome spot for after-work refreshment and they'll take 50% off bottles of wine and spirits.

The Albion offers an extensive wine selection, a range of award-winning real ales and continental lagers in a relaxed pub environment just down the road from St. Paul's. Come by for a swift half in one of the friendliest pubs in the city, with great comfort foods and famous sausage roll bar snacks on offer if you feel like lingering into the evening.

Kitty Hawk channels New York glamour with the cool style of a London location, making it ideal for the discerning after work drinker. Serving a wonderful list of wines, including selections from the Rothschild Estate, alongside craft beers and cocktails, the venue has something for everyone. And being only a few steps away from London Liverpool Street Station is a bonus.  

Local to Bow or Mile End? There's a gem of a local pub nestled somewhere among the Victorian terraces of Coborn Road that you really ought to seek out. The Coborn is a characterful place to reflect on the day that was, with Young's award-winning cask ales, a great range of craft beers and vintage wines from across the globe to whet your whistle before calling it a day.

With a carefully curated wine list, crafty cocktails and some of the best seafood plates and nibbles south of the river (we're looking at you clam chowder fries), this fun little wine bar and restaurant is a top pick for after work drinks.

Shaker and Company is a chilled out cocktail bar and the ultimate destination to unwind. Head upstairs for craft cocktails and delicious dirty burgers and, at the end of the week, descend to their Nineteen Eighty Something bar for 80s cocktails, 80s music, and even a Sega Mega Drive.

With great wines, tasty snacks and some very cool cocktails, this City of London cafe and bar is always a top spot for a few post-work beverages and a bite to eat.

Located only seconds from Liverpool Street, this quaint boozer is an ideal spot for drinking after work. Tuck in to classic dishes and soak up wines from an impressive list. If that doesn't tickle your fancy, there's also a great selection of real ales.

You have no excuse to miss out on after-work drinks with Simmons Temple as the cocktail bar puts on one of London's most generous happy hours. Add in a cheese-tastic playlist, mad interiors and a lively atmosphere and you're on to a winner.

Boasting one of the best locations in city, The Sterling is a favourite for after work drinks in London where you'll find yourself sitting at the base of one of London's most iconic buildings, the Gherkin. With an expansive outside terrace, the drinks often spill out into the shadow of the Gherkin making for one pretty cool place to enjoy a few with colleagues.  

Just a stone's throw from the City, TwoRuba Bar is located within the Hilton Tower Bridge Hotel, and adds a dash of elegance to any night out. Specialising in exquisite champagne with stunning views, this spot is the perfect spot to unwind. 

Smollensky's is the place to be if you're after cocktails in Canary Wharf. Bartenders whip up a liquor-laced storm after work, with old school classics given a contemporary facelift and a few new found favourites on offer by the same token. Happy Hour runs every day from 6 to 8pm, there's a few light bites to soak up the booze and a large outside terrace that's always a big hit in the summer.

The Alchemist on Old Street are here to provide a little extra pizzazz to your after-work drinking sessions. From AR creations to cocktails that change colour before your very eyes, to bath bomb-inspired tipples, this bar is sure to entertain after a busy day working in the City.

With over 40 taps of the finest brewery fresh beer, Fourpure's industrial style taproom is a fab choice for a post-work pint or two. Not only do they have a first-class departure lounge, but you can even pick up duty-free tinnys for the way home. 

Martinis, Bellinis and Negronis - what more could you need when it comes to after-work drinks? Luckily, that's what Osteria, the Italian restaurant, specialise in. With classic concoctions as well as twists on the fail-safe mixes, Osteria also has an impressive wine list.

If you have that Friday feeling all too early on in the week and the after work tipple is calling then Quaglino's are more than prepared to cater to you. Swan through this most decadent of restaurant bars and perch at the opulent bar area that overlooks the dining quarters where you can take in the fragrance of exquisite eats whilst you enjoy your liquor craving. 

With views over Wimbledon and gorgeous cocktails, this great South London bar is a perfect spot for a few post-office drinks.

Nestled somewhere in the heart of Leadenhall Market is Old Tom's - a snug retreat from city life that's just perfect for a post-5pm tipple or two. Topple down the stairs and into an old-fashioned retreat complete with 19th century tiles and warm service, the bar specialises in an extensive range of craft beer as well as a more than handy choice of gin and whisky. There's cheese and charcuterie boards made for sharing if you're peckish.

A perfect city retreat tucked away behind the bustle of London Bridge, Hide Bar is an intimate cocktail lounge with a seated only policy so you can come here to sup and socialise without the queues at the bar. Experts in the art of cocktail making, Hide Bar are top mixologists who are always developing the dynamic of their drinks to bring you something cool and unique. 

The well established wine bar and Liverpool Street local WE ARE BAR is a fan favourite for after work drinks in London as a place where city workers flock to take advantage of the extensive menu and beautiful outdoor terrace. Fronting an informal restaurant and dedicated bar area, WE ARE BAR is a buzzing social hub from lunch all the way through to closing. 

Like your 5pm tipple in the company of spectacular views of the Thames? You probably ought to get down to the Oyster Shed then, where thirsty revellers marvel at The Shard, Tower of London and the Thames in all their finery. We haven't even mentioned the fine wines, real ales and delectable range of craft beers yet either.

Work in South London? Wanting to sup on something sumptuous before the commute home? Lost & Found is a match made in heaven; serving up a vast range of cocktails each as delicious as the last, with live music and a fun time atmosphere chucked in to the bargain for good measure. Land two cocktails for the price of one between 5 and 8pm, and enjoy a complimentary sharing cocktail for all table bookings over 8 guests.

If you love wine, there's one place to go for after work drinks, and that's Humble Grape. With locations across London, they boast 30 glasses of wine and over 400 bottles – and a lot of them are biodynamic, organic or from sustainable vineyards.

Smack bang in the middle of the city and overflowing with charisma, Forge is a great choice for a few chilled ones after a tough day. The cocktail list is quite something - it stretches to include 100 different tipples – and there's ample wines, beers and spirits to climb into depending on your mood. Everything is served by expert bartenders, and the venue's late licence means no one's going to blame you if you end up stumbling out at 3am.

Located at the Aldgate East end of Brick Lane, Apples & Pears is a non-pretentious hangout fronting delicious cocktails, awesome music and even its own outdoor space (a novelty for the area!). Come here for fun-time after work drinks, brilliant happy hours and good times; all throughout the week.

Making plans for after work drinks in the City? Book your table at Magpie & Stump; where you'll find reasonably priced cocktails, beers and small plates just minutes from St Paul's and City Thameslink stations.

Missed tickets to the phenomenal Drag + Dine Night at Wringer & Mangle? Don't worry, you're still invited to the party as they entice you in with a package of 5 martinis, access to the fabulous drag show, and a roaring after-party.

Work in the Covent Garden area? Sometimes you just can't beat a few drinks with the team at Be At One. Renowned throughout the city for their friendly bartenders and catalogue (quite literally) of amazing cocktails, there's not a day that goes by where happy hour doesn't last until 7pm and there's great tunes overhead.

Nestled in the heart of central London, this Bloomsbury bar makes the perfect destination for after work drinks. With modern cocktails, tasty bar snacks and VIP areas where you can chill out and watch movies, this is one for the list.

From lively after-work drinks to fun date nights, Lost Society is a top choice if you're looking for a bar with character. Don't expect quiet corners, because this Battersea favourite is all about cracking cocktails and live DJs through the week.

The Distillery is Bankside's destination bar, where you can expect nothing short of tailored perfection from the bartenders. Fitted out with leather Chesterfields and bespoke furnishings, make yourself at home at the London Hilton's hotel bar and sample a range of signature cocktails that include homemade aromatics, infusions and bitters.

Nestled in the beating heart of London's Leicester Square, Blind Spot is a smooth, sultry cocktail bar that offers guests a serene location to sit back and unwind with their favourite cocktail. Serving a range of exquisite concoctions and with a well-trained bar staff capable of mixing and flairing together an array of ingredients, the dim lighting and cosy armchairs create the perfect, laid back ambience to lose yourself in. 

We've been looking for a decent after-work joint in the Victoria area for an age, and we just may have found it in the Munich Cricket Club. A vast party space with a traditional Bavarian party atmosphere to it, slip into your lederhosen (or don't, whatever) and come by to sample beer from Munich breweries, a good choice of wines and cocktails.

Who's out drinking in Holborn tonight then? We've just the destination. Less a siesta and more a fiesta, Salvador and Amanda is a plush plot for after work drinks where tapas inspired chow and cracking party tracks reign supreme. Familiar with those after a reasonably priced post work tipple or three, this dapper little joint will please palates and party people alike.

One of the best cures for a hard day's work is a nice cold pint of Guinness. Luckily, that's what McGettigans, Fulham's best Irish bar, can get for you. There's live sport on the screens, live music on the stage, and tonnes of Irish drinks and food to keep you entertained until the next after-work drinks.

Gigi's is a great choice for after work drinks in Shoreditch. Head down and find a thriving hub for drinking, dining and clubbing in a wonderfully quirky space. Not only one of the best places for drinks come 5pm, this is also one of the best late night DJ bars in London.

Open until 3am every night of the week, this bar, club and karaoke lounge in Paddington can keep you occupid from dusk until dawn. Spread over multiple levels of tasty street food, bars and designated dance zones, you'll never be at a loss for night out activities. 

Within very easy stumbling distance of Borough tube station, this charming boozer is a home for live sports, great beers and tasty sandwiches and bar snacks.

An easy walk from any of Monument, Cannon Street and Bank stations, you'll find a buzzing scene after work on any given weekday at The Vintry. With full table service offered throughout the day you can kick back and clock off in style, with more than 170 wines on the bar alongside a refreshing range of craft beer, lager and cask ales. There's even a cool cocktail lounge where talented mixologists work their magic in the basement.

Moments from Paddington Station, Smith's Bar and Grill is a top choice for a few tipples once you're done working. Along with a strong list of cocktails, the bar has a generous happy hour.