London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Dec 25, 2025

The best bars in the world have been named - and a lot of them are in London

The best bars in the world have been named - and a lot of them are in London

Not a surprise really, we like our drinks. One of London's best qualities is its nightlife - from fancy restaurants to street food gardens, and cheesy nightclubs to Instagrammable bars, it has something for everyone.

If you're looking to try out some new bars , whether for a quick pre-dinner drink or a special celebration, you've found the right place.

The top 50 best bars in the world for 2019 have been named and, unsurprisingly, a lot are in London.

Alongside New York haunts, Roman speakeasys and Hong Kong favourites are a whopping 10 London joints.

The hard part? Deciding which one to try first.

Here all all of the London bars that made the top 50.


48. Artesian, Regent Street

It used to be all about the theatrical, but it's returned to the list with a new leadership team who have stripped it back and made everything, form the decor to the menu, minimalist.

Unusual ingredients and infused spirits make this place hugely unique.


47. Kwant, Mayfair

Hidden away below a Moroccan restaurant is a real taste of exotic glamour.

You may feel like you're in Casablanca, but with ingredients like fermented pineapples, micro-herbs and other techie treats you know you're firmly in the 21st century.


41. Swift, Soho

Known as one of London's favourite independent bars Swift is an all round winner.

Its bright and airy upstairs offers fizz, oysters and lighter cocktails, while head downstairs for one of London’s widest ranges of world whiskies in a moody, refined environment.


40. Happiness Forgets, Hoxton

A reliable hideout for drinks in a speakeasy-style bar the vibe is relaxed and fun, as the name suggests.

People actually travel from around the world to visit this great bar with top-notch drinks, and as avenue that opened a decade ago on a budget of just £25,000 it's achieved great things.


39. Lyaness, Southbank

Take a look at the menu and this cocktail bar looks simple, but that's the beauty of it - you get an incredible surprise when you have that first sip.

The main guy is basically a mad scientist, with cocktails based around strange ingredients including Onyx, but also starring more traditional flavours like pineapple, raspberry and banana.


28. Scout, Hackney

It leads the way in the use of sustainable and seasonal ingredients in cocktails without compromising on taste.

Upstairs is minimalist and straight-edged, downstairs is more a dive bar, with writing on the walls, then there's the basement bar, Gold Tooth, which is more art-focused. take your pick, or try them all.


23. Coupette, Bethnal Green

Simple, unfussy, stripped back and modest are all key features of Coupette, but the drinks aren't.

Its created some of the most famous cocktails of recent years, such as the Champagne Piña Colada and Apples, and it has an original focus on French spirits, particularly calvados, making it one of the best specialist bars in the industry.


16. Three Streets, Hackney

It's tiny, bare and truth be told, doesn't look like much, but trust us - you need to try it.

Carrying on the stripped back approach there are just three drinks on offer (changing weekly), each based on strength and flavour - but given that cocktail menus can be a confusing minefield this is refreshing and pretty useful.


5. American Bar, The Savoy

It's been around for nearly 130 years and has won many accolades in its time, but this institution is going nowhere.

As much a piano bar as it is a cocktail bar, the lavish lounge it doesn't sway too far from the classics - it knows that patrons are traditionalists - but then there are unexpected eccentric options like The Electric Lover with purple glitter running through it.


2. Connaught Bar, Mayfair

Stylish, graceful and iconic, this place almost tops the list for good reason.

The latest cocktail menu, Vanguard, has made offerings more creative, but then you can have the perfected classics too - we recommend the Dry Martini, the Bloody Mary and the Mulatta Daisy.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Join Royal Family at Sandringham Christmas Service
Fine Wine Investors Find Little Cheer in Third Year of Falls
UK Mortgage Rates Edge Lower as Bank of England Base Rate Cut Filters Through Lending Market
U.S. Supermarket Gives Customers Free Groceries for Christmas After Computer Glitch
Air India ‘Finds’ a Plane That Vanished 13 Years Ago
Caviar and Foie Gras? China Is Becoming a Luxury Food Powerhouse
Hong Kong Climbs to Second Globally in 2025 Tourism Rankings Behind Bangkok
From Sunniest Year on Record to Terror Plots and Sports Triumphs: The UK’s Defining Stories of 2025
Greta Thunberg Released on Bail After Arrest at London Pro-Palestinian Demonstration
Banksy Unveils New Winter Mural in London Amid Festive Season Excitement
UK Households Face Rising Financial Strain as Tax Increases Bite and Growth Loses Momentum
UK Government Approves Universal Studios Theme Park in Bedford Poised to Rival Disneyland Paris
UK Gambling Shares Slide as Traders Respond to Steep Tax Rises and Sector Uncertainty
Starmer and Trump Coordinate on Ukraine Peace Efforts in Latest Diplomatic Call
The Pilot Barricaded Himself in the Cockpit and Refused to Take Off: "We Are Not Leaving Until I Receive My Salary"
UK Fashion Label LK Bennett Pursues Accelerated Sale Amid Financial Struggles
U.S. Government Warns UK Over Free Speech in Pro-Life Campaigner Prosecution
Newly Released Files Shed Light on Jeffrey Epstein’s Extensive Links to the United Kingdom
Prince William and Prince George Volunteer Together at UK Homelessness Charity
UK Police Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’ as Authorities Recalibrate Free Speech Enforcement
Scambodia: The World Owes Thailand’s Military a Profound Debt of Gratitude
Women in Partial Nudity — and Bill Clinton in a Dress and Heels: The Images Revealed in the “Epstein Files”
US Envoy Witkoff to Convene Security Advisers from Ukraine, UK, France and Germany in Miami as Peace Efforts Intensify
UK Retailers Report Sharp Pre-Christmas Sales Decline and Weak Outlook, CBI Survey Shows
UK Government Rejects Use of Frozen Russian Assets to Fund Aid for Ukraine
UK Financial Conduct Authority Opens Formal Investigation into WH Smith After Accounting Errors
UK Issues Final Ultimatum to Roman Abramovich Over £2.5bn Chelsea Sale Funds for Ukraine
Rare Pink Fog Sweeps Across Parts of the UK as Met Office Warns of Poor Visibility
UK Police Pledge ‘More Assertive’ Enforcement to Tackle Antisemitism at Protests
UK Police Warn They Will Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’
Trump Files $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC as Broadcaster Pledges Legal Defence
UK Says U.S. Tech Deal Talks Still Active Despite Washington’s Suspension of Prosperity Pact
UK Mortgage Rules to Give Greater Flexibility to Borrowers With Irregular Incomes
UK Treasury Moves to Position Britain as Leading Global Hub for Crypto Firms
U.S. Freezes £31 Billion Tech Prosperity Deal With Britain Amid Trade Dispute
Prince Harry and Meghan’s Potential UK Return Gains New Momentum Amid Security Review and Royal Dialogue
Zelensky Opens High-Stakes Peace Talks in Berlin with Trump Envoy and European Leaders
Historical Reflections on Press Freedom Emerge Amid Debate Over Trump’s Media Policies
UK Boosts Protection for Jewish Communities After Sydney Hanukkah Attack
UK Government Declines to Comment After ICC Prosecutor Alleges Britain Threatened to Defund Court Over Israel Arrest Warrant
Apple Shutters All Retail Stores in the United Kingdom Under New National COVID-19 Lockdown
US–UK Technology Partnership Strains as Key Trade Disagreements Emerge
UK Police Confirm No Further Action Over Allegation That Andrew Asked Bodyguard to Investigate Virginia Giuffre
Giuffre Family Expresses Deep Disappointment as UK Police Decline New Inquiry Into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Claims
Transatlantic Trade Ambitions Hit a Snag as UK–US Deal Faces Emerging Challenges
Ex-ICC Prosecutor Alleges UK Threatened to Withdraw Funding Over Netanyahu Arrest Warrant Bid
UK Disciplinary Tribunal Clears Carter-Ruck Lawyer of Misconduct in OneCoin Case
‘Pink Ladies’ Emerge as Prominent Face of UK Anti-Immigration Protests
Nigel Farage Says Reform UK Has Become Britain’s Largest Party as Labour Membership Falls Sharply
Google DeepMind and UK Government Launch First Automated AI Lab to Accelerate Scientific Discovery
×