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Friday, Oct 03, 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.

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