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Top 50 Bars Asia

Best bars in London

Seven ranked rooms in London, from Mayfair to Old Street, with addresses, booking rules, and what to order.

Seven ranked rooms in London hold a position on the current Europe list, across Mayfair, Old Street, and Shoreditch. Every one is below with the detail that decides where you actually go: the address, the reservation rule, what a visit costs, and the serves worth ordering.

In this selection

7 bars

Where to drink in London

The list clusters in Mayfair (2 rooms, led by Connaught Bar), Old Street (Tayer + Elementary), Shoreditch (Waltz), and Holborn (Scarfes Bar). Pick a district first and walk between rooms rather than crossing London between drinks.

The highest-ranked bars in London

Connaught Bar (Mayfair) at No.10, Satan's Whiskers at No.11, and Tayer + Elementary (Old Street) at No.12, on the current Europe list. Positions move with each edition, so a room can climb or drop between seasons.

How to book bars in London

Of the 7 rooms in London, 1 mixes booked tables with walk-in seats and 6 take walk-ins. Bookings run through OpenTable, and release windows differ between rooms, so check the profile before you fix a date. For a sense of spend, Satan's Whiskers lists about £13 per cocktail.

How we chose these bars

Each of these 7 rooms holds a position on our Europe ranking for the current season. Editors visit unannounced, more than once where a room has changed hands or rewritten its menu, and score on drinks, hospitality, consistency, and sense of place. We take no fee for inclusion, so nothing on this page can be bought. London rooms we rate but have not ranked are published as profiles without a list position.

Questions about London bars

Booking, districts, and how the London ranking works.

What is the best bar in London?

Connaught Bar holds No.10 on our Europe ranking for the current season, in Mayfair. Its profile carries the address, hours, reservation rule, and what to order on a first visit.

How many London bars are in the Top 50 Bars Asia directory?

Seven rooms in London, across 4 districts. Each one holds a position on the current Europe list, and we add rooms when an opening changes how the city drinks rather than to fill a quota.

Do you need a reservation for bars in London?

Of the 7 rooms in London, 1 mixes booked tables with walk-in seats and 6 take walk-ins. Bookings go through OpenTable at several of them, and the busiest release dates on a fixed schedule.

Which neighbourhood is best for bars in London?

Mayfair carries the most entries on this page with 2 rooms, which makes it the easiest base for a night of more than one. Holborn, Old Street, and Shoreditch follow. Every profile names its district and nearest station.

Nominate a bar for the next Asia list.

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