I've lived in London for nearly 10 years now and besides being absolutely terrifying hopefully reassures you that I know what I'm talking about when it comes to finding good places in London. Naturally as someone who earns a decent salary but not a ridiculous one I haven't been to every place that does cocktails in London. Not only would that probably bankrupt me but I'd also definitely have a drinking problem trying to get round them all.
This list is a mix of cocktail bars and restaurants but even the restaurants you can just go in for drinks. Most are round central so hopefully easy for most people if you're living in London or just looking for the best cocktails in London for when you come and visit.
As a warning most places in London are minimum £10 per cocktail and a lot on this list are more around the £15-£20 mark, so be prepared to pay - although hopefully it will be worth it.
1. Kol
Starting off with the restaurant that gave me the best dining experience of my life (and also the most expensive restaurant bill.) Kol, is a modern Mexican restaurant that pride themselves on using fresh British ingredients. I went with my two best friends for their Saturday lunch menu and had the best tomato I've ever had. It sounds weird but if someone can make a tomato so great, you know they've got a talent for food. Also their crockery is to die for and so cute with a rustic but modern feel.
Anyway, enough rambling about the food (it's great, you should go) what we're here to talk about is the cocktails. Before our set menu we decided to treat ourselves to a cocktail and as we were at a Mexican restaurant, we decided to get the House Margarita and ended up having three. The Kol House Margarita is a delicious blend of Mezcal and Yuzu Sake with a couple of other ingredients that I don't know what they are.
Alongside the Margarita, there's some very unique cocktails such as the Carajillo XO (brandy, coffee and vermouth) and their twist on a negroni made with mezcal. They also have an extensive list of agave and other mexican spirits so something for everyone.
You can book for lunch/dinner (not sure if I mentioned but I would HIGHLY recommend) or you can book a table in the Mezcalaria.
Check out Kol's website here.
2. Sushi Samba
Would it surprise you if I told you this place does sushi? Probably not, but it might surprise you that it does really good cocktails. There are now two Sushi Samba's in London and both are in pretty iconic London locations, making it the perfect place to visit for cocktails if you're looking to celebrate a special occasion. The original is in the Heron (now Salesforce) tower in Liverpool Street, on the 38th and 39th floors, providing stunning views over London. The second is in the Covent Garden square, creating the perfect place if you want to do some people watching whilst sipping your delicious cocktail.
So similar to Kol you can go and enjoy a delicious meal, or you can just pop in for a drink. They had about 12-15 cocktails when I last visited but also they're happy to whip something up if you don't find anything you like.
On my most recent visit I had a Samba Sour, one of their signature cocktails, made with a Barsol pisco, maraschino liqueur and tumeric. It's sweet but with a nice tarte aftertaste. I also had a very tropical Coconut Batida that was kind of like a posh Pina Colada which had rum, coconut liqueur and cachaca (a sugar cane spirit.)
Check out Sushi Samba locations here.
3. High Water
High Water is a gorgeous cocktail bar based in Dalston, with Brewdog and eartH as its neighbours which makes it a great location to start your night or for a cosy date night. The first time I went here I swore I'd go back once a week but as with most of my plans that didn't last long. It did last long enough to fall in love with it a little bit though. It's a comfy but cool style, dark and cozy but sexy and of course it's not just about the decor, the reason to go is for the cocktails.
They have all the classics but if you go you need to try at least one of their signature cocktails. The list includes the punchy Rye Fidelity which includes Rye Whiskey, Mezcal and Drambuie on the rocks - especially if you're looking to get value for money. Or for those like me with a sweeter tooth I'd recommend the East 8 Hold Up which has vodka, aperol, pineapple, passion fruit and lime mmmmmm,
Find out more about High Water here.
4. Mrs Foggs
For those of you that do know London already will know that the Mr Foggs chain is one of the biggest. So whilst I am recommending Mrs Foggs in this article, any of the 'Foggs' chain are worth trying. Each with a slightly different theme but all have delicious cocktails, Mrs Foggs is just the one I've been to most recently.
Mrs Foggs is located in Liverpool Street in Broadgate Circle and has a Victorian nautical theme (that classic combo) and even has a replica train carriage that you can hire out if you want a bit of privacy. There's a pretty good menu with not many 'classics' on the menu but I'm sure you can order them. With so many options on the menu my friend and I naturally stayed for about 5 hours.
I would recommend (from what I remember) was the Fields of France which was a mix of gin, chambord, apple juice, lemon and cinnamon syrup.
See more about the Fogg chain here.
5. Limin Beach Club
As the name may suggest this is one for summer more than winter, but they do have indoor seating if you have a hankering for a slice of the Caribbean in January (who doesn't.) This was a very lucky find when the sister-in-laws and I were out on a bottomless brunch and naturally needed somewhere to go after. Despite it's location just off Southbank I'd never heard of this great tropical oasis.
Now I can't remember the names of the cocktails and annoyingly they don't have them listed on the website (BTS secret - that's how I've refreshed my memory with the above bars.) We did have some delicious coconut cocktail that was served in a coconut for extra tropical vibes. They also had another Carribbean classic (and one of my faves) a VERY punchy, rum punch.
You can buy their rum punch here or just find out more about them here.
6. Soho House Group
Sadly you can only go to any of the Soho House Group bars if you have a membership or know someone who's got one. Soho Houses (the OG in Soho) are now found in so many places in London and throughout the UK, with more being planned each year it seems they're becoming the new Pret. No complaints here though, their food is banging and obvs so are the cocktails.
My personal fave and my general go to is the Tommy's Margarita, think your classic margarita but with agave so makes it a bit sweeter. What they're famous for though (which I have never had) is the Picante which as the name suggests is the margarita but with a spicy kick.
Check out the Soho House group here.
So there you have it, my guide to London's cocktail scene. Have any favourites of your own? Let me know, comment or message us on socials!
If you love your cocktails why not decorate your house with some? Check out our cocktail collection of framed posters for your kitchen or bar here.