With the weather taking a cooler turn and the days being shorter than ever, it’s no surprise that people are looking for new bars to grab a drink after work or on the weekend.
While you have your local watering holes for a quick glass of wine or a beer, sometimes you’re seeking out a trendier bar with more ambience. Perhaps you want to get dressed up – or maybe you’re just after a killer cocktail, but whatever the reason, the bartenders at the following places know how to make a mean drink.
Cosy cocktail spots in London
Ever After, Shoreditch
Find this East London gem in Hoxton Square – a small cocktail bar and kitchen serving up bespoke drinks and small plates to share.
Enjoy an espresso martini three ways – with vodka, bourbon or tequila (and all will have you questioning the original being so popular, trust me) – and snack on sharing dishes such as a melt-in-your-mouth ox cheeky, oyster mushroom and pepper skewer or courgette and feta-filled ravioli. Don’t miss the homemade chocolate mousse, that’s served to you in big dollops from a bowl.
Bow Bar, Paddington
Never has a hotel bar generated so much buzz as this one but the Hilton London Metropole’s Bow Bar is quite the spot to grab a drink.
Each cocktail has been carefully crafted by the creative mixologists behind the bar, to bring you the likes of the Charlie Chaplin (Beefeater 24 gin, homemade tamarind beer and freshly squeezed lime) and the Blinker, which will have even whiskey sceptics turn their heads.
Haugen, Stratford
I’d say nestled in Stratford but Haugen’s building is pretty impossible to miss as you walk yourself through and past the Westfield shopping centre. While the restaurant itself certainly has plenty to offer (cheese fondue, anyone?), the rooftop is wear things get really cute and cosy.
Nibble on bretzels (hot, buttered, soft versions of the traditional snack) and nocarella olives as you sip your Haugen Breeze or Sky High Spritz. Blankets are included.
Shutters, Canary Wharf
We all need a local bar to head to for post-work drinks and if you work in the city and are looking for something that’s a little more spruced up, check out Shutters.
With an extensive wine list, boasting everything from Chablis to Whispering Angel, there’s also a decent set of cocktails to work your way through. The Mango No.5 and Secret Gin Garden are not to be missed, nor are the crab nachos – go get ’em.
Coupette, Bethnal Green
One of the world’s best bars (2019), Coupette in Bethnal Green is both authentic and completely unassuming. With its unpretentious nature having no effect on the quality of its cocktails, this bar is definitely worth a stop.
With each page of its menu focusing on a different cocktail chapter, the drinks range from ‘chocolate and red wine’ to ‘sour little sweetie’ – all fun, eclectic and unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before. Snacks are on hand too – as well as cheese and charcuterie plates, they’ve got confit duck leg, fried chicken and croque monsieur sandwiches.
Doña, Stoke Newington
Enjoy magical Mezcal cocktails, all the way from Mexico, at this hidden gem in Stoke Newington. From the sharp and sassy Sabrina drink, with pink peppercorns and lime, to the fresh and fizzy Paloma – there’s a long list to work your way through at Doña.
And if you get hungry? Tigre Tacos is just upstairs, serving the best fish and vegetarian tacos and tostadas. Baja fish and grilled prawns have our vote…
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