What to order and where to do it: The bluffer’s guide to London bars

Cities get known for their drinks, and for the bars they’re born in. A recent trip to New Orleans was a bingo-card-esque adventure around some of its most celebrated spots and the cocktails they’re famous for: a sazerac at The Roosevelt; a grasshopper at Tujague’s; a vieux carre at Carousel.

While some of London’s most famous creations — the espresso martini, bramble, pornstar martini, Collins — have sadly lost their homes, there are still plenty of bars who can lay claim to having some of the capital’s most coveted cocktails.

So, want to know that one drink you simply have to order at the big name bars? Below are some of London’s signature cocktails, from well-established stalwarts to newbies which have already earned their stripes. Bookmark the list below, keep it in your proverbial back pocket, and prepare to look like a legend. You’re so welcome.

Ryan Chetiyawardana might be one of the worlds best-known bartenders and London is lucky enough to have two Chetiyawardana venues to explore. Seed Library in Shoreditch is a fine bar, but Lyaness on the South Bank is perhaps more fully realised and the new(ish) menu, called the 3.0 Cookbook, is a tour de force. Each recipe took months to craft, with our favourite, a potato-based martini, touching on themes of cravings and its links to gut health. It’s a drink which piques curiosity — something Chetiyawardana is a pro at — in a way so few other cocktails can; thoughtfully, but without lecturing. It also happens to be one of London’s more delicious martinis. A timeless drink which, knowing Chetiyawardana, won’t be around forever.

The Bauhaus-inspired bar came out of the traps in 2021 with flavour-bending drinks that earned it some well-deserved kudos — none more so than the pastel. Pink, served by the bottle, it is a deliciously tasty weapon in owners Remy Savage and Paul Lougrat’s wheelhouse. A carbonated, moreish little number, it’s vodka based, rhubarb forward and uses Capreolus raspberry eau de vie (which has its own cult following). Despite scores more bangers coming out of this minimalist, neighbourhood bar, the pastel remains resolute. A modern classic at its best.

If there is one thing that could make crossing Old Street roundabout worth it, it’s the one sip martini at internationally revered, Tayer + Elementary. Why? For one, it is the perfect size for both martini Olympians and egg-and-spoon-racers alike. Second, it comes with a generously-stuffed blue cheese olive. Thirdly, a drop of fino sherry keeps it dry and peppy. Pop in for a quick martini pitstop — or order it on arrival to accompany your perusal of the rest of the menu. And at £4? Come on…

The Savoy Hotel’s famous American Bar has passed through many hands since the legendary Ada Coleman held the position as head bartender, where she stayed at the helm for 23 years. As of March 2024, Angelo Sparvoli took over the feted position and while we await a new menu from Sparvoli, you can still get a classic hanky panky (gin, vermouth and Fernet Branca) which was invented by Coleman in the 1900s. We suggest kicking the evening off with one in her honour, before delving into the ‘Journal’ cocktail book, a record of the American Bar’s rich history.

You’d be forgiven for ceremoniously chanting these three words in anticipation as you reach the summit of the steps at Bethnal Green tube station: Champagne pina colada. Why? Because like a beige beacon, this is a cocktail that deserves a detour on any trip out east. Created by Coupette’s former founder Chris Moore, its ingredients are a roster of deliciousness: white rum, rhum agricole, pineapple liqueur, pineapple juice, Champagne and coconut sorbet. It’s visual ASMR — clean, crisp and topped with a crunchy crown of coconut. Is one enough? Probably — but we’ve been known to do the double and never regretted it.

One of Ian Fleming’s favourite bars, it is only natural that a martini at Dukes Bar should be on your hit list. Originally created by Salvatore Calabrese, this martini is still served in the cosy hotel bar, most desirably by bar manager Alessandro Palazzi, who has become synonymous with the cocktail. Its preparation is where the magic happens: a frozen glass is swirled with vermouth (the excess of which is then discarded onto the carpet) before a hefty five servings of gin from the freezer are added. Amalfi lemon peel is expressed over the top and then dropped in the glass. One is, frankly, enough. Two? You’re on your own. Three? It’s not allowed.

There are a number of contenders for the best Irish coffee in London, but Swift is perhaps the best known for its take on a cocktail that began life in 1943. The fact that both regulars and tourists alike can be seen drinking it in the height of summer is testament to its star appeal. Swift’s now famous take comprises Jameson Caskmates Stout, Swift’s own coffee blend, dememera syrup, cream and a dusting of nutmeg. There are three Swifts in town (the OG in Soho, the baby of the group in Shoreditch, and its newest in Borough) and you’ll find the same rendition of this classic in all three.

Over on Kingsland Road and the French 75 is the destination drink in Dalston. The name is slightly misleading, because it isn’t really a French 75 in the classic sense, but the wizkids at this small but big-on-flavour bar have used its structure to inspire their signature cocktail. Acidity and sweetness are balanced perfectly with gin, lemon, verjus, Moscato and orange flower, and the whole drink is clarified and carbonated using a beer keg, and served from a bottle just like a glass of fizz. If you’re going in a group, order a bottle for a touch of class at the start of your night.

Invented by owner Kevin Armstrong at London’s legendary (but now closed) Milk & Honey, this modern classic has thankfully travelled with him from Soho to Satan’s. Named after a mugging that happened in E8 when Kevin dropped off a colleague, it comprises vodka, Aperol, pineapple, lime and passionfruit, and, much like all of the bar’s other classics, is the best version you’ll get of the cocktail anywhere in town.

There aren’t many places you can get an award-winning cocktail post-2am in London, but Silverleaf delivers the goods with is cult-loved pineapple miso. The standout on its debut menu, it’s made up of a mere four ingredients: Craigellachie 13, pineapple caramel, brown butter and miso. There’s fat washing and clarification. And a white chocolate garnish. The bar may have launched a new menu since, but luckily the pineapple miso has been given signature cocktail status — thank the umami gods.

£16, 3rd Floor, Devonshire House, 3 Bishopsgate, EC2M 4JX, panpacific.com

Another bar, another iconic martini. Probably one of the most videoed drinks on socials, it’s no surprise that the Connaught martini has made the cut. Ago Perrone and Giorgio Bargiani (alongside Maura Milia, who left the team earlier this year) have created a modern classic with the added theatre of a trolley where guests can choose their own bitters to personalise their drink. Poured from a great height, it’s a wonderfully theatrical occasion and makes for an iconic London-cocktail-bingo moment — just as long as you can get in.

The elder statesman of this list, the black velvet is a classic that comes with the reverence you can only find in restaurants as classic as Rules. A mix of stout and white sparkling wine, it was created in 1861 at members’ club Brook’s Club to commemorate the death of Prince Albert (“even the Champagne should be mourning”). While more modern variations are out there, the OG is a piece of London history and legendary bartender Brian Silva isn’t messing with a perfect format. Rules’ now famous version, using Guinness and Champagne, is served super cold in a silver tankard — it really is the feather in Rules’ cap.

Opened in 2022, Velvet at the Corinthia Hotel might not be the birthplace of the breakfast martini, but this signature cocktail created by the bar’s figurehead Salvatore Calabrese back in 1996 at the Lanesborough Hotel’s Library Bar, has followed him to his new home. It’s not technically a martini, but the “breakfast” element comes from the addition of orange marmalade alongside gin, Cointreau and lemon juice. The bar’s not open in time for breakfast, but it’s perfect for some post-work pep.

So successful has agave bar Hacha’s Mirror Margarita been, that you can now buy it in shops to get your fix. But it doesn’t beat having one served in either the original Dalston or newer Brixton bar. Created by co-owner Deano Moncrieffe, the signature serve has gained fame for being completely see-through (like a glass of water), and for its clean and balanced take on the original cocktail. You can have it served with tequila or mezcal — the tequila original the better choice in our opinion — and the bar often collaborates with different brands to give regulars new renditions on the old favourite. Simply perfect.

£11, 378 Kingsland Rd, E8 4AA and 12 Market Row, SW9 8LD, hachabar.com