The Guide
The bars worth leaving the house for - landmark hotel bars, serious cocktail rooms, and the quiet ones that don't need to advertise.
7 venues
££££Strand · Embankment
Once the Beaufort Bar, this room at the Savoy now trades as the Beaufort Wine Bar, and the focus has moved from cocktails to wine, with a list of more than 250 wines. It sits on the Strand in WC2R, outside Mayfair, so treat it as a trip out rather than a local.
££££Mayfair · Bond Street
Claridge's Bar is the art deco hotel bar at Claridge's on Brook Street, and cocktails are the point. There is live jazz, and the old-world glamour is laid on with confidence rather than fuss. Go for a cocktail and the music, and let the room do the talking.
£££St James's · Green Park
On St James's Place, in St James's rather than Mayfair, Dukes Bar is where Ian Fleming found the inspiration for James Bond's Martini-drinking habits. The Martini is still the reason to come, prepared at your table. The hotel itself is closed for refurbishment, with reopening due late summer 2026, but the bar has stayed open throughout, walk-in only.
££££Mayfair · Bond Street
Harry's Bar on South Audley Street is a private members' club, one of the Birley Clubs, modelled on the Venice original. Inside, expect Bellinis, reliable Italian cooking and a loyal, well-heeled crowd. It is members only, so do not expect to walk in off the street.
££Shepherd Market · Green Park
Shepherd Market Wine House sits at 21-23 Shepherd Market, the village within a village that makes up one of Mayfair's most charming corners. The draw is an excellent wine list, simple food to go with it and, a rarer pleasure round here, tables outside.
££££Mayfair · Bond Street
The bar at the Connaught, on Carlos Place, is home to the Martini trolley, a London institution in its own right. Cocktails here are made with real elegance. It topped the World's 50 Best Bars list in 2021 and placed sixth in 2025, so the standard has clearly held.
££££Mayfair · Bond Street
Intimate art deco bar adjacent to the main lobby. Exceptional cocktail list in a refined setting.