Best Hotel Bars in Mayfair

Editor’s note: Top of the list, every list.

Consistently ranked among the world's finest bars, the Connaught Bar is a masterpiece of Art Deco design by David Collins. The martini trolley, mixed tableside, is one of the great rituals of London cocktail culture.

Editor’s note: The Reading Room's grown-up next door.

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.

Editor’s note: The tiny, jewel-box room hidden inside Claridge's. Twenty seats, a hundred-bottle list.

Claridge's intimate art deco bar — all lacquered walls, low lighting and impeccable cocktails. One of London's most civilised spots for a pre-dinner Martini.

Editor’s note: The original Mayfair-adjacent martini bar.

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.

Editor’s note: For a view to drink to: the 28th floor of the Hilton on Park Lane.

On the 28th floor of the London Hilton, Galvin at Windows offers the most spectacular view in London alongside Chris Galvin's Michelin-starred French cooking. A destination for special occasions.