Cities are known for their drinks and the bars where they were born. A recent trip to New Orleans was a bingo card-like adventure around some of the city’s most famous landmarks and the cocktails they’re famous for: a sazerac Roosevelt; A grasshopper in Tujague; A vieux carre in the carousel.
While some of London’s most famous creations (espresso martini, blackberry, porn star martini, Collins) have sadly lost their homes, there are still plenty of bars that can claim to have some of the capital’s most coveted cocktails.
So, do you want to know when you should order just one drink from famous bars? Below are some of London’s signature cocktails, from established stalwarts to upstarts that have already earned their stripes. Bookmark the list below, keep it in your proverbial back pocket, and get ready to look like a legend. You are very welcome.
Unfiltered Martini, Lyaness
Ryan Chetiyawardana may be one of the world’s best-known bartenders, and London is lucky enough to have two Chetiyawardana venues to explore. The Seed Library in Shoreditch is a good bar, but Lyaness on the South Bank is perhaps more thoroughly realized and the new(ish) menu, called 3.0 Cookbook, is a tour de force. Each recipe took months to prepare; our favorite potato-based martini touched on themes of cravings and its connections to gut health. It’s an intriguing drink in a way that few other cocktails can – something Chetiyawardana is a pro at; thoughtfully but without lecturing. It’s also one of the most delicious martinis in London. Knowing Chetiyawardana is a timeless drink that will not be around forever.
£17, 20 Upper Ground, SE1 9PD, lyaness.com
Pastel, A Shaped Stick For Name
The Bauhaus-inspired bar has emerged from the traps in 2021 with flavor-changing drinks that have earned it the praise it deserves – none more so than pastel. Served by the bottle, rosé is a deliciously delicious weapon in owners Remy Savage and Paul Lougrat’s wheelhouse. A fizzy, purplish little number, it uses vodka-based, rhubarb and Capreolus raspberry eau de vie (which has its own cult following). Even as more crazies emerge from this minimalist neighborhood bar, pastel remains steadfast. A modern classic at its best.
£11, 232 Kingsland Road, E2 8AX, @a_bar_with_shapes_for_a_name_
A Sip of Martini, Tayer + Primary School
If there’s anything worth crossing the Old Street intersection, it’s a sip of a martini at the internationally respected Tayer + Elementary. From where? First, it’s the perfect size for martini Olympians and egg-and-spoon racers alike. The latter comes with a generous helping of stuffed blue cheese olives. Third, a splash of fino sherry keeps it dry and peppy. Stop by for a quick martini break, or order it on arrival to accompany you while you peruse the rest of the menu. So £4? Come on…
£4, 152 Old Street, EC1V 9BW, tayer-primaryschool.com
Hanky Panky, American Bar
The Savoy Hotel’s famous American Bar has gone through many hands since the legendary Ada Coleman’s 23-year tenure as head bartender. Angelo Sparvoli as of March 2024 While we wait for a new menu from Sparvoli, you can still get the classic panky (gin, vermouth and Fernet Branca) that Coleman invented in the 1900s. We recommend kicking off the evening with a cocktail in his honor before diving into the ‘Journal’ cocktail book, a record of the American Bar’s rich history.
£20, Savoy, Strand, WC2R 0EZ, thesavoylondon.com
Champagne Pina Colada, Coupette
As you reach the top of the stairs at Bethnal Green tube station, you’d be forgiven for ceremoniously uttering these three words: Champagne pina colada. From where? Because like a beige beacon, this is a cocktail worthy of a detour on any trip east. Created by Coupette’s former founder Chris Moore, the ingredients come in a wide variety of flavors: white rum, rhum agricole, pineapple liqueur, pineapple juice, Champagne and coconut sorbet. This image is ASMR; clean, crisp and topped with a crunchy coconut crown. Is one enough? Probably – but we have been known to double down and have never regretted it.
£15, 423 Bethnal Green Road, E2 0AN, coupette.co.uk
Dukes Martini, Dukes Bar
It’s only natural that a martini from Dukes Bar, one of Ian Fleming’s favorite bars, would be on your hit list. Originally created by Salvatore Calabrese, this martini is still served in the hotel’s cozy bar; preferably served by bar manager Alessandro Palazzi, who has become synonymous with the cocktail. Preparation is where the magic happens: A frozen glass is swirled with vermouth (the excess is thrown onto the carpet), then five servings of gin from the freezer are added. Amalfi lemon peel is squeezed over the top and then dropped into the glass. Frankly, one is enough. Two? You are on your own. Fly? This is not allowed.
£25, 35 St James’s Place, SW1A 1NY, dukeshotel.com
Swift Irish Coffee, Swift
There are plenty of contenders for best Irish coffee in London, but Swift is perhaps best known for his take on a cocktail that began life in 1943. summer is proof of star appeal. Swift’s now-famous recipe for Jameson Caskmates Stout consists of Swift’s own coffee blend, demera syrup, cream and a little coconut powder. There are three Swifts in town (the OG in Soho, the baby of the bunch in Shoreditch, and the newest one in Borough), and you’ll find the same take on this classic in all three.
£11, W1D, EC2A and SE1, barwift.com
French 75, Three Pages
It’s on Kingsland Road and is the arrival drink at French 75, Dalston. The name is a bit misleading because it’s not really a French 75 in the classical sense, but the wizards of this small but big-tasting bar used the structure to inspire their signature cocktails. Acidity and sweetness are perfectly balanced with gin, lemon, verjus, Moscato and orange blossom, and the entire drink is clarified and carbonated using a beer keg and served from the bottle, just like a glass of soda. If you’re going in a group, order a bottle at the beginning of the night to add some elegance.
£13 (£69 per bottle), 510b Kingsland Road, E8 4AB, threesheets-bar.com
East 8 Wait, Devil’s Mustache
Invented by owner Kevin Armstrong at London’s legendary (but now closed) Milk & Honey, this modern classic has thankfully traveled with him from Soho to Satan’s. Named after the robbery that took place at E8 when Kevin dropped off a colleague, this cocktail consists of vodka, Aperol, pineapple, lemon and passion fruit, and like the bar’s other classics, it’s the best version of this cocktail you can get anywhere. in town
£11, 343 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9RA, satanswhiskers.com
Pineapple Miso, Silverleaf
There aren’t many places in London where you can get an award-winning cocktail after 2am, but Silverleaf delivers with the cult-favorite pineapple miso. Featured on its first menu, it consists of just four ingredients: Craigellachie 13, pineapple caramel, brown butter and miso. There is oil washing and clarification. And white chocolate garnish. The bar may have since launched a new menu, but thankfully the pineapple miso has been given special cocktail status — thank the umami gods.
£16, 3rd Floor, Devonshire House, 3 Bishopsgate, EC2M 4JX, panpacific.com
Connaught Martini, Connaught Bar
Another bar, another iconic martini. Arguably one of the most videotaped drinks on social media, it’s no surprise that the Connaught martini has increased that figure. Ago Perrone and Giorgio Bargiani (along with Maura Milia, who left the team earlier this year) have created a modern classic by adding a trolley theater where guests can choose their own bitters to personalize their drinks. Pouring from a great height, it’s a great theatrical event, creating an iconic London-cocktail-bingo moment as long as you can get in.
£28, 16 Carlos Place, W1K 2AL, the-connaught.co.uk
Black Velvet, Rules
The elder statesman of this list, black velvet is a classic that commands the respect you’ll only find in restaurants as classic as Rules. A blend of hard and white sparkling wine, it was created in 1861 at the members’ club Brook’s Club to commemorate the death of Prince Albert (“Even champagne should be in mourning”). While more modern variations exist, the OG is a piece of London history and legendary bartender Brian Silva isn’t messing around with a perfect format. Rules’ now famous version, using Guinness and Champagne, is served super chilled in a silver tankard – this is truly the feather in Rules’ cap.
£19.95, 34-35 Maiden’s Way, WC2E 7LB, rules.co.uk
Breakfast Martini, Velvet
The Velvet, which opened at the Corinthia Hotel in 2022, may not be the birthplace of the breakfast martini, but this signature cocktail, created by the bar’s puppet Salvatore Calabrese at the Lanesborough Hotel’s Library Bar in 1996, has followed it to its new home. It’s not technically a martini, but the “breakfast” element comes from the addition of gin, Cointreau, and lemon juice, as well as orange marmalade. The bar isn’t open at breakfast time, but it’s perfect for an after-work pick-me-up.
£22, Whitehall Place, SW1A 2BD, corinthia.com
Mirror Margarita, Hacha
Hacha’s Mirror Margarita has been so successful that you can now purchase it in stores to get your fix. But it’s no better than being served in the original Dalston or the newer Brixton bar. Created by co-owner Deano Moncrieffe, the special serve has gained a reputation for being completely transparent (like a glass of water) and delivering a clean and balanced take on the original cocktail. You can have it served with tequila or mezcal—we think the original tequila is a better choice—and the bar often collaborates with different brands to offer patrons new takes on the old favorite. Simply perfect.
£11, 378 Kingsland Rd, E8 4AA and 12 Market Row, SW9 8LD, hachabar.com