Top 5 London Bars
A man who's tired of drinking in London's bars, is tired of drinking (or something like that). Take a gander at Gentry's Top 5 London Bars worth a visit this winter…
One advantage to the nights getting longer is that you have that much more time to sample the capital's vast spectrum of pubs and bars: from seedy basement dives to louche cocktail lounges to glittering penthouse waterholes.
And rest assured, over a life largely frittered away in such places, Gentry has thoroughly researched and sampled the delights of it's Top 5 London Bars list!
5. Gordon's Wine Bar
An oldie but a goodie, The phrase shabby chic springs to mind. Gordan's Wine Bar is not much to look out from the outside, but this hidden space near Embankment station is many a Londoner’s favorite wine bar for good reason. From the street you descend down a narrow flight of stairs to a time-worn space, dark and inviting, with candlelit tables nestling in the gloom under the railway arches. Full of character, it’s something of an institution.
47 Villiers Street, London WC2N 6NE
4. The Zetter
The Zetter is one of London's hippest hotels, as far and away from the swagged and gilded grande dames of Mayfair as one can get. Housed in a former warehouse in Clerkenwell, it's airy, stylish and effortlessly cool. The same goes for the hotel's acclaimed restaurant and its inviting bar, with its sweeping black marble counter and huge windows overlooking St John's Square – the perfect environment for sipping a cocktail and chilling out after work.
St John’s Square, 86 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1M 5RJ
3. The New Evaristo Club
At least one of the establishments on the list had to cover the "why am here at this time of the morning" factor, and Evaristo is it. It's not the kind of place you go to, it's the kind of place you end up. You have to seek it out, because there's no hint that, on street level, the bar even exists. The tables looked worn with years of heavy drinking, the walls are plastered with Maradona-era Napoli posters, and the lifesize Humphrey Bogart cut out is a fair embodiment of the enjoyably cynical aspect of the place. This could very well where the place where the desperate hours were born – in short, it's what Soho really feels like.
57 Greek Street, London W1D 3DX
2. The Vortex Jazz Bar
Dalston’s legendary jazz bar exudes atmosphere. Just off the main thoroughfare of the Kingsland Road, it’s an intimate space within Dalston Culture House. Attempts have been made to soften the rectangular room. There are marble-topped tables on top of which candles flicker and large windows make the space seem larger than it is. The drinks selection is as compact as the venue but they serve a small array of well chosen wines. But the music is the thing that matters here and the Vortex hosts live acts nearly every night of the week, with an eclectic line up including jazz greats and Mercury-prize nominees.Their regular Balkan nights are wonderful, with people often leaping from their seats and dancing. The Vortex is a labour of love and anyone with even a passing interest in jazz, owes it to themselves to pay this place a visit.
11 Gillett Square, London N16 8JH
1. The Coburg Bar
The Connaught's Coburg Bar has been superbly updated, the handiwork of Parisian based designer, India Mahdavi. Wood panelled interiors and antique pieces are counterbalanced by modern art works by Julian Opie, plush velvet and leather seats and geometric print carpet. Cocktails at £12 are expertly made – an apple martini, for example, uses the hotel's home-marinated cinnamon, pear and apple liqueur. No wonder this bar was voted the 'Best bar in London' by Time Out in 2008. Film stars Sharon Stone and Lauren Bacall are among the celebrities who have sampled the Connaught's delights and its traditional Mayfair grandeur continues to charm in a way that's absolutely up-to-date. Perfect for fading into a wonderful evening.
Connaught Hotel, Carlos Place, Westminster, London W1K 2AL
And, if you've any suggestions or honourable mentions, just let us know – below.
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[...] in most pubs and bars. But the company was great and we ended up in the New Evaristo (No.3 in Gentry Style’s top five London bars); one of those after-hours basement drinking dens that is ostensibly a members’ only place [...]