The Best Bars in London for an Artfully Crafted Cocktail

Mr. Fogg’s has six different locations in London, each using ingredients from around the world to compose their cocktail list (the bar’s name comes from the protagonist of Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days, Phileas J. Fogg). From the Gin Parlour to the EnGINe Room and Distillery to the Society of Exploration, guests will find themed drinking experiences using gin and other spirits from every corner of the globe, often infused with different flavors and mixed with shrubs, amaro, and vermouth of all types. At the Society of Exploration, you can even order a Safari Survival Kit, featuring two cocktails and protection from the wildlife (safety first!).

There’s nothing like a good hotel bar, especially one where you can enjoy the sublime experience of drinking a simple but exquisite martini. Dukes fits this bill, with a refined atmosphere (dress code enforced) that offers a quiet respite from the bustle of the city. Ian Fleming was a fan of Dukes, but the drinks have been updated since his time—for the past few decades, the legendary martinis are prepared tableside using gin straight from the freezer. The cocktails here are on the pricy side, but sometimes excellence and elegance is worth a splurge.

Formerly known as the American Bar, the Connaught Bar (located inside the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property, the The Connaught hotel) has won best hotel bar at Tales of the Cocktail twice in the past decade. The bar even has its own house-distilled gin, which, unfortunately, is only available in the UK. The menu is divided up into sections like Masterpieces, Foundation, and Finesse, and reading through each one is almost sensory overload. Try Wood, made with pisco infused with cherry bark, or order the Good Fellas, which combines cardamom-infused bourbon with balsamic vinegar. Their Bloody Mary is also one of the best you'll find anywhere.

The American Bar at The Savoy, another American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property, has been around since long before the cocktail renaissance in London got underway (classics like the Corpse Reviver #2 are said to have been invented here.) You can still find delicious drinks here in a subdued but not intimidating atmosphere. The cocktail menu changes from time to time, and the latest iteration is the Savoy Songbook, featuring 20 drinks inspired by music. Sinatra’s “Fly Me To the Moon” is the force behind Playing in the Stars, a combination of vodka, violet liqueur, and champagne. And Bowie’s “Space Oddity” inspires something simpler called Don’t Panic, made with dark rum, sherry, and Italicus. Settle in and read through the entire menu for a bit of whimsical music and cocktail synergy.

There is another American Bar in a different neighborhood in London, this one located at the swanky Stafford Hotel in St. James. The atmosphere here is a bit more relaxed than at The Savoy, with a full menu called The American Dream that celebrates the special relationship with us Yanks across the pond. The Frontier evokes the Wild West with a combination of mezcal, gin, and jalapeno pomegranate, while The Bootlegger was inspired by Prohibition, combining hazelnut-infused moonshine with single malt scotch and lime juice. Of course, there are plenty of well-crafted classics to enjoy as well, along with some tasty bar snacks.

Another modern cocktail bar that focuses on simplicity and a minimalist approach is Three Sheets, located in Dalston. Brothers Noel and Max Venning opened the bar almost three years ago, and have put together a cocktail menu that changes weekly. Recent selections range from a bottled French 75, to a Cosmo made with fermented cranberry, to the Shiso Miso that combines shiso leaf, miso, and Japanese whisky. Sometimes less is more in the world of cocktails, but only when artfully executed, as is the case here.

Sustainability has been a much discussed topic in the bar world recently, with plastic straws being nixed from many establishments and ongoing conversations about waste reduction efforts. The mission at Scout is to keep the drinks simple in an effort to streamline flavors and waste. To that end, bottled cocktails have been introduced to the menu, including a Vesper made with Hendrick’s new Midsummer Solstice Gin, and the Native Negroni. The current menu is called Ecosystems Vol. #1, and it's an attempt to showcase ingredients that represent the various ecosystems within the UK.

On the Every Cloud website, the bar is humbly described as a “neighborhood bar in Hackney Central.” That may be true, but the cocktails here range in flavor and concept beyond the confines of this corner of London. The menu is divided up into cocktail type ranging from “complex” to “fruit and veg” to “boozy.” In the fruit and veg category, you can the Beetroot to Yourself, which uses gin infused with beets and raspberry. Over in the boozy section, prepare yourself for the 10 Rum Mai Tai—“It’s ten rums, mate. Don’t be going to work tomorrow after that.” There are also rotating selections, like the double shot-sized Martiny that comes ice cold out of a Jägermeister machine.

The Oriole is a place to come for a proper drink, and, on most nights, some live music—jazz, blues, Brazilian, swing, and much more. The cocktail list is divided into sections that appear a bit dated in their titles—Old World, The Orient, and New World—but are an attempt to capture the flavors of the globe from both the past and the present. There is no doubt you will have to ask your waiter about some of these unfamiliar ingredients—what exactly is Lambanog coconut wine anyway? But that’s part of the fun, as you embark upon a world journey via cocktail and explore page after page of a menu that is unlike any other.