Where to Go for Cocktails in London
Hotel bars, hidden rooms and rooftops: how to choose the right kind of place for a first drink together.
Grand hotel bars
For a first meeting, it is hard to beat a hotel bar. The lighting is kind, the service is discreet and nobody looks twice at two people talking. Mayfair, St James's and Knightsbridge have the best known rooms, and most welcome guests who are not staying at the hotel.
Soho and the West End
Soho is full of small basement bars, many of them walk in only, so arrive early on a Friday or Saturday. It is the easiest area for an evening with no fixed plan, because something is always open close by.
Shoreditch and the City
East London has a more relaxed crowd and some excellent cocktail bars around Shoreditch and Old Street, while the towers around Bishopsgate have sky bars with views right across the city. Book the high ones in advance, since window tables go early.