6 speakeasies in London, editor-picked by TableJourney. All London nightlife.
Nightjar ★ 4.7
Shoreditch · 129 City Road, Shoreditch, London EC1V 1JB
The basement on City Road behind an unmarked door is the standard against which every London speakeasy is measured, with nightly live jazz and a cocktail menu that takes the prohibition era seriously.
Tip: Bookings only, walk-ins are turned away after 19:00. The 22:30 second set is when the band loosens up.
Happiness Forgets ★ 4.8
Hoxton · 8-9 Hoxton Square, Hoxton, London N1 6NU
The Hoxton Square basement run by Alastair Burgess pairs a tight rotating cocktail list with a no-nonsense room policy that has kept it on the World's 50 Best Bars list more or less continuously since 2014.
Tip: Bookings open one week ahead at 12:00 sharp, set a reminder. Walk-ins get the bar if anything.
The Connaught Bar ★ 4.9
Mayfair · The Connaught, Carlos Place, Mayfair, London W1K 2AL
Agostino Perrone's bar inside the Connaught in Mayfair has won World's Best Bar more than once and runs the table-side martini trolley service that the rest of the industry copies.
Tip: Order the martini trolley, the choice of vermouth and bitters at the table is the experience. Reservations open one month ahead.
Lyaness ★ 4.7
South Bank · Sea Containers London, 20 Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PD
Ryan Chetiyawardana's ingredient-led bar at Sea Containers is built around the seven Pinnacle Guide ingredients that change every year, and the menu reads like a chef's tasting more than a drinks list.
Tip: Sit at the bar, the conversation with the bartenders is the menu's commentary track. Saturday afternoons are the quietest slot.
American Bar at The Savoy ★ 4.7
Covent Garden · The Savoy, Strand, Covent Garden, London WC2R 0EU
The 1893 cocktail bar inside the Savoy is the oldest surviving American-style cocktail room in London, with the legacy of Harry Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book still on every back-bar shelf.
Tip: Listen for the live piano from 18:30, the room transforms. The age limit is 14 plus accompanied, dress code is enforced.
Discount Suit Company ★ 4.6
Whitechapel · 29A Wentworth Street, Whitechapel, London E1 7TB
The Wentworth Street basement opened in 2014 in a former tailor's stockroom, with a Northern Soul and rock and roll soundtrack and a price list that undercuts the rest of the central speakeasy scene.
Tip: Walk in early, the room is small and they do not take bookings past 19:00. Cash and card both work.