11 late-night dives worth the night across United Kingdom, editor-ranked. All United Kingdom guides.
The Bow Bar ★ 4.7 · Edinburgh
Old Town · 80 West Bow, Edinburgh EH1 2HH
The West Bow whisky and cask ale specialist runs a back bar of over 200 Scotch whiskies plus a rotating cellar of Scottish cask, no music and no televisions.
Tip: Ask for one of the bar's own limited bottlings, single cask Highland or Islay releases that are not sold anywhere else in the city.
The French House ★ 4.7 · London
Soho · 49 Dean Street, Soho, London W1D 5BG
The Dean Street pub run by the de Gaulle-era Free French in the 1940s still pours half-pints only at the bar, hangs the Sylvester Stallone portrait behind it, and remains the central Soho writers' room.
Tip: Half pints only, no phones, cash welcomed. The upstairs dining room runs lunch and dinner if the bar gets too tight.
The Royal Oak ★ 4.6 · Edinburgh
Old Town · 1 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh EH1 1LT
The tiny Infirmary Street pub fits about forty people and has been the heart of the Edinburgh folk scene since the 1960s, traditional song sessions in the upstairs room every night.
Tip: The Sunday night Wee Folk Club is the standout, arrive an hour before the set to get one of the upstairs benches near the singers.
Bradley's Spanish Bar ★ 4.5 · London
Fitzrovia · 42-44 Hanway Street, Fitzrovia, London W1T 1UT
The Hanway Street basement with the late-70s NSM Prestige jukebox and a 20,000 single collection has been the post-Oxford Street lock-in since long before Fitzrovia got expensive, and the rotation still surprises.
Tip: No food beyond crisps and nuts, the jukebox is the entertainment, drop coins in and the regulars stop minding the queue.
The Toucan ★ 4.5 · London
Soho · 19 Carlisle Street, Soho, London W1D 3BY
The Carlisle Street Guinness specialist just off Soho Square pours the best pint of stout in central London, with a basement room that fills before 18:00 and spills out onto the pavement once it does.
Tip: Guinness only, do not order anything else. The pavement crowd is the bar, the basement is the conversation room.
The Coach & Horses ★ 4.4 · London
Soho · 29 Greek Street, Soho, London W1D 5DH
The Greek Street Grade II listed pub was the Private Eye crowd's hangout for decades and Jeffrey Bernard's regular, and the room has resisted the redevelopment pressure on every side of it.
Tip: No bookings, walk in, the back room fills first. Order at the bar, the regulars hold the front stools.
Whighams Wine Cellars ★ 4.3 · Edinburgh
New Town · 13 Hope Street, Edinburgh EH2 4EL
The Hope Street basement under the corner of Charlotte Square is a candlelit warren of historic wine-cellar vaults serving Scottish seafood and a deep wine list to late night drinkers.
Tip: Find the entrance under the stair on Hope Street, the back-corner booth in the second vault is the best seat for a long conversation.
Stramash ★ 4.2 · Edinburgh
Old Town · 207 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1JQ
The converted Cowgate church runs free live bands and ceilidh nights until 03:00 every day over two floors, the most reliable late-night live room in the Old Town.
Tip: The Wednesday ceilidh is beginner friendly, the caller walks the room through every dance before the band starts the first reel.
The Banshee Labyrinth ★ 4.1 · Edinburgh
Old Town · 29-35 Niddry Street, Edinburgh EH1 1LG
Self-billed as Scotland's most haunted pub, the labyrinth of vaulted Niddry Street chambers serves cheap beer, free cinema nights and a karaoke room in former medieval cellars.
Tip: The cinema room is free and shows cult films most nights, the back vault has the loudest karaoke if you want to sing without being heard.
Garlic & Shots ★ 4.0 · London
Soho · 14 Frith Street, Soho, London W1D 4RD
The Frith Street gothic basement runs a cantina menu of garlic-laced everything and 101 flavoured vodkas through a sound system that is mostly metal, and the upstairs garden patio is the unexpected smoking court.
Tip: The garlic beer is the dare drink, the chilli vodka shot is the warning. Skip if you have a date the next day.
The Phoenix ★ 4.0 · London
Marylebone · 37 Cavendish Square, Marylebone, London W1G 0PP
The Cavendish Square pub with the cellar live music room runs cask ales upstairs and a small-stage programme of rock and indie nights downstairs that costs nothing on the door.
Tip: The cellar gigs are free entry, walk down the side stairs and put a fiver in the bucket for the band.