11 speakeasies worth the night across United Kingdom, editor-ranked. All United Kingdom guides.
The Connaught Bar ★ 4.9 · London
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.
Happiness Forgets ★ 4.8 · London
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.
Bramble ★ 4.7 · Edinburgh
New Town · 16a Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JE
The Queen Street basement is the Edinburgh cocktail benchmark, a stone-vaulted room with no booking line that has been a fixture on the World's 50 Best Bars list for years.
Tip: Arrive before 19:00 on a Friday or queue, ask the bar for off-menu sours and the team will build to the spirit you prefer.
Nightjar ★ 4.7 · London
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.
Lyaness ★ 4.7 · London
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 · London
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.
Panda and Sons ★ 4.6 · Edinburgh
New Town · 79 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 4NF
Iain McPherson's basement on Queen Street, entered through a faux barber shop with 25p haircut signs, has been on the World's 50 Best Bars discovery list since 2014.
Tip: Push the bookcase at the back of the barber shop to find the bar, ask for the bartender's seasonal freezing-technique cocktail off menu.
Hey Palu ★ 4.6 · Edinburgh
Tollcross · 49 Bread Street, Edinburgh EH3 9AH
The Bread Street aperitivo bar inspired by Fellini's La Dolce Vita holds the UK's largest Amari collection at nearly 75 bottles, regular fixture on the Top 50 Cocktail Bars list.
Tip: Order an off-menu Negroni built around an unfamiliar Amaro, the staff are pleased to walk you through the collection rather than rush you out.
Discount Suit Company ★ 4.6 · London
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.
The Devil's Advocate ★ 4.5 · Edinburgh
Old Town · 9 Advocate's Close, Edinburgh EH1 1ND
The converted Victorian pump house down Advocate's Close off the Royal Mile holds over 300 whiskies under stone walls and warm amber lighting, an award-winning cocktail list.
Tip: The bar staff are happy to lead a whisky flight on the spot, ask for a smoke-led tasting if you want the peaty Islay end of the back bar.
The Last Word Saloon ★ 4.5 · Edinburgh
Stockbridge · 44 St Stephen Street, Edinburgh EH3 5AL
The Stockbridge basement bar from the team behind Bramble runs a tighter cocktail list around the namesake Last Word, with armchairs, a working fireplace and weekend gigs.
Tip: Saturday acoustic sets start around 21:30, the back room is the warmest seat and the only one where you can hear the players over the bar chat.