It’s worth the trip to Putney to visit this outpost of outrageously juvenile fun, one of the best cool bars London.

Dedicated to a more carefree age – and we’re talking ages 5-15 not the 1960’s, The Toy Shop is an homage to happy childhood days, with a party atmosphere that even extends to party hats on Sunday lunchtimes!

Blindingly bright and brash, your senses will be assailed with turquoise and cream booths, brilliantly yellow chairs, and geometric wall patterns reminiscent of 80s video games.

Your senses will come under further attack, in a really, really, good way, by the terrific choice of themed cocktails that should bring back some happy memories – especially the massive sharer cocktails like Ralph’s Rocket and King of the Castle.

The food is pretty good too, with an emphasis on sharing. Check out The Toy Shop BBQ or Kung Fu Chicken.

There’s even a small private room for your very own party! Remember, don’t get too tired and emotional, throw any tantrums, or your toys out the pram in The Toy Shop. You don’t want to get barred from one of the best cool bars in London do you?

The Toy Shop – Best Cool Bars London
32 Putney High Street,
London
SW15 1SQ

www.thetoyshopbar.com

Tags: bar reviews, bars in london, Best Bars in London, Best Bars in West London, Best Bars London, Best Cool Bars in London, best cool bars London, Best quirky bars in London, cocktail bar, cocktails, cool bars in london, The Toy Shop

The post The Toy Shop appeared first on Best Bars London.

“And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!’

He chortled in his joy”

Callooh Callay, named after a phrase from Lewis Carrol’s nonsense poem The Jabberwocky, has been making perfect sense since it opened back in 2008. So much so that it makes it on our list as one of the best cool bars in London.

Perhaps it’s because, while other bars rise and fall with the fickle tide of fashion, Callooh Callay still ploughs its own furrow. Perhaps it’s because quality never goes out of style – and a dedication to doing things right seems to be the first thing on the menu at Calloh Callay.

So, make your way to Shoreditch, find the innocuous entrance on a non-descript sidestreet and enter a world of cocktail make believe.

There are three bars to choose from, one reserved just for groups, one hidden behind a Narnia like wardrobe for a more intimate vibe and the main bar itself. But whichever you find yourself in, you’ll love the innovative, imaginative and inspired cocktails they produce (such as Chai Hard and Pea Ter Rabbit) and enjoy downing them in the superbly surreal surroundings.

A truly frabjous experience awaits you all at Calloo Callay..

Calloo Callay Bar 
65 Rivington Street
London
EC2A 3AY

www.calloohcallaybar.com

Tags: bar reviews, bars in Shoreditch, best bars east london, Best Bars in London, Best Bars London, best cool bars east london, best cool bars London, Calloo Callay Bar, cocktail bar, drinks, london best bars

The post Callooh Callay Bar appeared first on Best Bars London.

Sometimes, nothing else than sheer luxury will do when you want to impress your date. And what says luxury better than The Savoy?

Now, most run of the mill punters will think of The American Bar when you say the words ‘Savoy’ and ‘bar’ together. But if you want romance, if you want real luxury, if you want intimacy, if you want entertainment, then say the words ‘The Beaufort Bar.’ You might also want to say “The American Bar? That’s just for tourists…” to make yourself sound extra knowledgeable.

Fittingly for a bar built on the hotel’s original cabaret stage, the Beaufort Bar has a deliciously decadent art deco feel that features £38,000 worth of glorious gold leaf.

Drinks are frighteningly expensive too, but excellent. There’s a sublime choice of vintage and non-vintage champagne available by the glass or bottle and a small but truly excellent cocktail list with character cocktails such The Blue Angel, named in honour of Marlene Deitrich and Ol’ Blue Eyes named in honour of Frank Sinatra.

But what really sets the Savoy’s Beaufort Bar apart as one of the best romantic bars in London is the live entertainment. Every evening you’ll find live music from both renowned and up and coming talent. But if you’re looking for something really special, book a table for one of the monthly cabaret or burlesque evenings and transport you and your date back to a forgotten era of ravishing romance.

The Savoys Beaufort Bar 
The Strand
London
WC2R 0EW

www.fairmont.com/savoy-london/dining/beaufortbar/

The post Savoy Beaufort Bar appeared first on Best Bars London.

Here’s a riddle: which hotel has the best bar in London, but isn’t the best bar in London (although it is one of them)?

The answer: The Bassoon Bar at The Corinthia Hotel.

Here’s why… the actual bar, the one the drinks are expertly mixed behind, is a virtuoso piece of design which stretches elegantly for seven metres until it segues seamlessly into a perfectly proportioned piano.

It is truly stunning… and the bar is pretty good too.

The décor ticks all the right boxes for a top quality hotel bar; art deco influence, low-lit, sophisticated, lavish, seductive and intimate, without being cramped.

The cocktails are delicious, decadent and very dear, every ingredient is carefully selected and sourced – even the ice – and every drink carefully crafted by master mixologists.

And that stunning piano doesn’t sit idle – there’s a regular weekly program of quality jazz musicians, a distinct cut above your standard hotel bar fodder.

It all adds up to a great bar, hotel or not. One in the tradition of the original Metropole Hotel, which occupied the site in the 20s and counted Winston Churchill and Buffalo Bill amongst its guests – as well as securing Mantovani as the resident musician!

Bassoon Bar 
Corinthia Hotel
Whitehall Place, London,
SW1A 2BD

www.corinthia.com/hotels/london/dining-and-bars/bars/bassoon-bar/

Tags: bassoon bar, best bars central london, Best Bars London, best hotel bar, cocktail bar, evening out, hotel bar, london best bars, piano bar, smart bar

The post Bassoon Bar appeared first on Best Bars London.

Any bar that not only won the crown of World’s Best Bar in 2012, but defended it successfully in 2013 and 2014, deserves to be on our list. As hotel bars go, The Artesian Bar at The Langham Hotel has exactly what it takes to be one of the best hotel bars in London. The beautiful décor, designed by David Collins, exudes comfort and luxury with lots of lilac leather, white curtains and a breathtaking mirrored pagoda bar.

It’s not just the bar that has won awards, the staff have too, with head barman Alex Kratena leading the way, ably supported by his No.2. Simone Caporale. As you’d expect the cocktails are exceptional. But surprisingly for a bar so firmly anchored in the bosom of 5 star luxury, there’s a real sense of fun too. Highlights of the innovations menu include skulls, pandas and aroma filled balloons.

But if there’s one thing that sets the Langham apart from other some other high end hotels, it’s the exceptional levels of service that leave you feeling pampered and spoilt, but never overwhelmed or intimidated. The Langham? It’s simply lovely.

The Artesian Bar – Best Hotel Bars London
The Langham Hotel 
1C Portland Place
London,
W1B 1JA

www.artesian-bar.co.uk

Tags: artesian bar, bar reviews, best bar reviews, best bars, Best Bars in London, Best Bars London, best hotel bar, best hotel bars london, cocktail bar, cocktails, drinks

The post The Artesian Bar appeared first on Best Bars London.

Well, it’s got to be on our list hasn’t it? So, here’s to The American Bar – Best Hotel Bars London.

No other bar in London has the fame, the fortune, the fabulous décor, the fantastic cocktails that this one does.

Despite the Savoy’s recent multi-million pound refurbishment program, the American Bar – one of our best hotel bars in London – has retained its art deco style and its unparalleled wow-factor.

It’s not intimate, it’s not discreet, but it really is impressive. It’s got history too… this where back in the 1930s Harry Craddock invented The White Lady cocktail and wrote his definitive tome; The Savoy Cocktail Book. To this day their cocktails are still amongst the best to be had, made expertly with the finest ingredients – as you would expect from the prices. And, fittingly as the bar which grew to fame in the jazz age, you’ll still find a pianist playing classic Jazz here every evening

One of the world’s greatest hotels, one of the world’s greatest bars. What’s not to like? Possibly the fact it is too much of a tick box bar, where tourists and rubberneckers arrive to have just one cocktail before breaking the bank. A destination where queuing is common, albeit in amazing surroundings. A tourist site rather than a refuge. But having said that, it is one of those bars that you really rewards a visit – even if it is just for one night only. If you’re looking for something a little more intimate and less showy we also highly recommend the Beaufort Bar at The Savoy.

The American Bar – Best Hotel Bars London  
The Savoy, 
London
WC2R 0EU

www.fairmont.com/savoy-london/dining/americanbar/

Tags: american bar, bar review, bar reviews, best bars, Best Bars in London, best hotel bar, best hotel bars, cocktail bar

The post The American Bar appeared first on Best Bars London.