"You can only drink two martinis at the hotel bar at Dukes Hotel in Mayfair. The bartenders won’t serve you any more—that’s how potent they are. This is the place to come in London if you secretly wish you were a member of a gentlemen’s club, and if you want a martini made with all the fanfare—the drinks trolley brought to your table, the bottle, straight from the freezer, shaken as you sit and watch. There are cheaper places to drink, that’s for sure, but do they have green leather armchairs and white-jacketed bartenders and portraits of distinguished 19th-century gentlemen looking at you approvingly from the walls? There's also a cognac and cigar garden."

"Kitty Fisher’s is the antithesis to the New York exposed brick brand of cool. Named after a Georgian courtesan, this tiny restaurant in Mayfair is rather a wood-clad room flickering with candles and exuding a intimate, “make yourself at home” vibe. The food is some of the best in London: the original chef, Tomos Parry, won the Young British Foodie award during his tenure, and his successor George Barson, formerly of the River Cottage, continues to surprise with innovative dishes cooked on the wood grill. If you can’t get a booking, fear not: a second restaurant, Cora Pearl, named for a 19th-century courtesan this time, recently opened onCovent Garden’s Henrietta Street."

"This dark, downstairs bar, formerly called Whistling Shop, intimately recreates the gin palaces of the early Victorian era. And while the decor is faithful to the era, the cocktails offer a modern twist on the old classics: there's even an in-house steampunkish laboratory where the mixologists create their intriguing concoctions. "Drunk For a Penny, Dead Drunk for Two Pence, Straw for Free," offers the menu, with a wry wink to the promises made to customers at the height of the gin craze and memoralized in William Hogarth's illustration Gin Lane ."

"Jazzy Cocktails with Bite The cocktails at theNightjar are as spectacular as anything you’ll get in London—wittily designed creations like Beyond the Sea, which arrives in a giant seashell with a side of yuzu salt, or the Toronto, which comes with a stick of smoked candyfloss. They’re served in a mirror-and-onyx art deco basement that makes you feel you’ve stumbled into the 1920s at the height of its glamour. And if that wasn’t enough, they also have live music every night, showcasing some of the best acoustic music in London from gipsy swing to Caribbean jazz. There really is no excuse not to go."

"Looking for a late-night speakeasy? This one's a charmer. The Bar Americain's fairly hidden from the street, but when you get down there, it's like going back in time. You find a 1930s, art deco wonder, with white-jacketed cocktail waiters and an air of, well, illicit fun. The cocktails are classic—aviations, gimlets—and the bar menu is absolutely delicious, especially the fat chips (otherwise known as fries) which come with aioli."

"Café Kick Inspired by the fussball bars of northern Spain, Café Kick is a local’s favorite and a place to blow off some steam at the end of your day by violently propelling a small white ball between rows of wooden men. Situated in the lively drag of Exmouth Market, the bar airsplenty of European soccer on its five screens and serves Spanish and Portuguesebeer. There’s good value soup and sandwiches at lunch, although if you work up an appetite later in the day you’re situated pleasingly close to the excellent Iberian/North African restaurant Moro (and its little sister, Morito). There’s a very decent happy hour too, from 4pm to 7pm."

"Drinks in London's West End rarely come cheap. Even less so in the crowded environs of Leicester Square, but if you find yourself in the area, there's a quiet, reasonably priced refuge known as the Cork and Bottle. It's a basement level wine bar, and most people walk straight past its frontage (between a ticket agency and a pizza stall) without even noticing it. Down its metal spiral staircase, the cosy bar serves a great list of wines from around $5.50a glass (as well as by the carafe and the bottle), and alongside an interesting menu it does a fabulous cheese platter (your choice from an extensive selection)."

"My Favorite Pub in Covent Garden London is famous all over the world for its thousands of pubs. In fact, there are so many of them, it can be hard to pick out the lousy ones from the ones that are absolutely fantastic. The Harp is the latter. It's small, it's intimate, it's beautifully decorated, and its focus is "real ale, real cider and real conversation." It won the London Cider Pub last year. Don't be fooled by its tiny size. Here, quality far outweighs quantity. If the ground floor appears to be full, go have a look upstairs, grab a seat, and enjoy your drink."

"A Thermonuclear Daiquiri Some of the most intriguing cocktails in London can be found at Jason Atherton's bars in Soho: Social Eating House, Pollen Street Social, and the newly opened Newman Street Tavern. That's thanks to Gareth Evans, officially crowned the best bartender in the UK in 2013, who likes a drink that will make you smile even as it makes you a bit tipsy. Hence the thermonuclear daiquiri, one of the brightest and most potent drinks on the menu at SEH, which has also become one of the hottest places to drink in London. I also love the Nightwatchman—a drink inspired by the sport of cricket, which comes complete with its own cricket bat-stirrer—and the Cereal Killer, which comes in an old-fashioned milk bottle. You cannot help but have a good time here."

"Julia Forte turned the Star At Night pub, an old fashioned boozer in the heart of Soho, in the London Gin Clubin2012, when she decided to start specialising in her favourite tipple: gin. Now, her bijou bar is home to 350premium gins, including those from small-batch producers and microdistilleries, one of the largest selections in the city—and she knows just the right way to serve them all. If you want to drink the best gin and tonic of your life, while chatting to someone who cares about that spirit passionately (and eating some rather good antipasti), seek Julia’s place out. Just make sure you book first—it’s table seating only, and it's arather popular spot."

"Eat and Drink at the Former Pub of Guy Ritchie “Filmmaker Guy Ritchie used to own this local boozer, which is always packed. The vibe of the dining room, with its art deco–inspired design, is very informal," says Nick English. He advises, "Definitely order the classic Scotch egg from the bar menu.” By Afar Magazine"

"Try All 35 Gins! This bar at the InterContinental Park Lane Hotel in the Mayfair neighborhood celebrates London’s gin-soaked history with 35 varieties of British-made gin. The Poor Man’s Punch, served in a teapot, pays tribute to posh Mayfair’s scrappier past; monthly Gin & Jazz nights transport guests to the 1920s, dancing flappers and all. 44/20-7318-8649. Read " London Distilled ," about the first new gin distillery to be built in London in nearly 200 years."

"Royal Oak Pub, East London There’s a lovely little courtyard behind the Royal Oak . On a Sunday morning, you can get coffee from the pub, tucked away from the flower market. —Sophie Howarth By Afar Magazine"

"Take Your Pint Outside in London's Summer Other than the fact that it’s just nice to see sunshine after a gray winter, the great thing about summer in London is that pubs let you drink outside. (You can do this year-round, but if you want a watered down beer, try doing this in the rainy winter.) Drinking your cold brew on the sun-filled sidewalk – along with a bunch of equally excited Londoners – is about as cheerful as a happy hour can get. Does the beer taste better outside? Maybe. But that’s only because it feels a little rebellious. Take your pint out for air at the Lamb & Flag in Covent Garden. The pub is tucked into a side street, away from any traffic. It also doesn’t hurt that Charles Dickens had a few pints here, too."

"Set along Portobello Road, the Distillery takes its inspiration from the history of gin; the on–site Resting Room bar serves rare international spirits. Don’t missthe Ginstitute, a beloved neighborhood museum that was relocated to the hotel’s basement, where travelers can create custom blends using rare botanicals."

"Peruse the Gin Bible An artsy bar in Soho’s Golden Square, Graphic serves punch in paint cans and swaps artistic themes through its menu and décor every six months. (At this writing, the focus is on 3-D art, complete with 3-D glasses to enhance the drinking experience.) Gin is the true motif at Graphic: The bar has a 182-entry gin bible, and a gin club, the Juniper Society, which holds free tastings, workshops, and discussions with different gin makers every two weeks. 44/20-7287-9241."