The 15 Best Cocktail Bars In London

"Walk five minutes away from purgatory—or Old Street roundabout, as it’s more commonly known—and you’ll find Tayēr + Elementary, a sceney cocktail bar. The front bar is walk-in-only and has the look of an izakaya built from Apollo 11’s scrap parts, including a pretty nifty Negroni tap and sound system playing European hip hop to bop. It’s perfect for spontaneous midweek things, especially if you like people-watching out the glassy windows and mini martinis. The back bar, open from Thursday to Saturday, is a moodily lit date den with its own separate cocktail list and vaguely illicit, Blade Runner vibe. It’s a very easy place to hole up in until 1am." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, daisy meager