These Are London’s Most Romantic Bars
Looking for a bar that’s set to impress and secure you a second date? Been left with the arduous task of organising a last-minute Valentine’s reservation, but don’t know where to start? Luckily for you, we’ve got you covered with our edit of London’s most romantic bars.
Whether you’re looking for somewhere for a first date or a five-year anniversary celebration, we’ve rounded up our favourite bars to head to for a romantic night out.
Lyaness
There’s a reason that Lyaness keeps on winning award after award. Firstly, its interiors are impeccable – think mirrored tables, velvet seating and gold finishes. Secondly, it’s the brainchild of the award-winning Mr Lyan and is home to cocktails designed around the ingredients rather than the cocktail type.
There’s a reason that Lyaness keeps on winning award after award.
There’s a cocktail to suit every taste, from sweet fruity numbers to spiced and sharp. Pair them with views over the Thames and you’ve got yourself a date destination that you can’t fault.
where: 20 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PD
website: www.lyaness.com
Niju
Hidden beneath NIJŪ on Berkeley Street, Nipperkin is an intimate, low-lit cocktail bar inspired by Japanese listening rooms. Expect seasonal, ingredient-led drinks with subtle Japanese influences, plush seating and a cosy, speakeasy feel — ideal for romantic, late-night date nights in Mayfair.
Where: 20 Berkeley Street, London, W1J 8EE
Website: www.nijulondon.com
Nipperkin at NIJŪ is a great insider spot. Tucked away in a Mayfair basement, it’s small, intimate, has a cocktail menu that sparks conversation, and boasts a vintage record player, making it perfect for date night.
Natasha, Digital Editor
Bar Kinky
Located just below the restaurant Kinkally, Bar Kinky is a great spot for late-night drinks, post-work cocktails or intimate date nights. Expect sleek interiors with mysterious red lighting and a chef’s table-style bar. If you love an adventurous cocktail Bar Kinky will not disappoint – Head bartender, Andrew Pruts, has created a truly inventive menu using ingredients covering mango, curry, brine, beetroot, mushrooms, walnuts and even…blue cheese. Be fully prepared to expect the unexpected, and have a great time at it.
where: 43, Charlotte Street, London W1T 1RS
website: www.kinkally.co.uk
Quaglino’s
Those looking for a date night destination with live music, head to Quaglino’s to explore its innovative cocktails and opulent interiors. This luxe live music destination is perfect for a fun date night this Valentine’s, with bespoke cocktails on the menu like Sparkling Love and Somebody to Love.
where: 16 Bury Street, St. James’s, SW1Y 6AJ
website: www.quaglinos-restaurant.co.uk
The American Bar, The Stafford
Seriously impress your date by booking into one of London’s best-kept secrets. The American Bar at The Stafford London belongs to the great tradition of American cocktail bars that became renowned in London and Paris during the 1920s and 30s and remains one of the longest-surviving American bars in London today. Pull up a pew at the bar and explore the wide selection of signature and classic cocktails and immerse yourselves amongst the memorabilia-filled walls and intimate corners.
where: 16-18 St James’s Place, SW1A 1NJ
website: www.thestaffordlondon.com
Sweeties at The Standard
Disco balls, velvet sofas, mirrored tables and sensual lighting, there’s no better place to head for a date night drink than Sweeties at The Standard. Evoking that early 1970s Hollywood opulence, the late-night lounge serves up sweet sips to be enjoyed over deep chats.
Disco balls, velvet sofas, mirrored tables and sensual lighting…
Look out over London through the floor-to-ceiling windows, seeing the sunset before into the night to tunes from their roster of live DJs.
where: 10th Floor, 10 Argyle Street, WC1H 8EG
website: www.standardhotels.com
Cecil Beaton Bar at The Lane
For the ultimate date night, book a visit to this lovely spot at The Lane. The Cecil Beaton Bar is great to stop by for a glass of fizz or one of their carefully crafted cocktails. Open late, the space is inspired by Cecil Beaton’s legendary My Fair Lady costume and the flamboyant group of artists, writers and socialites surrounding him.
where: CATHERINE ST, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON WC2B 5JF
website: WWW.THELANE.CO.UK
Nightjar
Nightjar isn’t one to be missed. There’s a reason it’s so many people’s number one choice for cocktails in the city. Their mixologists are experts in their craft, the interiors are dark and sultry but still stylish and their live entertainment just adds a whole new dimension.
Their cocktail list is split into sections, from the pre-prohibition era, a space where ancient recipes come into their own, to post-war concoctions that brought about a renaissance of mixes. Or, if you fancy something truly unique, order one of the Nightjar team’s signature serves.
wherE: 129 CITY ROAD, LONDON, EC1V 1JB
websitE: www.barnightjar.com
Velvet by Salvatore Calabrese
Celebrating the love of life, finer things and the permission to be a little decadent, Velvet is a luxurious champagne and cocktail bar hidden inside Corinthia London. Created in partnership with acclaimed bartender and drinks expert Salvatore Calabrese, the bar is bringing back the theatre of cocktail-making. Expect classics with a modern twist, new-era drinks and Salvatose’s signature serves.
where: Corinthia London, Whitehall Place, SW1A 2BD
website: www.corinthia.com
The Malt Lounge
A secret speakeasy featuring wood-panelled walls decorated with hand-carved Japanese poetry, The Malt Lounge is one of Marylebone’s most hidden gems. Nestled inside the 5-star luxury hotel The Prince Akatoki, The Malt Lounge looks like a picturesque afternoon tearoom by day, before transforming into an incredible whisky and cocktail lounge by night. Hidden panels in the walls reveal floor-to-ceiling drink options.
where: 50 Great Cumberland Place, Marble Arch, W1H 7FD
Website: www.themaltlounge.co.uk
Rake’s Cafe Bar
This place might be a cafe by day, but it’s nighttime where the space really comes into its own. Rake’s Cafe Bar has a menu filled with exciting signature cocktails and champagne offerings for the ideal date night.
The space is opulent and lavishly decorated, yet you can’t help but feel at home. It’s the kind of place you’d take your special someone to celebrate an anniversary or to wow your partner for a Valentine’s to remember.
where: 40 Liverpool Street, EC2M 7QN
website: www.hyatt.com
Home House
Inspired by historic embassies around the world and the heritage of House 21 as a former “legation”, the House Bar’s design draws on the freedom, liberation and self-indulgence that comes with uninhibited travel. Exclusively open to members and hotel guests, it’s the ultimate place for intimate conversations and date nights. Pull up a pew at the bar or tuck into one of the banquette seats, taking in all of the room’s pink and blue tones.
wherE: 20 Portman Square, W1H 6LW
website: www.homehouse.co.uk
Manetta, Flemings
Mayfair’s Flemings is rich in history. Reviving the name of the original hangout at Flemings back in the 1930s, Manetta recaptures the spirit of a place where spies used to swap secrets and clandestine trysts took place. The bar boasts a dark and sultry colour palette, with corners to hide away in and get to know your date over a cocktail or two. For the Negroni lovers, try your hand at sampling one of each from their impressive menu.
where: 7-12 Half Moon Street, Mayfair, W1J 7BH
website: www.flemings-mayfair.co.uk
The Connaught Bar
The Connaught Bar, awarded amongst the world’s best bars year after year, is a bar for truly special occasions. Whether you’re celebrating a new promotion, an anniversary, a birthday or Valentine’s Day, it’s the perfect place to dress up and sip on expertly crafted cocktails. The space has been designed by David Collins Studio and evokes English and Irish Cubist art of the 1920s. During the day, it’s perfect to while away the afternoon and by night, it’s somewhere for intimate conversations over candlelight.
A martini isn’t typically my drink of choice, but at The Connaught, you simply have to order one. They bring such a flair to the whole process, customising the details and pouring it right in front of you with unrivalled elegance.
Kitty, Social Media Manager & Content Creator
wherE: Carlos Place, Mayfair, W1K 2AL
website: www.the-connaught.co.uk
Long Bar, Sanderson
The Long Bar is renowned for its days when it saw everything from Kate Moss and Mario Testino to BRIT after parties celebrated here. Live out those days for yourself with a night of cocktails.
where: 50 Berners Street, Fitzrovia, W1T 3NG
website: www.morgansoriginals.com
The Franklin Bar
Surrounded by gilded mirrored walls, grey velvet seating and elegant finishing designed by renowned interior designer Anouska Hempel, this is the romantic London bar to know. Hidden inside The Franklin Hotel, the bar evokes that Great Gatsby 1920s style. Take a grand tour and work your way through the drinks menu, from Champagne to cheers to those special moments to cognacs for the ultimate nightcap.
I love this bar — the perfect escape from the pavements to feel classy and elegant and get stuck into a strong drink in dim lighting.
Mallory, Junior Food & Drink Editor
where: 24 Egerton Gardens, Knightsbridge, SW3 2DB
website: www.collezione.starhotels.com
Sky Garden
Where better to spend your date overlooking London as the sunsets than the Sky Garden? Hidden inside, you’ll find two special bars waiting for you to discover them. The Sky Pod is home to live music and DJ nights, while the City Garden Bar is the go-to place for an intimate night with spectacular views over the city.
where: 1 Sky Garden Walk, EC3M 8AF
website: www.skygarden.london
Gallery at The Savoy
Gallery is a vibrant space in the heart of the hotel for drinking and dining, where guests can enjoy the perfect blend of our theatrical flair and relaxed charm. The beautiful space seamlessly integrates a contemporary style whilst remaining true to the hotel’s heritage. Perfect for a very fancy date night, the bar menu includes a sparkling champagne and wine list, or go for one of the exciting cocktails on the menu, like the British Negroni or the picked cranberry cosmo.
where: The Strand, WC2R 0EZ
website: www.thesavoylondon.com
Hithe + Seek
For romantic sharing and pairing food and wine overlooking the River Thames, book in for a date night at Hithe + Seek.
Get to know your date over a bottle of wine or order a few plates to share as you reconnect with old flames.
where: 60 Upper Thames Street, EC4V 3AD
website: www.hitheandseek.com
The Libertine
For those looking for a hideout away from the crowds, The Libertine is the City’s best-kept secret. Set amidst the vaults beneath the Royal Exchange, this bar sits on the site where the first royal alcohol licence in Britain was granted. Nowadays, you can soak up the history while getting to know your date over a tipple or two.
where: 1A Royal Exchange, Cornhill, EC3V 3LL
website: www.libertinelondon.co.uk
The Churchill Bar & Terrace
If you’re looking for somewhere to slip off with your partner after hitting Oxford Street, The Churchill Bar & Terrace will refuel you with its cocktail list that celebrates treasured traditions and cultures, and plenty of great non-alcoholic options.
Inspired by Sir Winston Churchill and his wife, Clementine, the space is packed with bookshelves curated by Daunt Books and original photographs and love letters by Churchill and his wife.
where: 30 Portman Square, W1H 7BH
website: www.hyattrestaurants.com
Blind Spot
One of our favourite speakeasy bars, Blind Spot is hidden inside St Martin’s Lane. It takes inspiration from the British Empire and its ancient tea trade. You can travel the world with your loved one through every serve, from Istanbul to Quito, London to Kingston. Sip from continent to continent, from the Oaxaca tipple, featuring Mezcal, chipotle liquor, guacamole and tabasco, to the Paris, a mix of Hennessy, Grand Marnier, and orange bitters.
WHERE: 45 St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4HX
WEBSITE: www.morgansoriginals.com
YOPO
YOPO Bar is a great spot if you love South American flavours coupled with striking design and exquisite cuisine. Inspired by the cuisine of Argentina, Chile and Peru, the menu showcases an enticing selection of Mezcal, tacos, tostadas and more. Don’t miss the Mezcal tasting, with over twenty bottles of Mezcal and Agave to explore.
WHERE: 20-21 Newman Street, W1T 1PG
WEBSITE: www.themandrake.com
Dickie’s Bar
Simple, seasonal, and sumptuous—Dickie’s Bar is a hidden gem in the heart of Mayfair, offering an ideal escape from London’s hustle and bustle. It is the place to go to lose yourself in a thoughtfully curated cocktail menu, explore one of the city’s finest collections of rare Irish whiskeys or enjoy a perfectly poured Guinness. The perfect complement to a tipple or two is Dickie’s bar food menu, featuring bites from Michelin-starred chef Richard Corrigan’s kitchen, like smoked eel croquettes, quail scotch eggs and truffle mushroom beignets.
Where: 28 Upper Grosvenor St, London, W1K 7EH
Website: www.corrigansmayfair.co.uk
The Library Bar, The Lanesborough
For that quintessential, old-school British bar experience, The Library Bar provides a great spot for date nights. For the most romantic evening in town, step into Martini Sundays for a truly perfect pour and an experiment on twists or dirty Lanesborough gins.
where: Hyde Park Corner, SW1X 7TA
website: www.oetkerhotels.com
