Best Hotel Bars

Here are some of London’s best hotel bars. Each one is chosen to inspire you next time you are looking for the perfect pre- / post-dinner cocktail or just an icebreaker with one of our beautiful companions. Traditional, elegant and comfortable, these hotel bars are fantastic date locations. 

The OG of London hotel bars. The American bar at the Savoy, Strand, WC2R 0EZ

The most famous of them all: The American bar at the Savoy. London’s longest surviving cocktail bar, which has been running in several different guises since the 1800s. A Mecca for bartenders and cocktail connoisseurs the world over. There is a theatre to the drinks here; the service, the ambience and of course, the first-class cocktails. A rich historic menu of old classics as well as innovative new flavours. There is a gentle hum in the bar alongside the pianist playing. Although it looks like a library, it is nestled in one of the busiest hotels in London. A sophisticated and comfortable bar that is both welcoming and impressive. The perfect pre-dinner date drinks or nightcap venue with a gorgeous date.

Scarfes Bar, Rosewood Hotel, 252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN

Modelled on gentlemen’s clubs from days gone by, Scarfes bar at the Rosewood, Holborn, transports you back in time. Named after the caricaturist Gerald Scarfe, this is an upscale cocktail bar with a sense of humour. Enjoy a cocktail or three with a gorgeous date next to a roaring fire and enjoy the live jazz that plays every evening. Always holds a position in the World’s Top 50 bars, it is easy to see why this bar is just so perfect. It is warm, charming, and the cocktails are just fabulous. Whether you have a favourite title or you are looking for something a little more creative, Scarfes bar will certainly look after you.

The Library Bar at The Lanesborough, Park Corner, Hyde Park, SW1X 7TA

The most fun library I can imagine. The Library Bar at The Lanesborough resembles a traditional old boys’ club, but don’t worry, ladies are welcome too. Bring along a gorgeous companion for the perfect cocktail date at one of London’s most historic and iconic hotels, The Lanesborough. Not to be confused with the private members’ Library Bar at The Ned, this bar is open to hotel guests and visitors alike. The Library bar is proud of its traditional and classic style; it does not try to be modern and innovative. Polished dark wood, British racing green upholstery and gold accented lights and picture frames make the place feel like it could be 1826 or 2026. A warm, inviting lounge bar that often has a pianist playing for patrons. The house cocktails themselves pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth and St George, making this the perfect playful watering hole if you are visiting from overseas and a more sophisticated tourist. 

Fitz’s Bar, The Kimpton Fitzroy, 1-8 Russel Square, WC1B 5BE

Step inside the Kimpton Fitzroy and out of the busy streets of Russel Square and head to Fitz’s bar. Where history meets the present. A bar, restaurant and parlour, there is something for everyone here. The bar and parlour is a beautiful black and gold-toned space where you can enjoy coffee first thing, right through to cocktails at midnight. Chequered flooring mixed with floral wallpaper, ostrich feathers and jewel-toned velvet sofas gives the bar a quirky and slightly eccentric feel. The cocktail menu is called Spectrum, which closely showcases 12 very special, carefully crafted cocktails. Based on synaesthesia, where scientists believe some people can taste or hear colours, these drinks may have a profound effect on the senses. 

Mandarin Bar, 66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA

The Mandarin Bar may have had a makeover in recent years, but it is still the same London stalwart of hotel bars it has always been. Often, when the interior designer comes in and revamps an old favourite, it can lose some of its magic. However, Adam D. Tihany has done a fabulous job. The New York-based hospitality designer has managed to keep the warmth and sophistication that the Mandarin Bar has always been known for. A bar that takes you from day to night, a multi-faceted hot spot perfect for a break whilst shopping, to a night out on the town. As well as the usual champagne, cocktails and liquors, one would expect, there is an extra special “Time for Aperitivo” menu created by chef Heston Blumenthal. A true London icon that is just as good today as it has always been.