There isn’t much a good cocktail can’t fix. East London is filled with excellent places to grab a martini or two, but one bar is clearly a cut above the rest: a Bethnal Green institution has been crowned the best cocktail bar in the entire world.
Satan’s Whiskers was named the ‘Best International Cocktail Bar’ at the 20th annual Spirited Awards in New Orleans on Thursday night (July 23). The Cambridge Heath Road spot might look unassuming from the outside, but since it opened in 2013 it’s been regularly recognised across the industry as one of the planet’s finest bars.
Satan’s Whiskers is a firm favourite with us here at Time Out, too. ‘Looking every bit a down-and-out dive bar from the outside, you shouldn’t judge Satan’s Whiskers by its cover. Inside, there’s hip hop on the stereo, a smartly modish setting, vintage French posters on the walls and some of the best cocktails to be found in Bethnal Green,’ says our five-star review by Lisa Wright.
‘Their menu changes often, with adventurous spirit combinations always at Satan’s heart. But luckily, it’s more of a laid-back neighbourhood hangout than an out-of-place, high-end cocktail bar.’
Satan’s Whiskers has earned an impressive set of accolades. This year alone, the Top 50 Cocktail Bars awards named it the best cocktail bar in the capital and the third best in the UK. It was also named Bar of the Year and Best Bar in London & the South East in the CLASS Bar Awards 2026.
The dimly lit, 50-seat bar is soundtracked by old-school hip hop. The menu is extensive (with a carousel of more than 400 cocktails), but the focus is on classic and modern classic cocktails. Martinis, manhattans and margaritas are reportedly always amongst the big sellers, alongside their famous house twist, the Satan’s Manhattan.
‘In a bar landscape populated by ever-more esoteric themes, Satan’s Whiskers is the antidote, standing plainly and proudly as a cocktail bar, nothing less, nothing more,’ said Top 50 earlier this year, adding you can expect ‘ice-cold cocktails delivered to your table within little more than five minutes.’
The Spirited Awards take place each year as part of the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. The awards are decided by a global panel of over 250 industry experts, including London bar pro Ryan Chetiyawardana, who is the international Spirited Awards chair. Last year, Covent Garden’s Side Hustle was awarded the ‘Best International Hotel Bar’ in the awards.
🍸 The best cocktail bars in London, according to Time Out.
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