Drinkers, assemble.
Once a year we give our list of the best bars in London a massive overhaul. That time is now. We’ve just launched our brand new top 50 of the finest places to drink in London. The new list features places old and new, posh and divey, cheap and pricey, but all of them with great drinks and an unparalleled vibe.
Our new list also has a brand new number one. Congratulations to Café Kick at Exmouth Market, which is Time Out’s best bar in London for 2026. The breezy Euro-chic sports bar currently seems to be more popular than ever, despite opening almost 30 years ago. It’s pretty much down to this unobtrusive spot that this pedestrianised Clerkenwell strip is as popular as it is, kicking off the area’s fresco wave of streetside delights way back in 1997.
‘If the Spanish Riviera and old school east London had a baby, Café Kick would be it,’ writes Time Out drinks correspondent Eloise Feilden of the five-star bar.
🍸 Read the full top 50 best bars in London list here.
The top 50 also features Waltz, Shoreditch, which we’ve crowned the best cocktail bar in London, as well Big John’s Biltong Bar in Deptford, which is our best dive bar. Our highest ranking wine bar is Bonne Route in Harringey, while the best neighbourhood bar is Ellie’s in Dalston.
The honour of best new bar in London has gone to Tramps in Islington, which acclaimed artist Peter Doig and his gallerist partner Parinaz Mogadassi opened at the beginning of the year.
Take a look at our rankings of the best bars in Soho, the best bars in Shoreditch, the best bars in Peckham and the best bars in Hackney.
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