Best Bars for a Work Leaving Do

A proper craft pub that works for work groups because it asks nothing sophisticated of anyone. 40 taps of rotating craft beers cover every taste from light lager to 12% imperial stout. The upstairs room handles private hire for groups of 15 to 40. Pricing is central London honest rather than central London punishing. The kind of place where everyone can settle into their own pace without anyone having to explain themselves.

Order: Ask the bartender for the current session IPA

For the leaving do of someone whose career warrants the investment. Ollie Dabbous's bar program at Hide Below is one of the most serious in London. Natural wines, considered spirits, and cocktails that reflect genuine culinary thinking rather than bar showmanship. Groups of up to 20 can be accommodated in the lower bar area. The kind of venue that makes the evening feel like a specific event rather than a general Thursday.

Order: The house Martini, then follow the team's seasonal suggestions

A Bank area bar designed entirely for the post-work crowd, which means it has the right infrastructure: dedicated space for standing groups, a cocktail list broad enough for every preference, and staff who understand the rhythm of a group that arrives in waves as people leave the office at different times. The private dining room handles 12 to 20 with a set drinks package if needed. Reliably the right call for a City leaving do.

Order: The signature punch bowl for the table

The Hoxton Southwark rooftop bar delivers London views that provide an easy conversation anchor for colleagues who might not otherwise have much to say to each other. The cocktail list is accessible and well-executed. The temperature-controlled indoor and outdoor sections mean the venue works year-round rather than just in the three weeks of London summer. Book the terrace section for groups of 8 to 12.

Order: The Southside Spritz, made for outdoor London evenings

A whisky bar for tech and creative leaving dos in the East End. The centrepiece is a solid oak tree trunk that runs the length of the bar and acts as a whisky cask, constantly maturing two cocktails that customers pour themselves. It creates an automatic talking point regardless of whether anyone knows anything about whisky. Groups of 6 to 12 work best here; any more and the intimacy breaks down.

Order: Straight from the trunk, then ask the team what else to try

Consistently one of the world's best bars and genuinely accessible to groups who aren't looking for a specialist cocktail experience. The ground floor taproom runs pints and Irish coffee for those who want them; the upstairs parlour serves some of the most creative cocktails in New York. A leaving do group can self-organise across both floors based on what each person wants from the evening.

Order: The signature Irish Coffee downstairs; the Oaxacan Negroni upstairs

A high-low concept that puts premium spirits into a dive bar format, which means the drinks are actually excellent and the atmosphere is unpretentious enough that no one feels judged for what they order. The slushie cocktails have become a New York institution. Leaving dos with mixed groups who want a fun evening rather than a considered one land here reliably well.

Order: The Margarita Slushie, non-negotiable

A proper dive bar in the West Village that gets the balance right between fun and quality. The nautical decor is committed rather than ironic. Draft beer is fairly priced and the jukebox is excellent. For leaving dos where the priority is the people rather than the drinks programme, this delivers better atmosphere-per-dollar than anywhere else on this list. Arrive before 8pm on a Friday to secure enough seats.

Order: Whatever's on draft, then shots when the speeches are done

A whiskey bar with over 900 labels and a private events room that handles leaving dos for groups of 15 to 60. The staff are skilled at running a group through a whiskey flight which creates structure to an evening that might otherwise drift. Live jazz Thursday through Saturday adds atmosphere without dominating conversation. One of the better private hire options in Midtown for a serious professional leaving do.

Order: Ask for a guided American whiskey flight for the group

The Manhattan skyline from Dumbo is one of the best views in the city, and this rooftop uses it properly. For a leaving do where the person has been in the city long enough to have taken that view for granted, the reminder of it is the experience. Expensive, requires booking, handles groups of up to 25 on the terrace. Reserve the covered section for October and November evenings.

Order: Brooklyn Bridge cocktail, stay for champagne when the skyline lights up