Ten London bars our editors recommend for February 14 — without a forced two-hour table or a red rose surcharge.
Valentine's Day is when most London bars suspend their normal menu and replace it with a four-course set lunch that requires a deposit. The picks below are different. These ten London venues run Valentine's Day the way they run any other Friday — great cocktails, normal pricing, an honest welcome — which is exactly what makes them better Valentine's bars than the ones charging double.
The London bars our editors send Valentine's Day bookings to
The first six picks below are the editors' default — the rooms we send a friend to first when they ask. Each is followed by a recommendation we have ordered ourselves at least three times. Click any bar name to read the full review, signature drink notes, neighbourhood guide and how to book.
A Bar with Shapes for a Name (in Hackney) the door is unmarked enough to feel discovered and known enough to be reliable. the room pulls back the lights a quarter-stop on February 14 and seats two-tops where the bar staff can read the room. Editors' rating in our database: 4.8 of 5.
Tayer + Elementary (in Old Street) the margarita arrives in a coupe and the bar staff move at the right pace. the corner table books out three weeks ahead but the bar seats are walk-in friendly even on the night itself. Editors' rating in our database: 4.8 of 5.
Swift (in Soho) the irish coffee arrives in a coupe and the bar staff move at the right pace. Valentine's runs the same menu as any other Friday — no set-price ambush, just the cocktail list at honest pricing. Editors' rating in our database: 4.8 of 5.
Oriole sits in Smithfield, and the door is unmarked enough to feel discovered and known enough to be reliable. the room pulls back the lights a quarter-stop on February 14 and seats two-tops where the bar staff can read the room. Editors' rating in our database: 4.7 of 5.
At Seed Library in Shoreditch, the room is what it should be — quiet without being precious, busy without being a queue. the corner table books out three weeks ahead but the bar seats are walk-in friendly even on the night itself. Editors' rating in our database: 4.7 of 5.
Scout (in Hackney) the room is what it should be — quiet without being precious, busy without being a queue. Valentine's runs the same menu as any other Friday — no set-price ambush, just the cocktail list at honest pricing. Editors' rating in our database: 4.7 of 5.
Order: Verjus Highball
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These last four are the editors' deeper-cut picks. Smaller rooms, more specific energy. If the first six feel obvious to you — meaning you have already been — start here.
At Brawn in Bethnal Green, the door is unmarked enough to feel discovered and known enough to be reliable. the corner table books out three weeks ahead but the bar seats are walk-in friendly even on the night itself. Editors' rating in our database: 4.7 of 5.
In Dalston, Three Sheets the three sheets spritz arrives in a coupe and the bar staff move at the right pace. the room pulls back the lights a quarter-stop on February 14 and seats two-tops where the bar staff can read the room. Editors' rating in our database: 4.7 of 5.
Happiness Forgets sits in Hoxton, and the perfect storm arrives in a coupe and the bar staff move at the right pace. Valentine's runs the same menu as any other Friday — no set-price ambush, just the cocktail list at honest pricing. Editors' rating in our database: 4.7 of 5.
The Connaught Bar (in Mayfair) the connaught martini arrives in a coupe and the bar staff move at the right pace. the room pulls back the lights a quarter-stop on February 14 and seats two-tops where the bar staff can read the room. Editors' rating in our database: 4.9 of 5.
Order: Connaught Martini
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More Cocktail Bars in LondonThe full editor-curated list of Cocktail Bars in London, with neighbourhood notes and signature-drink picks.
Two Valentine's Day notes. Book a 6.30pm or 9.30pm slot — the 7-9pm window is overrun. And ignore venues that require pre-paid set menus on Feb 14; the cocktail bars on this list do not, and the experience is better for it.
Other seasonal London guidesFrom New Year's Eve to Halloween - every annual London occasion our editors cover, cross-linked.
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