Editorial
One night in London bars, planned correctly, compresses the best of one of the world's most varied bar scenes into a single evening. The density of genuine quality across Soho, Shoreditch, and Dalston is extraordinary — different in character from New York, different again from Berlin, and entirely itself.
Soho at 6 pm is the correct place to start an evening in London bars. The neighbourhood is small enough to walk between venues and the cocktail quality in a two-block radius of Frith Street is unmatched anywhere in the city.
After Soho, the correct move is east. Shoreditch and Dalston have a completely different energy — more experimental, less self-conscious about its own quality — and the bar density is extraordinary.
Deep guides to the best bars in major cities worldwide. From London to Tokyo, our editors map the evening that works.