London
Dean Street cocktails, Old Compton dives, hidden basements behind unmarked doors. Nearest tube: Tottenham Court Road, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus.
The pattern is sequencing. Start with a short-list cocktail at one of the bigger rooms, walk three minutes to a basement, end on a pint somewhere on Old Compton Street. The list below is built for that crawl, north to south.
Hand-picked and ranked by our London editors. Cited prices and hours are current as of May 2026; check the bar's site before a long journey.
Old Compton Street. Upstairs runs the short, fast list; downstairs is the whisky-led second room. World's 50 Best Bars list five years running. Walk-in upstairs, reservation recommended for the basement.