When you work in the city centre, the buzz, excitement, and energy of the metropolis beckons, calling you for exciting post-work and post-gym cocktails, especially when the sun’s out and you’re getting your summer vibe on. So, whether you’re a whiskey fan, vodka drinker, beer drinker, or go in for the gin o’clock, here are the hottest places for cocktails after work in London.
Barrio Shoreditch
#1 Barrio Shoreditch
For a Latin-inspired cocktail bar and cantina, look no further than Barrio Shoreditch (with locations also in Islington (Angel), Brixton, and Soho). Barrio is the Spanish word for “neighbourhood” and this cocktail bar is one you can spend all weekend in with a late-night club, DJs, bottomless brunches, amazing food, great locations, and drinks!
From Monday to Friday from 12 noon to 7 pm, you can enjoy the “amigo days” cocktail specials for just £6 (practically unheard of in London). There’s also a new “amigo hour” Sunday to Thursday until 9 pm and Friday until 7 pm where you can get two-for-one cocktails and £3 tacos! Plus, the cocktails have fun names like Kiss It Better, Tropic Plunder 2.0, Raspberry Beret, and Espress Yourself – but you can also get cider, beer, and wine if that’s more your jam!
The atmosphere is quirky, colourful, and hip – and if you love to samba or dance to soul music, there are lots of opportunities to dance. There’s a ‘Downtown’ dance floor with DJ beats and a Studio 54-type ‘Uptown’ bar in the back.
Check out their website for more details here: https://www.barriobars.com/shoreditch
#2 Lyaness Bar
Whereas you won’t find cheap happy hours at Lyaness – the award-winning cocktails are around £14 each – you will find an amazing atmosphere and location at the winner of ‘World’s Best Bar.’ The gorgeous powder blue interior with a green marble bar is Instagrammable and you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to some bar in Old Hollywood or vintage London or New York. You’ll have a view of Blackfriars Bridge over the Thames on London’s Southbank whilst sipping your post-work drinks.
The menu and cocktails are designed around signature ingredients instead of traditional cocktail flavours and the bar is all about sustainability where it makes a conscious effort to reduce recycling and waste – even going as far as not to garnish cocktails with fruit. Plus, if you don’t limit yourself to happy hour outings, you can enjoy a cocktail-based Afternoon Tea and a party with the house DJs over the weekend.
Have a look at their website here: https://lyaness.com/
#3 Simmons Bar
With locations in Soho, Oxford Street, Liverpool Street, Fitzrovia, Kings Cross, Piccadilly Circus, Euston Square, and we could go on (there are 21 locations), the Simmons Bar is sure to meet your post-work needs without having to travel out of your preferred vicinity.
For those on a budget, you cannot get cheaper than Simmons happy hour drinks. From 4 pm to 9 pm Sunday to Friday (3 pm to 8 pm in the West End), you can get beer, spirits, and mixers for £2.50, glasses of wine for £3, and 2-for-£10 cocktails. If you want to share your drinks, you can get a cocktail teapot for £15 and a bottle of prosecco for £18.
This bar is a cocktail bar with an eclectic musical taste ranging from hip-hop to disco to funk to 80s, 90s, and classic party hits. There’s a reason these are known as London’s best party bars and they attract the post-work crowd from all over the city.
Take a look at their offerings on their website: https://www.simmonsbar.co.uk/
#4 Burlock Rum Room
Located in Marylebone, you’ll find this 1930s Havana-inspired basement rum den. The outside looks a little like a speakeasy but the inside is quirky and cosy.
On Tuesdays, you can enjoy 50% off drinks all night and during the summer the happy hour is Wednesday to Friday 5 pm to 9 pm and 5 pm until 7 pm on Saturdays. You can enjoy two for one cocktails, bottles of house wine for only £14, four Red Stripe beers for £12 (yes, four!), and £18 bottles of prosecco.
Have a look at the website here: https://www.burlocklondon.co.uk/
Honourable mentions
Here are some honourable mentions for the post-work drinks.
- Opium, a hidden gem in China Town, serves delicious oriental-themed cocktails with three cocktail bars under one roof and was voted the Best Bar Team 2019: https://www.opiumchinatown.com/
- The Nightjar in Shoreditch or Carnaby is a hidden speakeasy-style gem with candlelit tables and creative cocktails: https://barnightjar.com/
- The Gibson creates some of the wackiest drinks in London in the most creative vessels and you can get unique ingredients like dried worms and rare spirits: http://thegibsonbar.london/
- Eve Bar in the Garden of Eden in Covent Garden is a dimly lit lounge bar with imaginative cocktails: https://www.evebar.co.uk/
- The Rooftop in Trafalgar’s Hotel has views of Nelson’s Column for a high-flying feel: https://trafalgarstjames.com/the-rooftop
- Artesian Bar in The Langham is decorated in sumptuous lilacs and purples with a modern oriental style and a signature punch drink. For a sophisticated upscale experience, this is your go-to: https://www.artesian-bar.co.uk/
- Beaufort Bar at The Savoy is temporarily closed but once it’s open, you’ll be sure to enjoy a treat in this jet black and gold interior with old-world glamour. The bar, which offers exclusive cocktails and an extensive range of champagnes, traces its roots to an era when stars graced The Savoy’s cabaret stage and the bar itself is built on the former stage: https://www.thesavoylondon.com/restaurant/beaufort-bar/
The takeaways
Whether you want quirky and hip, private and cosy, swanky and upscale, or cool and budget-friendly, we have the top places to suit your happy hour needs. Since this is only a short list, what are your favourite places to enjoy post-work cocktails in London? Let us know on our social media.