Silverjet recommended nightlife in London

Blue Bar
Berkeley Hotel, Wilton Place

This opulent Knightsbridge hotel venue regularly attracts a fashionable monied clientele. Daubed in a duck-egg pastel blue, with a white onyx bar and crocodile print leather floor, the Blue Bar aims for a calm and sophisticated ambience which blends eccentric Victoriana with chic modernism.

Blue Bar
Berkeley Hotel, Wilton Place

This opulent Knightsbridge hotel venue regularly attracts a fashionable monied clientele. Daubed in a duck-egg pastel blue, with a white onyx bar and a black crocodile print leather floor, the Blue Bar aims for a calm and sophisticated ambience which blends eccentric Victoriana with chic modernism.

The staff are attentive and hospitable, and the cocktails expertly mixed. The menu also features 50 different whiskies, a wide selection of champagnes, and an excellent range of wine by the glass. The room is compact, sitting only 50 people, so ensure you arrive early.

Berkeley Hotel
Wilton Place
Knightsbridge
London, SW1X 7RL

T: 020 7235 6000

Mandarin Bar at the Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 66 Knightsbridge

Perfectly located for a relaxing cocktail after a hard day’s shopping in Knightsbridge, the Mandarin Bar is a luxurious, beautifully designed space which oozes decadence and glamour.

Mandarin Bar at the Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 66 Knightsbridge

Perfectly located for a relaxing cocktail after a hard day’s shopping in Knightsbridge, the Mandarin Bar is a luxurious, beautifully designed space which oozes decadence and glamour.

The interior is illuminated by soft golden light and filled with leather armchairs, silk furnishings, marble, mirrors and wood. The centrepiece is the long, granite, catwalk-style centre bar that leads onto a backlit red glass wall, and guests are serenaded nightly by a string quartet.

The sublime cocktails are expertly mixed, and bar snacks include exotic treats such as lobster spring rolls and fried five-spice Chinese cabbage.

Mandarin Bar at the Mandarin Oriental
66 Knightsbridge,
London
SW1X 7LA

T: 020 7235 2000

The Lamb and Flag
33 Rose Street

A good traditional pub can be hard to find in central London, but the Lamb and Flag, built in 1623, is one rare example. Billed as one of the oldest pubs in the city, the Lamb and Flag was once known as the Bucket of Blood on account of the bare-knuckle fights held in the front courtyard.

The Lamb and Flag
33 Rose Street

A good traditional pub can be hard to find in central London, but the Lamb and Flag, built in 1623, is one rare example. Billed as one of the oldest pubs in the city, the Lamb and Flag was once known as the Bucket of Blood on account of the bare-knuckle fights held in the front courtyard.

The pub’s popularity relies on the way it has successfully preserved its old-world charm – tucked up a quiet side-street in Covent Garden and accessed by an ancient narrow passageway lit with a black lantern, a visit to the Lamb and Flag feels like stepping back in time. The low ceilings, wooden interiors and no-frills décor all contribute to the quaint and cosy atmosphere.

The pub serves an excellent selection of real ales and is famed for its extensive range of whiskies. It is extremely popular, so be sure to get there early if you want a seat; alternatively, you can join the noisy throng of after-work drinkers out in the front courtyard.

Lamb and Flag
33 Rose Street, 
Covent Garden,
London,  WC2E 9EB

T: 020 7497 9504

The Lobby Bar at One Aldwych
1 Aldwych

The Lobby Bar at One Aldwych has been described as the most beautiful hotel lobby bar in London, and it’s easy to see why. With its stunning high ceilings, huge central sculpture, full-length arched windows and exotic plants perched on glass cases, this is a bar designed to impress.

The Lobby Bar at One Aldwych
1 Aldwych

Oliver Peyton, restaurateur founder of such swanky London establishments as the Admiralty and Isola has gone one better with Inn the Park, a stylish The Lobby Bar at One Aldwych has been described as the most beautiful hotel lobby bar in London, and it’s easy to see why. With its stunning high ceilings, huge central sculpture, full-length arched windows and exotic plants perched on glass cases, this is a bar designed to impress.

The Lobby Bar is much more than a place for hotel guests to meet before heading out for the night; it attracts a fashionable crowd from the local area, and is particularly popular as a venue for pre-theatre drinks for those planning to see a show in the nearby West End.

The bar is renowned for its superb cocktails, which are skilfully mixed by the laid-back and friendly staff. It also offers a wide range of champagnes, wines and beers.  

The Lobby Bar at One Aldwych
One Aldwych
Aldwych
London
WC2B 4RH

T: 020 7300 1070

Milk and Honey
61 Poland Street

This speakeasy-style private members bar offers an alluring alternative to the usual Soho pub scene.

Milk and Honey
61 Poland Street

This speakeasy-style private members bar offers an alluring alternative to the usual Soho pub scene.

Hidden behind an anonymous black-fronted façade with no signage or door number, Milk and Honey’s intial draw is its aura of exclusivity. But once you’re in, the friendly and intimate setting belies the forbidding exterior. The theme is twenties prohibition, and the bar is bedecked with twenties curiosities and paraphernalia, with swing and jazz providing the background music.

Copies of the bar’s rules can be found on the tables, and are expected to be taken seriously (‘Do not bring anyone unless you would leave that person alone in your home’) – the idea is to create a refined and polite environment that harks back to a more civilised age. 

Milk and Honey is a private members bar, but non-members are allowed access by reservation until 11pm.
 
61 Poland Street
Soho
London
W1F 7NU

T: 020 7734 0700

Donovan Bar at Brown’s Hotel
33 Albemarle Street

This luxurious Mayfair bar exudes an atmosphere of refined elegance and sophistication. It takes its name from celebrated British photographer Terence Donovan, whose iconic black and white prints are dotted liberally round the walls.

Donovan Bar at Brown’s Hotel
33 Albemarle Street

This luxurious Mayfair bar exudes an atmosphere of refined elegance and sophistication. It takes its name from celebrated British photographer Terence Donovan, whose iconic black and white prints are dotted liberally round the walls.

The décor is chic and comfortable, with wooden floors, leather furniture and check banquettes. The bar’s most striking feature is the Bill Amberg-designed leather bar, which backs on to a beautiful Gothic stained-glass window. Guests can enjoy live jazz, which is performed Monday to Saturday from 9pm to midnight; the bar’s popular monthly Brazilian night also packs in the crowds.

The biggest draw is the fabulous cocktails, which include all the classics with some creative concoctions for the more adventurous. The bar also serves an extensive range of wines and whiskies, and a selection of delicious bar snacks including West Mersea Native Oysters.

Donovan Bar at Brown’s Hotel
33 Albemarle Street
Mayfair
London
W1S 4BP

T: 020 7493 6020

Apartment 195
195 Kings Road

Situated in a beautiful listed building in London’s famous Kings Road, this comfortable and stylish lounge bar is one of a new breed of semi-exclusive drinking establishments that have sprung up around the city during the past decade.

Apartment 195
195 Kings Road

Situated in a beautiful listed building in London’s famous King’s Road, this comfortable and stylish lounge bar is one of a new breed of semi-exclusive drinking establishments that have sprung up around the city during the past decade.

The ambience is more elegant drawing room than London bar, and that’s because Apartment 195 is only available for private hire. You and your friends can call it home for the evening, and Apartment 195’s team of bar staff will be on hand to ensure the drinks keep flowing. Gorgeous cocktails, great champagne, fine wines, canapés and smooth service are all on tap, and you don’t have to confine yourself to the menu – the highly skilled mixologists at the bar are happy to create exclusive cocktails to reflect the theme of your event.

The main lounge caters for large parties; also available is the salon and the TV room, designed for smaller groups.

Apartment 195
195 Kings Road
London
SW3 5ED

T: 020 7351 5195