Out to impress on a first date? Or just after a cosy spot for two? These romantic London bars should send sparks flying
Edited by Leonie Cooper
Food and Drink Editor, Time Out London
Contributor: Laura Richards
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Sorting out a sizzling date spot but not quite sure where to start? We got you. We'reproper romantics here at Time Out, and have been on our fair share of date nights in London – which we like to think of as the hottest city in the world (sorry, Paris!)
Some of these places are the kind of dreamy, low-lit bars you'd expect, but others are a little more left-of-centre; we know it takes more than couple of candles and a Negroni to charm this city's discerning daters. So read on to discover atmosphericco*cktail barsas well as some outstanding andcharacter-filled watering holes – all of them perfect for a lovely spot of London wooing.
Fancy some food with your flirting? Here are the most romantic restaurants in London
Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.
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Best bars for a date in London
- co*cktail bars
- Soho
price 3 of 4
4 out of 5 stars
Recommended
Hidden below a Chinese joint in Soho is this speakeasy-bar-meets-tea-room. It’s lit by the glow of Cantonese lettering in green neon, which bounces off luxurious red drapes, creating a look said to have been inspired by Wong Kar-wai’s ‘In The Mood for Love’. You’ll definitely be in the mood after one or two co*cktails made using China’s national spirit bajjiu.
- co*cktail bars
- Angel
price 3 of 4
5 out of 5 stars
Recommended
No jokes about that street address, please.What better than a secretive tryst at 'The bar with no name'? 69 Colebrooke Row oozes jazz-age style and the co*cktails are seriously impressive, all ingredients to help Cupid strike in this backstreet bar in Angel.
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- co*cktail bars
- Soho
price 2 of 4
4 out of 5 stars
Recommended
The French are meant to have written the book on love, so how about a trip to Brasserie Zédel's Bar Américain. Prices are reasonable, art deco decor sets a sophisticated tone and a short, simple list of classic co*cktails means you can get straight down to business.
- co*cktail bars
- Bloomsbury
price 3 of 4
4 out of 5 stars
Recommended
A gorgeous bar, inside and out, get along to Bloomsbury Club Bar for cosy encounters. Indoors is a plush, wood-clad den with live jazz the backdrop to you putting on the moves. Or take things to the terrace – a twinkly, vine-clad space fit for a ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ of your own.
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- co*cktail bars
- Bermondsey
price 2 of 4
4 out of 5 stars
Recommended
Sometimes, simply batting your eyelashes isn’t enough. Show off your other batting skills at Doodle Bar on one of their many ping pong tables.You can also arm yourself with chalk and take to blackboards that cover the walls.Sketches of love hearts may be a bit keen, though.
- co*cktail bars
- Bethnal Green
price 2 of 4
4 out of 5 stars
Recommended
Okay, it’s another French bar. But don’t expect us to come over all corny on you. This is a stripped-back hangout with a hip edge, slick service and drinks to add some sparkle to date night. And fancy co*cktails paired with croque monsieurs are also a match made in heaven.
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- co*cktail bars
- Clapton
price 2 of 4
Trying to woo a metalhead? You won't do better than a night in the perfectly divey Blondies. A petiterock'n'roll haven on the Lower Clapton Road, here you can sink house made margaritas while gazing into your lover's eyes and then smooching to the sweet sounds of Thin Lizzy.
- co*cktail bars
- Soho
price 2 of 4
5 out of 5 stars
Recommended
A dark and moody speakeasy is given a bright and modern twist with a pun-filled menu of co*cktails that will get you and your chosen one giggling. The buzz of chatter in the room helps take the pressure off if it's date number one, too.
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- co*cktail bars
- Shoreditch
price 2 of 4
5 out of 5 stars
Recommended
co*cktails are served with golf balls as ice, with teeth floating in them and even aflame at this bar on Bethnal Green Road. The theatre of drinking at CTC will be enough to keep the conversation flowing, but for any awkward pauses, they often havea pianist tinkling slow jams on the ivories.
- co*cktail bars
- Dalston
price 2 of 4
4 out of 5 stars
Recommended
Flickering candlelight, steamed-up windows and tiny tables fit for two; date night comes to Dalston. co*cktails here are nothing short of a revelation, and the young crowd are low-key and cool. Three Sheets best suits drinking after dark, but you could just as easily swing by during the day for light, bright cups of coffee.
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- co*cktail bars
- Marylebone
price 3 of 4
5 out of 5 stars
Recommended
If prying yourselves away from a night of Netflix requires real determination, try plonking on a sofa at home-away-from-home Seymour’s Parlour (I mean, if your home is actually real fancy).It’s asingular setting for co*cktails. And is it sleazy of us to point out that there are boutique hotel rooms up above?
- co*cktail bars
- Chinatown
price 2 of 4
4 out of 5 stars
Recommended
This sharply turned-out bar is on the first floor of a pub and is dressed as a gorgeous salon of pastel pink and baby blue. Plush, velvet furniture definitely assists those looking to cosy up, while a stylish screen sections off half the room for more intimate gatherings. If the romance proves to be overkill, make a move to the downstairs pub for posh grub and pints instead.
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- Pubs
- Bethnal Green
price 2 of 4
4 out of 5 stars
Recommended
Not your traditional bar for a date, Sun Tavern offers an ideal alternative if you're scared of pulling out the clichéd stops. The east London location and obscene collection of Irish spirits will make you look like one cool kid, and you can easily find yourselves a darkened corner fit for any date.
- co*cktail bars
- Soho
price 3 of 4
3 out of 5 stars
Recommended
This hideaway den in Soho is said to stand on the site where infamous 1960s politico John Profumo would bring his date Christine Keeler. Under its current guise as Disrepute,plush, crushed velvet furniture and plenty of booths for slinking into provide the setting for dates with a little less scandal, we hope.
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- co*cktail bars
- Bethnal Green
price 2 of 4
Not your quintessential romantic bar, this one.It looks every bit a down-and-out dive bar. Inside though, it might be just the thing to impress the discerning hipster in your life. Featuringhip hop on the stereo, a smartly modish setting, vintage French posters on the wall and some of the best co*cktails to be found in Bethnal Green’s booze scene.
- Wineries
- Bethnal Green
price 2 of 4
4 out of 5 stars
Recommended
If the pong of wine aging in the barrels nearby doesn’t act as a natural aphrodisiac, the rustic feel of this urban winery down a Bethnal Green alleyway may just do the trick. By night, it's lit by candlelight and attracts a local crowd of cool, young wine buffs. Sip on the house chardonnay or bacchus or get rosy-cheeked on sparkling rosé in this very sweet setting.
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- co*cktail bars
- Soho
price 2 of 4
5 out of 5 stars
Recommended
The bright and beautiful Italiano setting up above is a low-pressure hangout where you can enjoy oysters and aperitivi without looking like a try-hard. Should it be going well, take date night downstairs to the moodily lit co*cktail lounge and whisky bar below. It's a smouldering spot.
- co*cktail bars
- Portobello Road
price 2 of 4
5 out of 5 stars
Recommended
Who doesn't love a cheeky Tiki date? Inject some silliness into your night with piña colada co*cktails and a modern take on Polynesian drinking. This Notting Hill favourite has been around since 2003 – a long-term relationship if ever there was one.
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- co*cktail bars
- City of London
A super-sophisticatedbasem*nt bar on Throgmorton Street, in the City. DW&P isall about quality over quantity - it's seating only, and werecommend you book.This moody, stylishspot is all aboutco*cktails, but they also serve decent craft beer, Champagne and a short selection of wines from the old world and new.
- co*cktail bars
- King’s Cross
price 2 of 4
4 out of 5 stars
Recommended
What was once a down-and-out pub is now a sweet watering hole on the King’s Cross Road. The surprise factor of it all makes it ideal for impressing your suitor. A log burner and tall-backed armchairs give a rear room serious cosy clout. Beyond is a neat, walled garden for sweet summer sipping. Share a cheeseboard if you’re really pulling out the stops.
Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.
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