The Big Smoke has a bar for every occasion. There’s Time Out’s current favourite Café Kick for laidback Mediterranean vibes, in Deptford for dive bar chaos or the likes of Godet for a romantic evening out. That’s not to mention the abundance of other record-filled listening bars, illustrious hotel bars, cute little natty wine bars and cool rooftop bars.
Suffice to say, Londoners have got it good when it comes to drinking dens. In fact, back in July, London was dubbed the ‘undisputed cocktail capital of Europe’ when seven of its cocktail dens featured on the list of Europe’s 50 greatest bars. Now, three of those have secured a spot on the worldwide edition.
The World’s 50 Best Bars very much does what it says on the tin: it’s a global list of the planet’s finest places for a tipple. The ranking released its top 100 longlist last month, which featured two London establishments. Here’s a rundown of every London bar that made it onto this year’s top 50.
Every London bar in the World’s 50 Best Bars 2026
If you’ve been following World’s 50 Best for a while, you’ll know that the Connaught Bar is always up there with the . This year is no different. In fact, this is 17th time the Connaught has made an appearance, which is more than any other bar in the world. For 2026, it landed in eighth place. The ranking says ‘its cocktails are near unimpeachable – a few of its signatures are genuine neo-classics – and the hospitality is as warm as it is indiscriminate’.
Another regular on the 50 Best guide, Satan’s Whiskers secured a spot at number 29 this year. Judges continue to be impressed by this Bethnal Green institution thanks to its ‘devil’s-in-the-detail philosophy’, expert bartending and drinks like the Miami Vice (a blend of strawberry daiquiri and piña colada) and East 8 Hold-Up (vodka, Aperol, pineapple, lime juice).
This one’s a brand-new entry, having only been around since March 2025. Waltz landed at number 32, with judges praising it for the bartenders’ ‘meditative precision and care’ and for being an ‘antidote to the now-ubiquitous doctrine of pre-batched cocktails’. The drinks here rotate regularly, inspired by Japan’s 72 different micro-seasons, though there is a selection of evergreen signatures. Time Out travel writer Liv Kelly visited over the summer and recommends the ‘shockingly green and perfectly spicy’ Original Picante.
The best bars in London, according to Time Out.
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