All 200 bars on the London Cocktail Week list get the thumbs up from us but as we’ve been tasked with picking nine, we’ve gone for bars to meet varying moods and occasions. You can see our full collection HERE. 

For afternoons, early evenings we love Swans Bar in Maison Assouline, it’s a real treat for art fans and book lovers with a tasteful selection of drinks to match. For sultry evenings there’s Spy Bar, housed in a warren of subterranean rooms once used by MI5, this gets our vote for when you’re looking for a bar to spark conversation.

If you love whisky but prefer it served in a fun, informal environment, you’ll love Dram, while fans of agave and Latin American spirits are advised to head straight over to Viajante87 where good drinks and great vibes are always on the menu. 

Dates nights or special nights out with friends? With its low lighting, plush surroundings and live music, the newly reopened Oriole works a treat. Ditto the smaller, more intimate Nipperkin at NIJU - perfectly formed. If you want something to eat while you're out - we are enjoying what Gaucho are up to at the moment - they've really elevated their cocktails - and obviously the food is fab. 

If you want to hang with the cool kids, sipping on some of the most inventive cocktails in London, head to Hackney (where else?) where A Bar With Shapes For A Name awaits. Lastly, for no frills, no fuss, just classics done right, there’s Happiness Forgets – one of the OGs for a very good reason.

The Cocktail Lovers magazine is celebrating 50 glorious issues this London Cocktail Week. 
You can (and should) subscribe to their print or digital magazine HERE. 

Or - if you want to meet the pair themselves, they're running their very own London Cocktail Week event - From London With Love, exploring five iconic cocktails that shaped the city on Thursday 10th October. Find out more HERE.