The Best Bars In West London
Last updated: 15th January 2020 | Image: The Distillery
A four-storey gin palace; a candle-lit cocktail lounge behind a bookcase; and a hedonistic Italian pizzeria and karaoke joint…
…already make for one hell of a difficult decision when choosing where best to drink in West London. Let alone when you consider all of the other options below.
Behold the best of the west:
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The Bletchley | Chelsea
Much like the code linked to its namesake, this bar hopes to stay a bit of an enigma. But what we can tell you is that it comes to us from the folks behind highly-successful ABQ who – taking inspiration from the code-breaking operations at Bletchley Park in WWII – have mastered a secret formula that allows them to create a series of bespoke, personality-matched cocktails exclusively for you… READ MORE
Address: 459 King’s Road, SW10 0LR | For more information, or to book, visit their website here.
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Callooh Callay, Chelsea | Chelsea
It’s the West London counterpart to the multi-award-winning Callooh Callay in Shoreditch. Housed in a former night-club, and still utilising some of the old features, the decor’s a little off-kilter. Drinks-wise, however, nothing’s changed. On offer is a mix of Calooh Callay classics, as well as some newer creations, shaken up by a bar team from the likes of Sketch and 69 Colebrook Row. And they’re still every bit as delicious, especially when paired with a little charcuterie or a selection of cheese. READ MORE.
Address: 316-318 Kings Road, West London, SW3 5UH | For more information, or to book, visit their website here.
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The Prince | Earl’s Court
It’s a multi-storey eating and drinking den in Earl’s Court, which, alongside three bars and four restaurants, boasts a covered, flower-laden beer garden, with a retractable roof for summer. READ MORE.
Address: 4 Lillie Road, Earl’s Court, West London, SW6 1TT | For more information, or to book, visit their website here.
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Bunga Bunga | Battersea
It’s a totally over-the-top, fun-loving Italian pizzeria and cocktail bar, where – alongside freshly-made, metre-long pizzas, and sparkler-filled sharing cocktails – you’ll find late-night karaoke, five days a week. READ MORE.
Address: Battersea Bridge Road, Battersea, SW11 3BA | For more information, or to book, visit their website here.
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The Distillery | Notting Hill
Located along Notting Hill’s Portobello Road is this four-storey fun-house of gin. As well as a full-time distillery (where small-batch Portobello Road Gin is made), you’ll find The Ginstitute (their in-house gin school teaching you to blend your own gin); two bars; a gin museum; and a micro hotel. You can quite literally eat, sleep, drink, and learn gin. And all under the same roof at that. READ MORE.
Address: 186 Portobello Road, Notting Hill, West London, W11 1LA | For more information, or to book, visit their website here.
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Evans & Peel Detective Agency | Earl’s Court
A secret West London speakeasy, where – after being led through to a softly-lit agency office – The Detective will usher you through a bookcase and into a candlelit drinking den serving booze in brown paper bags. READ MORE.
Address: Earls Court Road, Earls Court, SW5 9BA | For more information, or to book, visit their website here.
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The American Bar at The Stafford | Green Park
After a recent refurb, this wood-panelled Central London institution is slicker and smarter than ever. Come here when you want to feel like you’re relaxing in an Old Boys’ Club – the kind that has a 16-strong cigar list and it’s very own cobbled smoking terrace. The cocktail list has been designed to take you on a journey through American history, everything from the Gold Rush to landing on the moon. And whilst it doesn’t come cheap at £21 a pop, the drinks sure are delicious, like their Home Run of gin, Calvados, cucumber, yuzu juice, apple, pear, and egg white; an ode to major league baseball player Babe Ruth and the American Dream.
Address: The Stafford Hotel London, SW1A 1NJ | For more information, or to book, visit their website here.
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Barts | Chelsea
Hidden away behind an inconspicuous black door in Chelsea is this eccentric, 1930’s-inspired drinking den. Get the password right and you’ll be ushered inside where – dressed up in a little fancy dress – you can work your way through their 40+ cocktail list, including sharing cocktails served up in full china tea-sets. READ MORE.
Address: Chelsea Cloisters, Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, SW3 3DW | For more information, or to book, visit their website here.
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Trailer Happiness | Notting Hill
“Trailer Happiness is an intimate lounge bar, den and kitchen on Portobello Road serving the finest classics and original cocktails with a Tiki twist” – Trailer Happiness. That was easy. READ MORE.
Address: 177 Portobello Rd, Notting Hill, W11 2DY | For more information, or to book, visit their website here.
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The Piano Kensington | Kensington
New York does piano bars: friends squeezed around a grand piano in Greenwich Village, cocktail in hand, filling the room with Ratpack classics and showtunes. And West London does too. READ MORE.
Address: Royal Garden Hotel, 2-24 Kensington High Street, W8 4PT | For more information, or to book, visit their website here.
Liked exploring the best bars in West London? Check out The Nudge’s guide to the best restaurants in West London, too.