Is there anything better in life than the spontaneous after-work-drinky-sesh? (OK, it's not obligatory to call it that.)
Surely it's the best kind of night out... you log-off from your inbox (that "urgent" complaint can wait til morning... or next week), you round up some mates and hit a local bar.
There's something really naughty about a steam-up in your work clobber. There's something even naughtier about being three sheets to the wind by the time all the dressed up people hit the bar at 7pm. And naughtiest of all is when you have to get bundled into a cab and sent home because you've hurled on your boss' shoes at 8:30.
Damned good fun though.
Until your appraisal.
London best bars for after work drinks
This bustling bar used to be a pub cum Spanish restaurant called The Fat of the Land, and while the new venture has a Spanish chef formerly from El Bulli at the helm, the menu has been given a revamp and a price hike, now offering modern European cuisine. The stylish 1940s décor remains unchanged however, as does the bar’s popularity in the evenings.
One for brew connoisseurs: this independent pub opposite Euston station is devoted to craft beers, so you won’t find big name brands here. Instead there are over 150 bottled beers and plenty of offbeat draft choices, plus they also have a dedicated cider bar called the Cider Tap.
Part of the Geronimo Inns group, this pub boasts fantastic scenery as well as great prices. Oysters do feature on the menu however the main attraction is sitting on the mezzanine level with the Thames and the Shard in full view.
This colourful Latin-inspired bar has playful drinks like the rum and peach concoction Malibu Stacey and the fiery Hoodrat made with pepper and chilli. Selected drinks are only £5 before 8 pm (£3 in the case of bottled beers) and there’s a menu of booze-soaking fare like quesadillas, ribs and nachos if you get peckish.
You can’t beat a Samuel Smith’s pub for cheap drinks, so the fact that there are more than 30 of them in London alone is a very good thing. We’ve chosen this one for its super-central location by Piccadilly Circus, the old school décor and the pool table. Note that they only sell Sam Smith’s beer and you won’t find big brands like Coca-Cola here, so go if you want to stick it to the corporations.
The London Cocktail Club now counts five venues in the capital, where mixologists concoct unusual drinks like the Bacon and Egg Martini, made with Jack Daniels, bacon and maple syrup. The perfect venue in which to end a naughty school night.
The London Cocktail Club now counts five venues in the capital, where mixologists concoct unusual drinks like the Bacon and Egg Martini, made with Jack Daniels, bacon and maple syrup. The perfect venue in which to end a naughty school night. The Lady Ottoline’s food is consistently great, much like at their sister restaurants the Pig & Butcher and the Princess of Shoreditch. But if it’s just a bevvy you’re after there’s a good selection of craft beers and wine, plus the pretty, country-inspired bar benefits from a real log fire.
This spectacular pub has long been a favourite among Holborn workers, whether it’s for lunch or a post-work pint. As the name suggests the building is where the Bank of England traded from 1888 till 1975, and its magnificent murals and chandeliers remain. One of London’s most beautiful drinking holes.