Best Bars in Soho, London: A 2026 Local’s Guide

Soho is the beating heart of London which makes it a great place to spend the evening sipping cocktails from happy hour to dawn!  Home to probably more of the best bars and best restaurants per capita than any other part of London, Soho has been and continues to attract a few of the most famous libertines, e.g. Casanova, Karl Marx and William Blake! Of course, the Porn Star Martini was invented in a bar called LAB, guess where – on Old Compton Street in Soho!

In this guide:

• Discover the top rated bars in Soho, with insider notes on atmosphere, drinks and what makes each one worth the trip in 2026
• Learn which corners of Soho suit which kind of night out, from quiet date spots to late night dancing
• Avoid the common mistakes: turning up unprepared for dress codes, hitting peak hours, or landing in an overpriced tourist trap
• Get quick answers on reservations, pricing and where locals actually go for a proper night out

I’ve created this guide to the best bars in Soho, to find the most creative mixologists in the area.  Most of the bars on my list are award winners and keep popping up on those “World’s Best Bars” lists!  Have fun tasting your way through Soho and always drink responsibly.

If you’d rather have someone else do the navigating, London Cocktail Tours runs guided crawls through Soho that get you past the queues and into the bars locals actually rate, with a proper drink at each stop. More on that at the end, but first, the bars themselves.

Where to find Soho

Soho is the square part of central London located bordered by Oxford Street, Regent Street, Shaftesbury Avenue and Tottenham Court Road. The closest underground stations are Piccadilly Circus. Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road. If you get off at Tottenham Court Road, head down past Soho Square Most of the bars are located on Greek Street, Frith Street, Dean Street and the aforementioned Old Compton Street.

Covent Garden is right around the corner and there are loads of bars there too, if you wish to step away from Soho as the evening progresses.

(this list is in alphabetical order)

Archive & Myth

Archive & Myth sits just south of Soho proper, tucked beneath the Hippodrome Casino on Cranbourn Street near Leicester Square, but it’s close enough, and good enough, to earn a spot on this list. The entrance alone is part of the draw: guests pass through a hidden door to reach a dimly lit chamber built around the Hippodrome’s 125 year history, decorated with vintage curios and told through a menu where every cocktail comes with its own backstory.

It’s picked up nominations for Best New International Cocktail Bar and Best New Bar at recent industry awards, and it’s built for an occasion: birthdays, dates, or anyone who wants their evening to feel like an event.

• Archive & Myth: Hippodrome Casino, Cranbourn St, London WC2H 7JH

Bar Termini

My first ever Negroni experience was at Bar Termini. For those who have yet to sample one of the greatest inventions to come out of Florence, including perspective, bathtubs, and Michelangelo, Bar Termini dares you to leave without trying this overly bitter, yet satisfyingly, smooth aperitif. Served in tiny tasting glasses, the Negronis are just small enough that, if you hate them, you haven’t committed to downing an 8 oz serving.

A homage to the main train station in Rome, Bar Termini is decorated with metal luggage racks above the seats for your coats and offers cappuccinos as strong as any you could find in the Eternal City. We raise a glass and give a cin-cin to the mastermind behind the bar program, Tony Conigliaro, the legendary drinks maestro, who knew that Soho needed an open all day bar, where you can be caffeinated or lubricated from dawn to dusk.

• Bar Termini: 7 Old Compton St, Soho, London W1D 5JE

Cahoots

Cahoots commits to its bit harder than almost anywhere else in Soho. The whole venue is styled as a disused 1940s London Underground station, tucked beneath Kingly Court just off Carnaby Street, and the theming runs all the way through the details rather than stopping at a few framed posters.

You enter down a wooden staircase built to look like an old tube escalator, get greeted at a ticket kiosk by a stationmaster in period dress, and are issued a “day ticket” before heading down to the platforms. I don’t want to tell you any more than that! Have fun!

• Cahoots: 13 Kingly Ct, Carnaby, London W1B 5PW

Disrepute

Intrigue, drama, & politics can bring anyone into disrepute. I prefer to be brought into Disrepute by its hidden staircase off of Carnaby Street. In the 60s, Carnaby Street was known to be the centre of everything cool and Disrepute is helping it reclaim that reputation. You have to find it first!

Off a tiny pathway, heading into Kingly Court, you might walk back and forth a few times before finding its staircase. Once you have found it, shimmy into one of their secret banquettes or Art Deco seats. When ordering cocktails, just rest assured, the bar is making headlines by producing some of the best bartenders in London, like Cameron Attfield, the 2019 Diageo World Class UK Winner.

• Disrepute: 4 Kingly Ct, Soho, London W1F 9RR

The Pink Chihuahua at El Camion

I know I would never think of ordering an Espresso Martini or Bramble at a Tequila Bar, unless that bar was El Camion. Few people know that The Pink Chihuahua, the bar hidden below El Camion restaurant, was the last bar helmed by Dick Bradsell. Dick is remembered as the bartender who changed the London cocktail business back in 1980s & 1990s, as well as inventor of the Espresso Martini, The Bramble and many other classic cocktails.

Although their Margaritas are without fault, El Camion is one of the only places you can get all of the cocktails Dick created using his exact specifications. Don’t miss the Pink Chihuahua, one of his only tequila creations, you are, after all, in a Mexican restaurant!

• The Pink Chihuahua at El Camion: 25-27 Brewer Street, Soho, London W1F 0RR

Experimental Cocktail Club

Set behind a battered, unmarked door on Gerrard Street, right where Soho meets Chinatown, Experimental Cocktail Club is the London outpost of the well known Paris original. Spread across three floors of an old townhouse, it leans into exposed brick, low lighting and an art deco, prohibition-era feel, with a list that runs from signature originals to vintage spirits dating back decades.

It’s a good pick for a special night rather than a quick drink: expect knowledgeable staff who’ll talk you through the menu, and prices that climb steeply if you stray into the rare vintage pours.

• Experimental Cocktail Club: 13a Gerrard St, London W1D 5PS

Mr Fogg’s Pawnbrokers & Mr Fogg’s Hat Tavern & Gin Club

Inspired by Jules Verne’s Phileas Fogg, the Mr Fogg’s group runs a handful of eccentric, immersively themed bars, and Soho has two of them. Mr Fogg’s Pawnbrokers, hidden behind an unassuming shopfront on Dean Street, is the more central of the pair, right in the middle of Soho’s theatre and restaurant district, and works well for a pre or post theatre cocktail.

A short walk away on Great Chapel Street, Mr Fogg’s Hat Tavern & Gin Club spreads across two floors, a Victorian tavern upstairs facing the old Henry Heath hat factory, and a hidden Gin Club below, reached through its own secret entrance. Both lean fully into the theatrics, so go in expecting a bit of theatre with your drink, not a quiet corner table.

• Mr Fogg’s Pawnbrokers: 50 Dean St, London W1D 5BQ
• Mr Fogg’s Hat Tavern & Gin Club: 22a Great Chapel St, London W1F 8FR

Swift

No one should miss Swift.  Put aside the fact that it is on the list of Drinks International’s World’s 50 Best Bars and won the Best New International Cocktail Bar at the Tales of Cocktail Spirited Awards, Swift is run by the dynamic duo Mia Johannsan and Bobby Hiddleston!

The drinks list may be why you come in the first place, but it’s the indescribable spirit that keeps you coming back. Although it is world-renowned in every way, Swift is that local bar where everyone knows your name. I can almost bet that after your first time here, it will be hard for you to go anywhere else.

• Swift: 12 Old Compton St, Soho, London W1D 4TQ

The Thin White Duke

The Thin White Duke is a chic, intimate cocktail bar in London, inspired by David Bowie’s iconic alter ego. Always busy, it exudes a cool, friendly, laid-back atmosphere perfect for any time of day!

With Dav Eames at the helm, the cocktails are a creative fusion, all paying homage to David Bowie, with playful names and unexpected combinations, like smoky mezcal paired with delicate florals or spiced rum balanced by tart fruits. Also since Dav is an absinthe expert, don’t be surprised if this enigmatic spirit is in your cocktails! Don’t miss the duck and butternut squash dim-sum!

• The Thin White Duke, 22B Great Windmill St, London W1D 7LD, United Kingdom

Insider Tips for a Better Night in Soho

• Start early, move often. A short stop at two or three bars beats one long night at a single spot, especially since several of the best venues are compact and better suited to a drink or two than a full evening.
• Ask the bar staff, not just the menu. Several Soho bars are happy to make classics off menu if you have a preference. Don’t be afraid to ask.
• Book the small, well known spots days in advance. Anywhere that’s made a “best of” list recently fills up fast on weekends.

Frequently Asked Questions

Next Steps and Recommendations

Soho rewards a bit of planning: book the small bars ahead, and walk one street back from the main strip when you can. If you’d rather skip the research and just show up, London Cocktail Tours runs guided Soho bar crawls that take care of all of it, the route, the bookings, and the local knowledge of which door to knock on. It’s a solid option whether you’re visiting for one night or you just want someone else to plan the evening for once.