The Best Cocktail Bars In Mayfair

Alex Hellebaut /
Alex Hellebaut / | © Culture Trip

Whether you’re after fishbowls of tropical cocktails or martinis tailored to your exact specifications, let Mayfair’s skilled bartenders shake, stir and garnish their way into your heart as you sip expertly crafted drinks in lavish settings.

Connaught Bar

Bar, Contemporary

The cocktails served at Connaught Bar are among the best in the world. The bartenders are constantly inventing new combinations of ingredients, with the bar’s flawless collection of vintage spirits and limited-edition wines and champagnes ensuring the cocktails are second to none. If you like martinis, Connaught is the place to order one. There’s a special trolley reserved for this exact purpose, which will swiftly arrive at your table to mix a drink before your eyes.

CircusXO

Bar, Cocktail Bar, Contemporary

The drinks here aren’t the chicly stirred martinis you find at other Mayfair bars. They’re loud, brash and altogether delicious. You could find yourself supping from a fishbowl the size of your face, but the contents will be a million miles away from the sugary punch-bowl concoctions of your youth. Expertly designed cocktails are served in takeaway containers, plastic bags and a ceramic human heart. The neon-lit bar is located below StreetXO, known for its cutting-edge fusion food, and CircusXO’s self-titled ‘liquid cuisine’ helps further that reputation.

Mr Fogg’s Residence

Bar, Cocktail Bar, British, Tea

This Burton Lane bar is famed for its Tipsy Tea menu, where English classics get a boozy twist. Try a ‘Ladies That Lapsang’ (lapsang souchong-infused vermouth, gin, Drambuie liqueur, vanilla syrup and lemon juice) or a ‘Tea Leaf You Wanting More’ (earl grey-infused gin, elderflower liqueur and lemon juice), two of the house specialities. Or, better yet, opt for the bottomless option: two hours of unlimited teapots filled with Mr Fogg’s unique tea-themed libations.

Dickie's Bar

Bar, Cocktail Bar, Irish, British, American

The ingredients used at Dickie’s Bar (located inside chic restaurant Corrigan’s) travel directly from farm to glass, brought from chef Richard Corrigan’s County Cavan estate in Ireland. The bucolic fantasy is taken further with the sketches of country life in the menu. Gregory Buda, a mixologist from New York’s well-regarded Dead Rabbit bar, is mixing the drinks. From yellow bell pepper to hazelnut, the flavours here are intense and unusual, and will leave you wanting more.

Mahiki

Bar, Cocktail Bar, Contemporary

The drinks at this famous club are Polynesian themed, and if you’re a fan of rum there’s no better place to go. Try their signature cocktail, named after the bar, which mixes Pampero Especial rum, vanilla, pear and strawberry puree, lemon, sugar and crème de fraise, or opt for a classic Dark ‘n’ Stormy. If you want to go all out (you are at an exclusive nightclub, after all), go for the Wicked Wench or the Mahiki Treasure Chest, which are served up in a giant gold clam and a pirate’s treasure chest, respectively.

Hush

Bar, Cocktail Bar, Restaurant, British, French

The bar at this 1930s-style restaurant won the Best Bar Award at the 2017 London Club & Bar Awards, so you know it’s a reliable place to head to. Hush harks back to the golden days of aviation, and the bartenders will help you to travel the world without ever leaving your bar stool. With an extensive collection of spirits, you’ll be able to drink whatever your mind can dream up. There’s also an attractive courtyard to enjoy if the weather is warm.

Hawksmoor Air Street

Bar, Cocktail Bar, Restaurant, British, Steakhouse, Seafood

Hawksmoor may be renowned as one of the best places to get a steak in London, but this branch knocks up a great cocktail, too. The restaurant’s wood-panelled bar is a great place to hang out for a few drinks, with a bar staff that really know their stuff. Their four-part cocktail menu, with sections including “Anti-Fogmatics” and “Bridging Drinks”, offers a delightful, surprising mix of libations, from the Full-Fat Old Fashioned to the Rise & Brine.

culture trip left arrow
 culture trip brand logo

Volcanic Iceland Epic Trip

meet our Local Insider

Hanna

women sitting on iceberg

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE?

2 years.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?

It's the personal contact, the personal experiences. I love meeting people from all over the world... I really like getting to know everyone and feeling like I'm traveling with a group of friends.

WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST?

I have so many places on my list, but I would really lobe to go to Africa. I consider myself an “adventure girl” and Africa feels like the ULTIMATE adventure!

culture trip logo letter c
group posing for picture on iceberg
group posing for picture on iceberg

Every CULTURE TRIP Small-group adventure is led by a Local Insider just like Hanna.

map of volcanic iceland trip destination points
culture trip brand logo
culture trip right arrow
landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

X

Holiday Sale Offers on Our Trips

Incredible Savings

Edit article