The West End
A favourite Soho drinking spot, Swift has a sleek, candlelit upstairs bar for walk-ins seeking a superior cocktail before dinner or the theatre, and a…
Must-see nightlife in The United Kingdom
The Cotswolds
Much the nicest of Broadway’s pubs, its cosy bar and front garden filled at the weekend with lively locals, the Crown & Trumpet has been honoured by CAMRA…
Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court
Right by the platform at Kew Gardens station (the only London tube platform with its own pub), this lovingly restored Victorian yellow-brick boozer is…
Glasgow
Drinking in former banks is a Glasgow thing and this central brewpub offers some of the best of it. The wooden, high-ceilinged space has huge windows out…
Nottingham
The Dragon has a fabulous atmosphere at any time, thanks to homemade food, a good beer garden and vinyl played on weekends. But it peaks from 7.30pm on…
Yorkshire
This ambitious, gin-obsessed cocktail bar in the heart of Hull's Fruit Market area has dark-wood bar panelling offset by exposed-brick walls. The gin menu…
The West End
This intimate basement bar has DJs, comedy, drag-king cabaret, burlesque, live music and party nights, all in addition to a generally friendly and…
Belfast
Run by volunteers, Dock Cafe has an honesty box and no price list: pay what you wish for coffee, tea, cakes, scones and soup. Everyone's welcome to lounge…
Snowdonia & the Llŷn
In 2012 this unassuming little place became the first Welsh pub to win the coveted Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) pub-of-the-year award. Run by the…
Anglesey & the North Coast
What started out as a North Coast–plying coffee van has found a more permanent home in this wonderful thimble-sized cafe. You may well find yourself…
York
Housed in a cavernous old warehouse, half the floor space in this craft brewery is occupied by giant brewing tanks while the rest is given over to simple…
Belfast
Named for the Belfast poet and socialist, the John Hewitt is one of those treasured bars that has no TV or gaming machines, just the murmur of…
Cardiff
Inspired by prohibition-era bars, this swanky speakeasy is hidden behind a narrow lane in the city centre. Find the bell with a feather painted nearby (it…
Cardiff
With charmingly scruffy rooms sprawling around a central bar painted racing green and festooned with hops, the Lansdowne is esteemed for its food (mains …
York
One of York's charms is finding teeny places like this cafe, shoe-horned into historic buildings. In this case the host is a 14th-century, rotund…
Oxford
A long-established local favourite, Jericho’s finest retro-look bar is renowned for its expertly mixed cocktails – typically priced at around £7.50, and…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
A charming cast has taken over this cosy corner pub, transforming it into one of London's most legendary queer cabaret venues. Order a Twink in Pink or a…
Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog
Originally crowd-funded into being by the lads at Brecon Brewing, the Tap is a treasure trove of craft beer, traditional cider, estate wines and locally…
Chester
If you're looking for the best pint in the city, the aficionados at the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) reckon you'll get it at this boozer in a Grade II…
Belfast
On a sunny afternoon, it's hard to beat the Belfast Lough–facing beer garden at this welcoming local, just footsteps from Holywood train station. It's a…
Notting Hill & West London
This Fuller's pub, quietly located along Edwardes Sq, is a lovely place for a pint of ale or some satisfying food. Out the front in warmer weather, there…
Liverpool
An institution amongst Liverpool boozers is this venerable old pub, which serves a good selection of ales to its ever-loyal clientele. It gets pretty…
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Dedicated to the genius of black music – funk, rare groove, dance-floor jazz, northern soul, genuine R&B, lush disco, proper house, reggae and more – this…
Isle of Man
A cocktail bar styled like a gin joint from the roaring twenties – it does excellent cocktails and on Wednesdays at 8pm there are classic films in the…
Liverpool
This multipurpose venue splits its focus between the arts and electronic music. The converted Victorian building is one of the best places in town to…
Kensington & Hyde Park
Just around the corner from the Royal Albert Hall is this blue-grey-painted godsend. Located in an adorable cobbled-mews setting off bustling Queen’s Gate…
Notting Hill & West London
Carefully choreographed randomness is the order of the day in this sizeable Fulham establishment, which has a large indoor drinking and seating space …
Leeds
You get two for one in Turk's Head Yard: first up there's the lovely old Whitelock's pub, which dates to 1715 and is all dark wood, gleaming copper and…
London
Formerly the Bank of New Zealand, this magnificent Grade II–listed building has reincarnated as a whimsical mock Victorian-era trading outpost stuffed…
The West End
Pendant bar lights, bright clutter, graffitied walls and raucous atmosphere give a New York vibe to this snug basement saloon just north of Oxford St. If…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
Black leather, bevelled mirror tiles and a copper wall gleam with candlelight in this darkly glamorous basement bar below the eponymous steak restaurant…
Glasgow
Offering comfort and style just a step away from the madding crowds of Central Station, this classy establishment is frequented by well-dressed drinkers…
London
The 'Jampot' does double duty as a historic wood-lined pub with a basement wine bar. It stands on the site of London's first coffee house (1652),…
Belfast
A cramped and staunchly traditional bar, Bittles is a 19th-century triangular red-brick building decorated with gilded shamrocks. The wedge-shaped…
Leeds
In the heart of Leeds' LGBTIQ area, spilling out onto the cheekily named Queen's Court, this is the city's most popular gay bar although it's not just the…
Cardiff
With a name originating from the optimum temperature for coffee roasting, this place is all about coffee perfection. Their coffee beans are ethically…
Cardiff
The award-winning craft brewery Tiny Rebel from neighbouring city Newport has quickly made a name for itself among microbrewery fans. Its first pub is…
London
Built in 1875 on the site of a Dominican monastery (hence the name and the corpulent chap above the door), this much-loved pub was famously saved from…
Glasgow
Hawaiian shirts, palms and leis provide an appropriate backdrop to colourful cocktails in this hedonistic and amiable basement bar. Upstairs, Kitsch plays…
Oxford
In the UK’s original, and still Oxford’s only, board-game cafe, paying £5 (£7 if you don’t eat or drink) lets you play as many games as you like for three…
