Countless reasons exist to visit the Big Smoke, as London became known during the industrial revolution when it was seemingly enveloped in thick smog, day and night. The air may have cleared since the days when Sherlock Holmes prowled the metropolis, but an air of mystery still hangs over England’s capital, making it all the more enticing to wind your way through its 32 unique boroughs’ grand boulevards and cobblestone back alleys seeking out its various dens of spirit and iniquity. One of the three primary cities that defined early cocktail culture along with New York and Paris, London commands perhaps more influence today than when famed American bartender Jerry Thomas wrote his seminal Bartender’s Guide after visiting the city in the mid-19th century.

Today, foundational institutions that cornerstone the cocktail universe still exist, with white-vested mixologists stirring up frothy gin fizzes and bone-dry martinis to well-heeled customers eager for a pleasant afternoon’s tippling. Beyond those early pillars, however, countless new speakeasies, creative lounges and world-class watering holes pop up yearly that demand fresh consideration. Should you find yourself in London soon, bookmark these five spots for a starting course at what we’ve dubbed Maxim’s Royal Cocktail Academy.

Donovan Bar

Salvatore Calabrese emanates bottomless Italian charm, if not humility. When he tells Maxim “It took God six days to create a perfect world, but it took me five to create the perfect martini,” it may sound self-aggrandizing, but the boast rings true. In the 1980s while helming Duke’s Bar, also on this list, the young Napolitano barman was tasked by renowned spirits aficionado and San Francisco Chronicle Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Stanton Delaplane to concoct a very dry but extremely cold martini. After days of fumbling with different processes, and catching Delaplane’s disappointed frown, Calabrese finally stuck the entire bottle of gin into a freezer. The idea being to make the liquid ice cold while eliminating the need for ice in the shaker. Presto. With that simple yet innovative epiphany Calabrese created what many deem the perfect cocktail, the Direct Martini, and changed the spirits landscape forever.

Today he helms many bars, including the excellent Velvet deep in the Corinthia London, but Calabrese’s crown jewel is undoubtedly the Donovan Bar in the eminently historic Brown Hotel. When you are commissioned to conceptualize a bar within the oldest hotel in all of London—the first hotel with an elevator, the first with hot water in every room, the first with electricity, and the home of Britain’s first telephone call when Alexander Graham Bell rang an 18-year-old Henry Ford in 1876—the onus, and honor, is writ large. And without question The Maestro, as he’s known by many, delivered.

The pioneer of the vintage cocktail movement, Calabrese imagined a sumptuous, cozy yet exceptionally elegant oasis inside the Brown that doubles as a liquor laboratory. The school of vintage drinks manifests foundational cocktails crafted with their original spirits—think the precise daiquiri Ernest Hemingway would have drank at the pre-Castro Havana Club using rum and bitters from the 1930s, or an old fashioned made with bourbon from 1890 when that libation was first invented. At the Donovan you can even enjoy the world’s oldest Negroni, using the same ingredients the eponymous Conte Negroni would have while leading his troops in the Franco-Prussian War. Insane but true.

The pioneer of the vintage cocktail movement, Calabrese imagined a sumptuous, cozy yet exceptionally elegant oasis inside the Brown that doubles as a liquor laboratory.

But Calabrese’s coup de grâce must surely be the aptly named Salvatore’s Legacy, a magical elixir consisting of Clos de Griffier Cognac from 1788, with Kummel Liqueur from 1770 and a helping of 1860 Dubb Orange Curacao. Even the Angostura Bitters are from the early 1900’s. Price tag? About $7,000. 

Beyond the drinks Calabrese’s dedication to hospitality can be seen in every detail, from the dazzling centuries-old stained glass window of St. George holding his sword high over the massive crystal bartop to the complimentary snacks, which include Parmesan cheese aged no less than 27 months. For every guest to nibble in between cocktails, on every visit—a small but unforgettable gift no other bar we visited even attempted. “We can see and read history, we can touch and feel history, but one thing no one could do is taste history,” Calabrese tells us of his impetus to revive cocktails from the bowels of history. “So I come out with this concept of selling liquid history.”

Drink Of Choice

Because Salvatore’s Legacy is beyond most anyone’s wallet, our most realistic choice goes to the Sparkling Side of the Moon. While the dazzling concoction of cognac, 10-year Bulleit bourbon, Grand Marnier and Fernet Branca with a clarified punch of a dozen ingredients sounds overwrought, the Pink Floyd homage sips as clean as a moonbeam. Add a splash of champagne in the rainbow-streaked crystal and you have perfection in coupe form. 

Scarfes Bar

From the moment you step through the grand stone arch of the Rosewood London in Covent Garden and turn right, you’ll know you’re not in Kansas anymore. Sure the top-hat adorned doorman will smile and welcome you, but getting past him will require either reservations or a rare window where Scarfes Bar can accommodate. Should you make it through the revolving door past said sentry, what awaits is nothing short of courtly opulence — a nostalgic nod to a more civilized time, when suited crooners tickled the ivory of a grand piano while white jacketed (and tartan trousered) barmen rocked cocktail shakers for the Savile Row-besuited clientele. 

But should you think stuffiness and conservative pearl clutching abounds at Scarfes Bar, you should know it gets downright libertine at times. Take a moment to wind your way through the marble-walled labyrinthine halls of the Rosewood Hotel to find the bathroom, the Belle Époque elegance of the hotel only adding to the refined spirit of Scarfes. But you’re here for the drinks, at least partly, and Head Bartender Andy Loudon’s compositions will not disappoint.

Scarfes summons that ultra rare paradox where refinement meets revelry.

Scarfes summons that ultra rare paradox where refinement meets revelry, where immaculately prepared cocktails with flamboyant ingredients like burnt cauliflower Campari, Zara Lebu lemons from Bangladesh and Coco & Leather Soda meet tipsy customers serenading the piano man with abandon, Manolo Blahnik heels buckling in high spirits of both sorts. A must visit in London.

Drink Of Choice

For simplicity meets nuance try the Knock on Wood, where they smoke cedarwood and acorn on The Macallan 12, with a splash of Martini Ambrato.

Soma Soho

The origin of Soho’s Soma speakeasy was one born of simple opportunity. In 2015 partners Will Bowlby and Rik Campbell launched an ambitious Indian-themed popup named Kricket in a shipping container in Brixton to near instant acclaim, parlaying that into a brick and mortar location in Soho by early 2017. When the crowds that followed needed a place to wait for their turn at Kricket’s superb kitchen, Bowlby and Campbell recognized the opportunity for an adjoining space where they could enjoy a drink or three. Soma was born in September 2021 to much fanfare; by the following April it won Best Bar at the GQ Food & Drink Awards. 

“The concept for the bar, a minimalist speakeasy, was inspired by the vibrant nightlife of Soho and the history of the site itself,” Campbell tells us. Working with close friend Hugh Scott Moncrieff, who happens to be the Director of Cake Architecture, the team designed a sleek yet elegant space down a long pair of stairs off the crowded Denman Street. The dark lighting, stainless steel bar and clever use of curtains — which are drawn back throughout the evening in different levels, revealing hidden areas and morphing the atmosphere as the night unfolds — lead to an intimate space that feels like a seductive respite from the highly trafficked Piccadilly Circus above. The fact that Soma is licensed for late service only notches up the mischief factor.

What sets Soma apart from the herd of generic speakeasies is quite simply its menu: an incredibly clever collection of classic cocktails dusted with nuanced magic from its Indian roots.

While the subterranean aura definitely vibes, what sets Soma apart from the herd of generic speakeasies is quite simply its menu: an incredibly clever collection of classic cocktails dusted with nuanced magic from its Indian roots. Think rum washed in coconut fat, clarified mango lassi or a chaat masalaa spin on the margarita with dashes of gooseberry and kumquat on a base of Tapatio Blanco and Mezcal Verde. 

Thank a strong brand DNA pioneered by Rogers who’s led the Beverage Program at both Kricket and Soma since day one. “A cocktail at Soma is the perfect way to complement dinner at Kricket, and vice versa,” says the co-founder of what he dubs a dialogue of sorts between Kricket and Soma. “Currently we’re experimenting with Hing, an ingredient derived from the resin of a fennel plant. It offers a savory, almost garlic-like flavor, but without the actual garlic,” Rogers reveals. “While it doesn’t fall into the medicinal flavor profile — especially with so many medicinal cocktails around right now — it has a pungent quality similar to black salt. When used carefully, it adds a deeper layer of complexity.” 

Drink Of Choice

Try the Kokum for a standout example of an Hing-influenced cocktail. Inspired by a traditional Indian drink called Solkadhi, the potion features the tart kokum fruit paired with a clarified blend of fresh coriander. 

Duke’s Bar

To experience Alessandro Palazzi preparing a Vesper for you table-side in the warm comforts of Duke’s Bar is to experience the essence of the cocktail itself. Tucked away in a hidden cul-de-sac in London’s aristocratic St. James neighborhood, the venerable Dukes Hotel has long played respite for British royalty — with Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth both erstwhile regulars at the understated Victorian manor. Although historic, it wasn’t until the aforementioned Salvatore Calabrese helmed the intimate mahogany-paneled den off to the right of the marbled lobby that Duke’s Bar became a cocktail haven in the 1980s. 

Today the esteemed Palazzi runs the venerable bar, having taken over in 2007 after studying under his mentor Gilberto Prati. When the opportunity came to work there, Duke’s management asked Palazzi why he was so keen. “Sir, let me tell you something,” the affable Italian famously responded. “For martini lovers, for bartender professionals, you must be at Duke’s before you die,” he laughs. “And that’s how I got the job.” 

While Calabrese had elevated Duke’s to worldwide acclaim, there were key ingredients Palazzi kept—such as the emphasis on excellent martinis, and Calabrese’s use of the rolling trolley to bring the action to the customers. “It’s a way to conversate with a customer, to give an interest,” he explains of his now famous table-side martini-making ritual. “Perhaps you introduce a gin that’s not available where they’re from. For each one there is a story, different botanicals, and it’s our duty to show the customer.”

“Sir, let me tell you something: For martini lovers, for bartender professionals, you must be at Duke’s before you die.”

Alessandro Palazzi

For that reason Duke’s does not sign exclusive contracts with distributors or conglomerates, preferring to keep their options open for rare spirits their customers may not be familiar with, such as English options like Sacred and Berry Bros & Rudd No.3, Kenya’s rare Prosera gin, or Weisshorn, a Swiss expression that only uses juniper sourced from a mile up in the Alps. “This is how you create a relations with the customer,” says Palazzi. 

“It is very important: I work with a team. At Duke’s I installed a rule: ‘It is never me me, no prima donnas. It is we,” he explains of the gin selection process, revealing six team members decide if they like a particular spirit. If it passes that test they then share it with their esteemed regulars who play final gatekeeper. If it meets their standards, well, the gin is in. “That’s why we don’t sign contracts: we are not driven by a company who gives a lot of money to the hotel. It is only what the team loves.”

Drink Of Choice

Every October Palazzi buys 1,000 grams of white truffles to infuse vodka with for one month, resulting in about 17 bottles. Order the White Truffle Martini and Palazzi will wheel his trolley to your table and blend his potion before you, adding 60 ml of Edwards potato vodka to 50 ml of his infused vodka, swirled with Sacred dry vermouth and Spanish olives. But if you want to try one, get to Duke’s Bar early in the new year because, “When it’s finished, it’s finished,” Palazzi warns. “You cannot have another White Truffle Martini till the next year.” 

The Connaught Bar

“Our North Star is the higher mission of our hotel: pleasure to please. Our guests are at the heart of everything that we do,” Agostino Perrone, The Connaught Bar’s celebrated Director of Mixology tells us. “From the very start of our creative process to the service of a cocktail, the thinking always revolves around the guest: how can we bring a story to life through the liquid, how can we engage them and make them interact with the drink, how can we mark their memories and entice them to visit again.” 

What Perrone and partner Giorgio Bargiani have achieved since opening in 2008 is nothing short of unprecedented, the fame achieved as profound as it is far-flung. Named the World’s Best Hotel Bar at the Tales of the Cocktail just two years after opening, the acknowledgment rained down as quickly and heavily as can be remembered in the world of hospitality. The Forbes Five Star rating came in 2013, ‘European Bar of the Year’ (with Agostino claiming ‘European Mixologist of the Year’) from the Mixology Bar Awards in 2017, and landing in The World’s 50 Best Bars rankings every year since 2010. They claimed the top spot on the planet in 2020 and 2021, and this year earned three Michelin keys. They even penned their own Connaught Bar recipe book last year. The reason for the acclaim is simple: the Connaught — located in the eponymous hotel in Mayfair — leaves no pebble unturned in its quest for perfection. 

“Our North Star is the higher mission of our hotel: pleasure to please. Our guests are at the heart of everything that we do.”

Agostino Perrone

We had the joy of being served the signature Connaught Martini by erstwhile partner and bar manager Maura Milia table-side. As with Duke’s, Milia rolled the trolley over filled with a witch’s assortment of bitters, which is where the Connaught Martini magic happens. She inquired on our preferred profiles and aromas, then knowingly prepared, stirred, poured and zested the martini with the agility of a Vegas illusionist. On that note, if you have not yet noticed the dominance of the Italian influence in this list, you haven’t been paying attention. The virtuosity and ubiquity of the Italian influence cannot go unmentioned after you scour London’s best sprit dens, and begs explanation. 

“Hospitality finds its primary roots in our homes— a little, apparently unassuming, gesture such as offering a seat and a coffee or a glass of water is what we do back home to anyone showing up at the door,” Perrone explains of his Lago Como roots. “I always feel this is potentially the beginning of a hospitality career, and when we Italians travel abroad and find a rich and inspiring environment as we find in London, the trick is done. We carry a strong heritage of flavors and ingredients with us, that again we get the chance to appreciate from a very young age, and this helps too.”

When asked why here in London, Perrone continues. “London is a city of opportunities for those who dare and endure, and therefore many of us have found a playground for cocktail creativity and hospitality elevation.”

Drink Of Choice

The aforementioned Connaught Martini, naturally. 

This article originally appeared in Maxim’s September/October 2025 issue. Follow Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.