Neighbouring areas Clerkenwell and Farringdon aren’t short on watering holes, but not all bars are created equal. Looking for the best Clerkenwell and Farringdon bars to ease you into the evening? Look no further.
Farringdon (and its close neighbour Clerkenwell) is one of our favourite London haunts. Throughout our collective time in London we’ve worked in, lived near and explored the area for its fantastic bar scene until we feel like we know it like the back of our hands.
Here’s your guide to the best Clerkenwell and Farringdon bars, cocktail dens and wine joints. Let’s go.
Le Bar at Club Gascon
Michelin-starred pedigree and snazzy cocktails.
Club Gascon, the Michelin-starred restaurant next door, closed for good in March 2026 after 27 years. Le Bar, its cocktail bar, has stayed open, and the good news is you still get the same French tapas (“Frapas” on the menu) that made the whole operation worth visiting.
Cocktail-wise, there’s a lot to choose from, the classics make the required appearance, but we love to live a little. That’s why you should plump for the pleasantly sharp St Jean de Luz, a mix of Jack Daniel’s, Cointreau, raspberry puree and lemon juice.
Pair it with the piggy treats and sit back, safe in the knowledge that this is exactly where you’re meant to be.
The Winemakers Club
Farringdon’s coolest wine bar.
There are plenty of wine bars in Farringdon, so it was always going to be tough for a new one to break onto the scene. But The Winemakers Club has done so with aplomb.
Opening in 2014, it took a space that had been a wine cellar for over 150 years and turned it into one of Farringdon’s most distinctive drinking spots.
There’s the gorgeous setting in the vaults under the Holborn Viaduct, bare brickwork, moody candle lighting and plenty of space. In an area where you’re used to sitting on top of each other, having room to actually talk is no small thing.
Then there’s the wine itself: bottles from high-quality independent producers, with a list that focuses on organic and biodynamic wines from around the world. Prices are on the high side (£8 and upwards for a small glass), but the quality justifies them.
The bar at City of London Distillery
Best for cocktails straight from the source.
There have been a whole slew of distilleries popping up across London in recent years, with the City of London Distillery leading the way.
This gin distillery is tucked away on St Bride’s Lane, but word of its rather tasty creations has spread, meaning that on a Friday night, this is one of the hottest tables in town.
Descend into the basement bar, and if you’re lucky enough to grab a table, you can while away a few hours working through the gin-based cocktail menu, starting with the Cold Fashioned, a mix of gin, whisky, bitters and cucumber. The distillery also runs frequent tours and workshops, including the chance to make your own gin, flavoured with your choice of botanicals.
5cc at Harrild & Sons
Speakeasy style on the Farringdon Road.
There are actually two 5cc bars in the area, and both are worthy contenders for the best cocktail bars in Farringdon. We’ve picked the Harrild & Sons one, it just about pips its Exmouth Market counterpart to the post.
Located right on Farringdon Road, the upstairs bar Harrild & Sons is guaranteed to be packed most days of the week. Head downstairs to the 5cc bar instead, and you’re much more likely to get a seat, and they serve genuinely good cocktails.
The menu isn’t expansive, but what 5cc do, they do well. The Espresso Martini will perk you up no end, and the Manhattan is up to par. Service can be slow when it’s busy, you’re better off going to the bar than waiting for table service, but it’s a genuinely good little spot in central Farringdon.
Vinoteca
Classic wine bar in Farringdon for a relaxed evening with friends.
For anyone who’s been to one of the cosy bars in the Vinoteca chain, this is where it all started. Vinoteca is one of London’s flagship wine bars, the kind you find everywhere on the continent but which are still surprisingly hard to come by in London.
Unpretentiously hearty, delicious plates are paired with genuinely good wines, a simple formula that’s made Vinoteca one of London’s best-known wine chains.
Book ahead to get a table, as one of the best bars near Farringdon station it fills up early and can be difficult to get into.
The Zetter cocktail lounge
Quirky Clerkenwell bar with sublime cocktails.
If only the walls of the Zetter Townhouse’s eccentric cocktail lounge could talk. This legendary Clerkenwell bar is part Alice in Wonderland, part batty great-aunt chic, and fully fabulous.
Huge pillowy armchairs, brocade cushions, pleated lampshades, this is one of the quirkiest bars in London and it’s not afraid to show it.
Drinks are masterminded by mixology legend Tony Conigliaro. The ever-changing menu is always filled with enough concoctions to tempt you into having one too many. Worth noting: some recent listings refer to the space as the Wilhelmina Lounge, so don’t be thrown if the branding’s shifted slightly since your last visit.
Coin Laundry
The cool cocktail bar in Clerkenwell that doubles as a neighbourhood hangout.
Occupying a large corner spot at the end of Exmouth Market, Coin Laundry is a relaxed neighbourhood hangout that also happens to do genuinely good cocktails.
Add a reasonable wine list and a choice of craft beers, and you have one of the best bars in Clerkenwell. It’s not pretentious, the vibe leans chilled rather than polished, and that’s exactly what makes it work. They’re open from late morning to late night, with something on the menu to tempt you at pretty much any hour. They up the pace on Saturdays for a bottomless brunch, three bottomless cocktails alongside seasonal British mains.
Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings
Jack of all trades, master of none, isn’t that how the saying goes? The Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings is the exception that proves the rule.
They describe themselves as a multi-faceted clubhouse, restaurant, greenhouse, cocktail bar, cookery school and late-night underground drinking den, which sounds ambitious. It works.
The cocktail menu treads the line between the familiar and the sublime, there are a few mediocre sips in there (too much ice), but when they get it right, they get it right. Case in point: the Luchador, a mix of tequila, mezcal, Solerno blood orange liqueur, lime and spice.
Cafe Kick
Relaxed, fun vibes with no pretensions.
Halfway along Exmouth Market you’ll find Cafe Kick, usually buzzing, always a good time. They’re a bar dedicated to the beautiful game, both the field and table variety, though that’s not the only reason to visit.
TVs show football when it’s on, and when it’s not, patrons take to the foosball tables. The vibe is very chilled, and it’s not uncommon to get challenged by another group looking to prove themselves. Sip some good European beers and imported wines, eat from the sharing and snack menu, or work through a plate of oysters.
Gunmakers
A blend of old meets new from a team we love.
Occupying an old pub building between Clerkenwell and Farringdon, you’ll find a genuinely original concept: the cocktail pub. Pub atmosphere, mixed drinks.
The team behind The Gunmakers also brought you Bermondsey’s Nine Lives, so the quality tracks. The drinks are playful and slip down all too easily, the atmosphere has none of the stiffness of some other cocktail bars in town, and there’s a solid menu of tacos should anyone get hungry.
Fidelio Cafe
A good spot for a sophisticated drink and some live music.
Fidelio is probably more of a restaurant than a bar, but the cafe/bar setup means it can feel like drinking is the main focus, particularly when they put on live music.
Fidelio hosts performances from a range of classical musicians for diners and drinkers alike. This isn’t the place for a mad night out, but if you’re after a touch of class, you’ll find it here.
Clerkenwell & Social
Right on St John’s Square, Clerkenwell & Social mixes a proper cocktail list with genuinely good handmade pizzas, all set inside a distinctive, literary-themed room across two floors.
It’s a good option if your group can’t agree on bar or restaurant, since it comfortably works as both, and the homemade bitters and syrups going into the cocktails are a cut above the usual neighbourhood spot.
So, there we are. The best bars in Farringdon and Clerkenwell.
The London x London Take: Le Bar is the one worth reassessing if you knew it purely as “the bar next to Club Gascon”, it now stands on its own, and it’s still very much worth the trip even with the restaurant gone. For a first-timer with only one evening in the area, pair Clerkenwell & Social or Coin Laundry for something livelier later on, that combination covers most of what makes this pocket of London worth drinking in.
Practical tips
- Some of these places are busier during the week than at weekends. That’s because they’re close to the City of London and popular with the office workers based here.
- Book ahead for the fancier spots if you want to guarantee a table, they stay busy all week.
- At the cocktail bars, it’s standard practice to add a 12.5% tip to your bill. You probably won’t need to at the more casual spots unless you’re getting table service.
