The bar that arguably invented the modern cocktail hour: opened in 1893, credited with introducing American-style bartending to Britain, and still holding a claim as the most influential cocktail bar on earth — Ada Coleman created the Hanky Panky here; a century of the World's 50 Best Bars list has rarely gone a year without it. Art Deco glamour, a pianist most nights, and a martini poured with the confidence of knowing it set the standard everyone else is still chasing.
Location
Strand, London
Map
Insider Intel
A martini, made exactly as the room has made it for over a century — or ask for the Hanky Panky, invented here.
Early evening, before the pre-theatre Strand crowd arrives; a jacket is expected.
The most historically significant cocktail bar in the world, inside The Savoy on the Strand. Smart dress required; book ahead, especially for pre-theatre hours.