This East London spot just got crowned the best cocktail bar in the world
Who's getting the next round in then?
There are hundreds of cocktails bars across London, from sky high spots with panoramic views, to floating bars which put on a damn good show. Sometimes however you just want a darn good cocktail without any of the gimmicks, and that’s where London’s hotspot bars come into play. Cue Topjawian favourites like Three Sheets, Swift, and Equal Parts springing to mind. One such east London bar has just proved its brilliant and boozy credentials by being crowned the Best International Cocktail Bar. And yes, that’s international as in, best in the entire world.
Satan’s Whiskers in Bethnal Green just picked up the coveted accolade at the 2026 Spirited Awards which took place in New Orleans this week. The spot originally opened up in 2013 and has served up classic cocktails alongside delicious innovations for over a decade. The Cambridge Heath spot operates a daily changing menu that means even if you live in the neighbourhood and are a certified Satan’s Whiskers regular, there will always be something new for you to try. Since it opened and started mixing, it’s been recognised both across London and the world for being a truly fantastic spot.
From the outside, it looks as though you’ve stumbled upon a proper old-school graffitied dive bar, but as soon as you step in, you’ll find the bar’s signature hip hop soundtrack, and a mix of moody and modern decor.
As well as a rotating roster of over 400 cocktails which always have new innovations, Satan’s Whiskers also run classes sharing the cocktail creating wisdom with the general public. Although no matter how good you get, chances are you’ll never *quite * reach the prowess of SW’s bartenders and will inevitably be going back for new tipples.
It’s not the first award the bar has received recently, but more is the latest one in a slew of titles. Just in the last year, it's been named the best cocktail bar in the capital and the third best in the UK at the Top 50 Cocktail Bars awards . It was also named Bar of the Year and Best Bar in London & the South East in the CLASS Bar Awards 2026.
If you are heading down, we’re not even going to bother giving you a recommendation, as the bartenders will point you in the right direction, and you should definitely ask for their recommendations. If you’re partial to whisky though, you can’t go wrong with the bar’s famed Satan’s Manhattan – a twist on the classic. But to be honest, just by heading to Satan’s Whiskers, you can’t really go wrong.
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