Three London bars were just added to one of the world’s most prestigious guides
Cheers!
Restaurants have the Michelin guide, wunderkinds have the Forbes 30 Under 30, and although it may not be quite as widely known, cocktail bars have The Pinnacle Guide – a list detailing the best of the boozers, separating the punch bowl serving, neon LED lit bars from the hushed, bougie, mixology masters of Soho.
Launching in 2024, The Pinnacle Guide is the go-to master list of the most impressive and innovative bars across the world – and it’s even more exclusive than Glasto to get a spot on. Rather than stars, the Pinnacle Guide awards Pins to each spot that makes the list, with one, two, and a prestigious three-pin accolade, which currently only one London spot has ever secured. Since its launch, 192 bars across the world have been shortlisted, with a decent 33 London spots making the list.
The 2026 iteration added 46 new spots to the list, three of which were London spots, one receiving two Pins, and two receiving one Pin. Clinching the two-star accolade was The Emory Rooftop Bar, a bougie rooftop bar in Belgravia perched on top of a swanky hotel that’s run by the same team as Claridges.
Its cocktail menu was created in collaboration with Tato Giovannoni, a world-famous mixologist based in Buenos Aires. Signature cocktails include a range of innovative additions, all of which have been inspired by different London tastemakers, creatives, and even locals. You’ve got the London Seagull – unsurprisingly inspired by London Seagulls, a Porcini Espresso inspired by Borough Market, a Signature Stripes inspired by designer Paul Smith, and The Royal Hamper inspired by Fortnum & Mason, to name a few. Dubbed its Most Loved Cocktail is the Balestrini Negroni, made with Gin, Campari, Amaro Averna, seawater, and eucalyptus.
The other two spots to make the list are just as impressive – The American Bar at The Savoy, and St James Bar in Westminster, attached to the Sofitel. The American Bar at the Savoy delivers full old school London glamour and holds the title for the oldest original cocktail bar in the capital.
It’s good to see St James Bar getting the recognition it deserves, with head bartender Juan Penalver mixing up bespoke cocktails to suit each guest if you catch him on the right night. There is something seriously movie-magic-esque about being served up a cocktail based on what you like and your personality – even more of an ego boost when it is both delicious and a cool one.
It recently participated in Diageo’s World Class Cocktail Competition, serving up the most ridiculously delicious spin on a Paloma we’ve ever tried, with grapefruit sourness and a four-day creation process. According to The Pinnacle Guide, the speak-easy style bar ‘is a creative blend of French and British flavours, spirits, and traditions that shapes every element of the drinks programme’.
There are plenty of other London cocktail bars already pinned, with Lyaness being the only one awarded the coveted three-pin accolade, and just five others making it to two-pin status – Dover Yard, Kioku Sake Bar, Murder Inc, Nipperkin, and The Spy Bar at Raffles.
One Pin bars in London are:
- American Bar at the Savoy
- Artesian
- Bacchanalia
- The Bar Below
- Bar Kinky
- The Cocktail Trading Co.
- Equal Parts
- Eve Bar
- Florattica Rooftop
- The Guards Bar & Lounge at Raffles
- The K Bar
- Kol Mezcaleria
- Kwant Mayfair
- Nightjar Shoreditch
- The Pisco Bar at Coya Mayfair
- The Royal Cocktail Exchange
- Scales
- Sexy Fish
- Side Hustle
- Soma Canary Wharf
- Soma Soho
- St James Bar
- Swift Soho
- Velvet By Salvatore Calabrese
- Vesper Bar at The Dorchester
- Viajante87
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