London Nightlife By Neighborhood

• Bloomsbury

Vats Wine Bar, 51 Lambs' Conduit St. ( 020 7242 8963 ;www.vatswinebar.com) The epitome of a warm, British restaurant, Vats imports much of its wine while keeping the feel of the place properly British ...more

• Chelsea

Chelsea is now one of the more exclusive and pretentious places to find nightlife in London. Many clubs advertise as members-only private establishments, but for many, you only have to call to get on the ...more

• Holborn and Clerkenwell

Holborn is a pub town, and Clerkenwell is on the up-and-up. Look out for a mix of pleasant, old pubs and hip clubs, most of which can be found on Charterhouse St. The Three Kings, 7 Clerkenwell Close ...more

• Kensington And Earl’S Court

Janet's Bar, 30 Old Brompton Rd. ( 020 7581 3160; janetsbar@yahoo.com) Janet's Bar is all about spirits, in both senses of the word. Run by Janet herself, who knows most of the people in the bar and has ...more

• Marylebone And Regent’S Park

The Golden Eagle, 59 Marylebone Ln. ( 020 7935 3228) The Golden Eagle is one of the most special pubs in London. Though aesthetically basic, it has some of the friendliest patrons and staff that can be ...more

• Notting Hill

Notting Hill is not an ideal neighborhood for nightlife. The pubs thrive on daytime tourists, and many of the locals are young professionals who tend to frequent other spots. The neighborhood can feel ...more

• The West End

Absolut Icebar, 31-33 Heddon St. ( 020 7478 8910; www.absoluticebarlondon.com) This bar is absurd in the best way possible—the way where everything is made out of ice imported from the Torne River in ...more

• Westminster

Westminster isn’t an ideal location for nightlife, pubs, or clubs. Enjoy it during the day, and then take the party elsewhere, old sport. The Buckingham Arms, 62 Petty France ( 020 7222 3386; www ...more

• Whitechapel And The East End

While Soho is considered London’s nightlife capital, a younger, hipper, and edgier crowd flocks to Shoreditch every weekend. Years ago, Hoxton Square began building a reputation as the go-to spot for ...more

• Docklands

Even businesspeople need sustenance and relaxation, and those pubs in the midst of office buildings cater to an after-work crowd. Pubs and bars line the Promenades by Canary Wharf offering Happy hour ...more

• The City Of London

The City is a nice place to enjoy a pint, but it pretty much clears out after the work crowd has done its socializing. Even if establishments are open past ­6pm, you may feel a little lonely in otherwise ...more

• The South Bank

Nightlife to most South Bankers means dinner and the theater or staying late at the Tate. Strangely enough, though, the South Bank is also home to one of the largest club venues in London, and has a couple ...more

• South London

Nightlife has featured prominently in Brixton and Clapham’s renaissance, with an ever-increasing number of bars and clubs luring London’s choosiest and largest concentration of under-35s. Since many ...more

• Brixton

Dogstar, 389 Coldharbour Ln. (☎ 020 7733 7515; www.thedogstar.co.uk), Brixton. The crowd here runs the gamut from brooding artists to hardcore dancers, all of whom take clubbing Siriusly. 4 large rooms ...more

• Clapham

The Landor, 70 Landor Rd. Clapham North. Kayaks, sails, and hammocks hang from the ceiling and books populate the walls at this spacious, saloon-style bar, which caters to a cool 20-something crowd. The ...more

• Mayfair And St. James’S

While Mayfair and St. James’s may not pack the nightlife punch of nearby Soho, Covent Garden, and the Strand, the area maintains a solid collection of both pubs and clubs. Try Heddon Street for a hipper ...more

• Soho

Considered the heart of London nightlife, Soho can be hit-or-miss for those who aren’t in the know. Avoid the tourist crowds in Leicester Square and in places with tour buses out front. Head to the streets ...more

• Covent Garden And The Strand

While serious partiers and wise locals head to Soho or over to Clerkenwell for a night out, the northern section of Covent Garden, close to Seven Dials, has several good bars and clubs.

• Camden Town, King’S Cross, And Islington

With swarms of young people in the area, it comes as a surprise that Camden Town’s nightlife scene is centered on a handful of clubs and bars. The local council doesn’t like handing out late licenses ...more

• Hampstead, Highgate, And Golders Green

The Freemason’s Arms, 32 Downshire Hill (☎ 020 7433 6811; www.freemasonsarms.co.uk), on the corner across from the Heath. Hampstead. With soaring ceilings, open kitchens, stone ovens, and wood fires ...more

• Bayswater

While Bayswater’s nightlife scene offers a few pubs and bars, most people head elsewhere for a night out. Arthur Baker’s Harlem Soul Food, 78 Westbourne Grove (☎ 020 7985 0900; www.harlemsoulfood ...more

• Knightsbridge And Belgravia

Besides a couple of pubs that are more like institutions, Knightsbridge is not the place to go for a low-key night of inexpensive drinking. If you’re going to go out on the town here, you might as well ...more

• Camden Town, King’s Cross, And Islington

With swarms of young people in the area, it comes as a surprise that Camden Town’s nightlife is centered on only a handful of clubs and bars. The local council is famously draconian: bars shut at ...more