Long gone are the days when skipping booze meant being stuck with water or soft drinks all evening, and our beloved capital is packed full of a range of different options for you to indulge in. Whether you’re off the booze full term or want to reduce your imbibement a touch this January, then you could do worse than head to one of these sober bars in London:
1. Club Soda Tasting Room
Kicking off this list of the best sober bars in London is the Club Soda Tasting Room – a shop-come- tasting room which sells over 150 low-alcohol and alcohol-free drinks brands with an added bar at the back.
Based on Drury Lane, they were born out of the ethos to ‘help you live well by being more mindful about drinking’, and they offer everything from alcohol-free cocktails to low alcohol beers and everything in between too. The bar itself is open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until 10pm – perfect for a pre-theatre cocktail then!
📍You’ll find the Club Soda Tasting Room at 39 Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5RR.
🚇 Nearest stations are Covent Garden and Holborn.
2. The Connaught Bar
Winner of the prestigious title of ‘World’s best cocktail bar’ for two consecutive years, the Connaught Bar has been feted for their innovative, seemingly effortless cocktails and beautiful surroundings too. Set right within the heart of Mayfair, this lovely place is a great spot for a date – and also ideal if you’re wanting a mocktail too.
They’ve got some lovely concoctions at their Coburg Bar, which include the ‘Essence of the Tropics’ – a delightful mix of passionfruit, pineapple, orange and cranberry – and the ‘British Cooler’ – which includes strawberry, raspberry spirit, lemon and soda water.
📍You’ll find The Connaught Bar at 16 Carlos Place, London, W1K 2AL.
🚇 Nearest stations are Green Park and Bond Street.
3. The Book Club
Contrary to what the name might suggest, The Book Club is, in fact, a lively place for a good old boogie right in the epicentre of fashionable Shoreditch. Join them for ‘The Get Down’ every Friday night, where resident DJ Smalls will be mixing all sorts of R&B, hip hop, disco, funk, and soul classics.
They also offer some mean cocktails as well as noughties, carnival, bottomless brunches and comedy nights. Gin and tonic fans shouldn’t miss out on their G&T socials, where you can get double G&Ts for just a fiver – and they’ve also got Lucky Saints, alcohol-free Kopparbergs and other alcohol-free options on the menu too.
📍You’ll find The Book Club at 100-106 Leonard Street, EC2A 4RH.
🚇 Nearest stations are Old Street and Shoreditch High Street.
4. The Permit Room at Dishoom
Another one of the best sober bars in London here, The Permit Room is part of Dishoom in King’s Cross St. Pancras, and its name harks back to the days of Prohibition in Mumbai, when ‘permit rooms’ were the only legal outlets for the ‘therapeutic’ consumption of alcohol.
But it’s not all about alcohol in this moodily-lit joint – they’ve got a whole range of ‘Teetotal Tipples’ – which includes sober negronis, rumless mojitos and an aflatoon’s colada too.
📍You’ll find The Permit Room at 5 Stable Street, London, N1C 4AB.
🚇 Nearest station is King’s Cross St. Pancras.
5. Mikkeller Bar
This beer bar, believe it or not, is part-owned by none other than pop musician Rick Astley. The partnership began when Mikkeller founder Mikkel (a big Astley fan) was introduced to Astley (a big beer fan) by the singer’s Danish wife. It was Mikkeller’s first UK bar, although they have many others dotted about in Copenhagen, New York and San Diego. They now also count a second London location to their name (with a brewery to boot) on Clerkenwell’s Exmouth Market.
The interiors are deliciously Danish, with lots of wood and bold colours to complement the array of beer taps. They’ve even hidden lyrics from Astley’s fabled Rick-Roll song, ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ on small plaques around the bar. Can you find them all? There are currently 20 beers on tap, so you’re bound to find something that takes your fancy – including a fair few alcohol-free options.
📍You’ll find Mikkeler Bar at 2-4 Hackney Road, London, E2 7NS.
🚇 Nearest stations are Shoreditch High Street and Hoxton.
6. The Exmouth Arms
Located right in the middle of the historic Exmouth Market in Clerkenwell, The Exmouth Arms has been serving fine ales and delicious pub grub to traders since 1863 – and they’ve got Erdinger and Lucky Saint both on tap here if you’re looking to swerve the booze.
They’ve also got some excellent burgers and Sunday roasts here, as well as DJ nights every Thursday and an upstairs bar which is available for private hire – perfect for a birthday party!
📍You’ll find The Exmouth Arms at 23 Exmouth Market, London, EC1R 4QL.
🚇 Nearest station is Farringdon.
7. 24K & Lifestyle
Another one of the best sober bars in London here, 24K & Lifestyle is a high-end cocktail lounge that boasts an array of exquisite cocktails, as well as shishas by an outdoor firepit and views over the River Wandle.
There are a whole host of non-alcoholic options on the menu here, including virgin mojitos and Brazilian lemonades, as well as a plethora of soft drinks, snacks and other goodies too.
📍You’ll find 24K & Lifestyle at 13 Barley Walk, Ram Quarter, SW18 1UL.
🚇 Nearest station is Wandsworth Town.
8. 34 Mayfair
Tucked away in between the boutique stores of Mount Street and the opulent Grosvenor Square, 34 Mayfair is a lovely brasserie that specialises in steaks and fish – as well as brunch dishes too.
While the food is pretty damn delicious here, there’s also a mighty cocktail menu here – with many non-alcoholic options here too. There are five different cocktails here that fit this bill, including ‘The 34 Virgin Colada’ and the ‘Dragon Thyme’ – a delicious concoction of Everleaf Mountain, ‘Dry Dragon’ kombucha, honey and thyme. This is one you really don’t want to miss out on!
📍You’ll find 34 Mayfair at 34 Grosvenor Square, South Audley Street, London, W1K 2HD.
🚇 Nearest station is Marble Arch.
9. The Library Bar at The Lanesborough
Rounding off this list of the best sober bars in London is The Library Bar at The Lanesborough – a five-star hotel which is popular with Knightsbridge and Belgravia locals. While bartenders often hesitate to tamper with classic cocktails, the team at The Library Bar have re-imagined some old favourites with fantastic results. They also have their own house gin, The Lanesborough London Dry Gin, and an absolute plethora of spirits to boot too.
However, if you’re wanting to go for something non-alcoholic, then you’ve got plenty on the roster here too to enjoy. One of our favourites is billed as ‘The Scene Stealer’, and we kind of find it hard to argue with that one. A heavenly mix of cranberry juice & maraschino cherries, raspberries, foam of white peach and jasmine soda and raspberry coulis – it’s absolutely delicious and well worth a try. Cheers!
📍You’ll find The Library Bar at The Lanesborough, Hyde Park Corner, London, SW1X 7TA.
🚇 Nearest station is Hyde Park Corner.
So there you have it – a roundup of some of the best sober bars in London. Whether you’re looking for a five-star gem or a neighbourhood cocktail bar, there are plenty of places here for you to indulge in mocktails and non-alcoholic bevvies. So get out there and see for yourself!