The World’s 100 Best Cocktail Bars · 2026
The Best Cocktail Bars in the United Kingdom
7 of the 100 cocktail bars in The World’s 100 Best Cocktail Bars 2026 are in the United Kingdom. The highest placed is Speak In Code in Manchester, at number 43 in the world. Swift in London (number 54) and Schofield's Bar in Manchester (number 56) follow.
London
Swift is a cocktail bar in Soho with a walk-in room upstairs and a darker level below. Swift serves Irish coffee, and its bartenders give personal drink recommendations. Tayēr + Elementary splits into two rooms: Elementary at the front serves relaxed on-tap drinks, and Tayēr behind it has a deeper, experimental menu. The Connaught Bar, inside The Connaught hotel in Mayfair, is known for its martini trolley and tableside preparation.
Manchester
Speak In Code is a small, dimly lit cocktail bar in central Manchester, marked mainly by a sign at the entrance. Its house-made drinks include numbered Demo cocktails, which staff explain from menus printed like record sleeves. Schofield's Bar sits on a backstreet off Deansgate, in a preserved old building with dim, art deco interiors. Classic cocktails are made to order, including off-menu requests.
Edinburgh, Bath and whisky rooms
Hey Palu is a small cocktail bar on Bread Street in Edinburgh's centre, known for Italian-style drinks and a wide amari list. The Hideout in central Bath is whisky-focused and set in a cave-like room with a courtyard. Staff at both bars tailor drinks to each guest's taste.
