Must-see nightlife in Great Britain

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    Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem

    Nottingham

    Carved into the cliff below the castle, this atmospheric alehouse claims to be England's oldest pub. Founded in 1189, it supposedly slaked the thirst of…

  • Albion Ale House

    Anglesey & the North Coast

    Born out of a collaboration between four Welsh craft breweries (Purple Moose, Conwy, Nant and Great Orme), this heritage-listed 1920s boozer is a serious…

  • The entrance to Fabric, arguably the best club in London

    Fabric

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    The monarch of London's after-hours scene, Fabric is a huge subterranean rave cave housed in a converted meat cold store. Each room has its own sound…

  • Anglesea Arms

    Kensington & Hyde Park

    Seasoned with age and decades of ale-quaffing patrons (including Charles Dickens, who lived on the same road, and DH Lawrence), this old-school pub boasts…

  • Northern Monk

    Leeds

    So successful has this craft brewery become that its beers are now stocked in UK supermarkets. But it's best drunk at the source, in the brewery's Grade…

  • Headrow House entranceway, off The Headrow

    Headrow House

    Leeds

    A former textile mill and one-time grotty dive pub, the historic building that now houses Headrow House was given a hefty makeover to transform it into…

  • The coffee bar inside the North Star roastery at Leeds Dock

    North Star Coffee Shop & General Store

    Leeds

    This minimalist cafe and coffee emporium is attached to the production facility of Leeds' first independent roastery, near the Royal Armouries. Watch the…

  • The pub beer garden

    Turf Tavern

    Oxford

    Squeezed down an alleyway and subdivided into endless nooks and crannies, this medieval rabbit warren dates from around 1381. The definitive Oxford pub,…

  • Laynes Espresso

    Leeds

    Locals have Laynes to thank for the complete reinvention of the Leeds coffee scene; when it opened in 2011 there was nothing else like it in the city. Now…

  • The exterior of Cocktail Trading Co, a cocktail bar in Clerkenwell

    Cocktail Trading Co

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    In an area famous for its edgy, don't-give-a-damn attitude, this exquisite cocktail bar stands out for its classiness and cocktail confidence. The drinks…

  • Outside the Fox & Anchor, traditonal Victorian pub

    Fox & Anchor

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    Behind the Fox & Anchor's wonderful 1898 art-nouveau facade is a stunning traditional Victorian boozer, one of the last remaining market pubs in London…

  • Nightjar

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    Behind a nondescript, gold-knobbed door just north of the Old Street roundabout is this bona fide speakeasy, pouring award-winning libations from a four…

  • City Barge

    Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court

    In a line of small riverside cottages facing wooded Oliver's Island (where Cromwell is alleged to have taken refuge), this excellent pub looks straight…

  • White Cross

    Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court

    The riverside location and fine food and ales make this bay-windowed pub – on the site of a former friary – a winner. There are entrances for low and high…

  • Oriole

    London

    Down a darkened alley through the eerie evening quiet of Smithfield Market is an unlikely spot for one of London's best cocktail bars, but the journey of…

  • Pandora Inn

    South Cornwall

    At the bottom of a hill by Restronguet Creek, this thatched inn is one of Cornwall’s landmark pubs, in situ since the mid-1600s. It’s the picture of a…

  • Troubadour

    Notting Hill & West London

    On a comparable spiritual plane to Paris' Shakespeare and Company bookshop, this eccentric, time-warped and convivial boho bar-cafe has been serenading…

  • Lamb & Flag

    The West End

    Perpetually busy, the pint-sized Lamb & Flag is full of charm and history: there's been a public house here since at least 1772, when it was known as the…

  • American Bar

    The West End

    Home of the Lonely Street, Concrete Jungle and other house cocktails named after iconic songs collected in the 'Savoy Songbook', the seriously dishy…

  • Whitby Brewery

    Whitby

    Walkers are pleased as punch when they find this place on the clifftop behind Whitby Abbey. There's just enough room inside the modern brew plant for…

  • Windsor Castle

    Notting Hill & West London

    This classic tavern on the brow of Campden Hill Rd has history, nooks and charm on tap. Alongside a decent beer selection and a solid gastropub-style menu…

  • Discount Suit Company

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    Tucked away like a hidden seam, Discount Suit Company is one of the city's finest speakeasies – though on weekends you'll see that this closet-sized space…

  • Nickel Bar

    London

    There's something Great Gatsby–ish about The Ned hotel: the elevated jazz pianists, the vast verdite columns, the classy American-inspired cocktails. Of…

  • Dolphin

    Plymouth

    This gloriously unreconstructed Barbican boozer is all scuffed tables, padded bench seats and an authentic, no-nonsense atmosphere. Feeling peckish? Get a…

  • Old Bell Hotel

    The Midlands & the Marches

    Dating from 1650 and hosting Bonnie Prince Charlie's soldiers in 1745, this history-steeped black-and-white inn was valiantly restored by local…

  • Cardinal's Hat

    The Midlands & the Marches

    Dating from the 14th century, and claiming a resident ghost, Worcester's oldest and grandest pub retains original features, including timber panelling and…

  • Head of the River

    Oxford

    For a summer-evening riverside drink, central Oxford holds no finer setting than the Thames-facing terrace of this imposing former warehouse – hence the…

  • Orchid

    Aberdeen

    The winner of Scotland’s Best Cocktail Bar 2017 is a relaxed and welcoming spot, quietly confident in its wide-ranging knowledge and expertise. Offers…

  • Brass Castle

    North York Moors National Park

    This microbrewery began life in a garage in 2011 and surprised even itself when its beer won a prestigious CAMRA Beer Festival award within the first two…

  • Refuge

    Manchester

    Occupying what was once the Victorian Gothic ground floor of the Refuge Assurance Building, this is not just Manchester's most beautiful bar, but arguably…

  • Artesian

    The West End

    For a dose of colonial glamour with a touch of Oriental elegance, the sumptuous (often crowded) bar at the Langham hits many marks. Its cocktails (from …

  • Homoelectric

    Manchester

    The year 2018 saw the revival of one of Manchester's legendary club nights, advertised as 'a non-stop exotic disco for homos, heteros, lesbos and don't…

  • K Bar

    Kensington & Hyde Park

    In a part of town traditionally bereft of choice, the K Bar is a reassuring presence. A hotel bar maybe, but don't let that stop you – the place exudes…

  • Glad Cafe

    Glasgow

    This social enterprise cafe and venue incorporates a thrift shop and coworking space. But don't just come for the cause; it's a cracking spot in its own…

  • Royal Dick

    Edinburgh

    The decor at the Royal Dick alludes to its past as the home of Edinburgh University's veterinary school: there are shelves of laboratory glassware and…

  • Crafty Crow

    Nottingham

    Rotating brews at this beer specialist include several from its own Nottingham-based Magpie Brewery, made from British hops and malts, plus hand-pulls…

  • Lamb & Flag

    Oxford

    This relaxed 17th-century tavern remains one of Oxford’s nicest pubs for a sturdy pint or glass of wine. Thomas Hardy wrote (and set) parts of Jude the…

  • Jekyll & Hyde

    Birmingham

    Potent cocktails (or rather 'elixirs, concoctions and potions') at this trippy spot are served in sweets jars, watering cans, teapots and miniature…

  • Bennet’s Bar

    Edinburgh

    Situated beside the King’s Theatre, Bennet’s (established in 1839) has managed to hang on to almost all of its beautiful Victorian fittings, from the…

  • Magritte Bar

    The West End

    Sip a bourbon or a classic cocktail in the 1920s art-deco ambience of this stylish bar at the hallmark Beaumont hotel. It's central, glam and like a…