Where Bartenders Drink: The Bartender’s Edit Returns
Back by popular demand, The Bartender’s Edit at Cocktails in the City in 2026 an insider’s guide to the best bars as recommended by bartenders.
Created by drinks writer Sam Gilani (aka @thelondonboozehound), this year’s edit brings together five of London’s most talked-about bars: Waltz, Viajante87, Archive & Myth, Equal Parts and Happiness Forgets.
These are the bars you hear about in late-night industry chats – the ones bartenders quietly mention when you ask where they go.
The Bars
- WALTZ: A neighbourhood bar already placing in Europe’s 50 Best, built on quiet precision and Japanese bartending discipline.
- VIAJANTE87: A global force in Latin-inspired mixology, known for its bold, agave-led approach to flavour.
- ARCHIVE & MYTH: A hidden world beneath the Hippodrome, blending old-world glamour with modern precision.
- EQUAL PARTS: Voted No.1 Bar in London by Time Out 2025, an East London neighbourhood favourite built on vinyl, agave and Amaro.
- HAPPINESS FORGETS: A tiny Hoxton basement speakeasy, legendary among bartenders for cocktails without the fuss.
For one night only, all five bars bring their own exclusive cocktail menu to the garden – built from the bottles bartenders genuinely rate. Expect WhistlePig‘s grain-to-glass American rye, Ocho’s single-estate tequila, and Three Cents’ small-batch sodas, made just for mixing.
Hang out with the bartenders at your next favourite bar this summer, at Cocktails in the City.
