Best-of list · City Guide
The best bars in Clerkenwell and Farringdon London — from after-work craft beer pubs to cocktail rooms and late-night bars in London's most professional…
The short answer
10 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
Clerkenwell and Farringdon are where London's professional class actually drinks — a different proposition from where it goes for a special occasion. The best bars in Clerkenwell and Farringdon are built around density and quality: the area around Exmouth Market and St John Street contains some of the most concentrated after-work and late-night drinking in the capital. We have tested every option on this list against the standard of a genuine regular, not a first-time visitor.
Clerkenwell empties fast after 5pm on Fridays as the creative and legal industries that dominate the area disgorge into the pubs. These are the bars that earn that volume without being diminished by it.
How we picked
The best bars in Clerkenwell and Farringdon are best experienced mid-week when the area operates at its genuine pace rather than the Friday evening intensity. The Zetter Townhouse and St John Bar represent the neighbourhood at its most sophisticated; the Jerusalem Tavern and Exmouth Arms represent it at its most honest. An evening that incorporates both — cocktails at the Zetter, then a cask at Jerusalem Tavern — covers what Clerkenwell does better than most of London.
Sofia has been writing about European bars for over a decade. She spent three years working in Clerkenwell and considers the neighbourhood's after-work drinking scene among the most underrated in London.
Last reviewed 2026-04-21 · The editors recheck hours and closures against current local coverage.