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Nightlife  :  Best of the City
No matter your taste in evening activities, London can accommodate. Quiet drinks with friends, an animated round of trivia, an intimate hotel bar, or a cavernous club flooded with sound and rhythm – they’re all easily attainable. Friendly pubs, the lifeblood of British sociability, pepper every neighborhood, readily serving pints and good cheer. If dancing issues its call, the West End (and especially Soho) makes a good stomping ground. Big names on the club-going front include the Ministry of Sound, Fabric, and Heaven, all of which can easily help you find your groove. For upscale drinks, head to Notting Hill, whose stylish bars and pubs provide the sought-after trendiness that travelers demand. Hotel bars also promise a refined setting in which to pass an evening, as evidenced by the old-school elegance of the Library Bar at The Lanesborough and the Sanderson Hotel’s Long Bar, a contemporary haunt. In fact, most of London’s best neighborhoods tout plenty of places that’ll give you that authentic, big-city nightlife experience. And if you’re ever in doubt, just keep an eye out for the crowds. Popularity’s hard to hide.

AKA
18 W Central St, London  WC1 • 20-7836-0110
Description: WEST END. This vast, late-night bar teams up with its neighbor, The End, to form one of the area's hippest nightlife duos. Up-for-it 20- and 30-somethings gather for a scene that's consistently buzzy: an attractive clientele, great music, and decor that's transformed this onetime post office into a tribute to all things industrial-chic. Seating areas feature cozy leather sofas and offer weary clubbers a chance to catch their breath between DJ sets. Plus, the sleek bar serves an impressive roster of cocktails. TUBE: Tottenham Court Road or Holborn

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Baltic
74 Blackfriars Rd, London  SE1 8HA • 20-7928-1111
Description: WATERLOO. One of the best places in London to savor Russian vodka, this contemporary spot draws a well-heeled mix of young professionals and style-conscious locals. The gallery-like interior is dominated by stark white walls, modern art, sharp angles, recessed lighting, and a dining room with a high atrium ceiling. Enjoy a favorite brand of vodka (they offer more than 40 varieties) and even a bite to eat – if you've never sampled Eastern European cuisine, now's your chance, tovarich. TUBE: Southwark

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Cuckoo Club
Swallow St, London  W1 • 020 7287 4300
Description: High or low, whichever direction you fly, Cuckoo has long been renowned as one of the chicest nightlife options in town. Drawing a celebrity clientele amid the glamorous rock crowd, the cocktails here are sublime. The policy is members and guestlist only – dress glam to stand a chance of gaining access, then shimmy beneath an LED color-rotating ceiling. Thursdays offer live music, while the restaurant here serves above-average bar-fare. TUBE: Piccadilly Circus

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Heaven
11 The Arches Villiers St, London  WC2N 6NG • 020-7930-2020
Description: EMBANKMENT. This huge, enormously popular gay club attracts folks from all over the world. The main-floor dance space stretches endlessly and stays packed through the night with gyrating bodies. A level higher, go-go boys take to their pedestals, and a more relaxed mood prevails. Up again, a busy bar takes care of liquid needs and invites socializing. Plus, everywhere are niches where patrons can meet discreetly when they need a breather. Fabulous dance music is standard, acoustics are great, and the party seemingly never ends. A great place to lose yourself for the night. TUBE: Charing Cross or Embankment

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Library Bar
1 Lanesborough Pl The Lanesborough, A St Regis Hotel, London  SW1 • 20-7259-5599
Description: BELGRAVIA. The Lanesborough's guest list regularly reads like a "who's who" of the privileged class: movie and entertainment stars, foreign dignitaries, wealthy business moguls, and even the occasional royal. In the evening, many of these same people enjoy cognac, wine and premium cigars at the hotel's Library Bar. Managed by the legendary Salvatore Calabrese (one of the world's foremost cognac authorities and author of popular books on cocktail mixing), the hotel bar offers a refined setting with Chesterfield sofas, antique furnishings and loaded bookshelves. TUBE: Hyde Park Corner

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Mahiki
1 Dover St, London  W1 • 020 7493 9529
Description: MAYFAIR. Roaringly popular, this tiki-themed bar attracts the posh Brit set. Opulent cocktails can be ordered in sharing bowls; seating is unusually plentiful and the crowd upbeat. Upstairs holds the lounge area, while in the basement lurks the gargantuan fish tank and dance floor. Be warned that the entry queue can be epic and that you might not have to look too hard to spot a royal: titles are ten-a-penny here. TUBE: Green Park

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Player
8 Broadwick St, London  W1F 8HN • 20-7494-9125
Description: SOHO. With some sleuthing, you might deduce that this basement bar is one of Soho's best places to down cocktails and rub shoulders – especially if you want to escape touristy watering holes. After operating for years as a private club, Player is now open to all, until 11pm or so on Fridays and Saturdays, when it becomes private again. Agent 007 would fit well in these sleek digs and be pleased to discover so many deliciously potent cocktails. TUBE: Tottenham Court Road

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Ronnie Scott's
47 Firth St, London  W1D 4HT • 20-7439-0747
Description: SOHO. This legendary Soho nightclub has been featuring some of jazz's greatest names for the better part of 50 years now. Indeed, Ronnie Scott's caters to lovers of the art, and its decor is that of a consummate jazz dive, from dim lighting and intimate, candle-lit tables to photographed mugs decorating the walls. Each night, music kicks off at 9:45pm, and bands continue to chill the cats in attendance till closing time. An à la carte menu is available. TUBE: Tottenham Court Road

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The Cross Nightclub
27-31 York Way, London  N1 0BB • 20-7837-0828
Description: KING'S CROSS. You'll have to look hard to find this spacious subterranean dance venue, located in the catacombs below King's Cross. Indeed, the edgy nightspot, a favorite with clubbers gay and straight, couldn't be anymore 'underground,' thanks to rough, weathered brick walls and ceilings, an exposed ventilation system, and dimly lit nooks and crannies. Fridays and Saturdays feature multiple DJs, each in a different room and each spinning an individual blend of beats intended to drive the young, hip crowd wild. TUBE: King's Cross St. Pancras

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The Island
Hungerford Lane, London  WC2 • 020 7389 6622
Description: The Island hides down a secret alley, guaranteeing glamour and sophistication. Westminster's first late-night membership venue offers special nights by famous faces and inimitably mixed cocktails. The interiors are as chic, colorful and sleek as the clientele, and the central location second to none. The staff is friendly and the bar tabs are in line with West End pricing. Expect to queue and dress to impress. TUBE: Embankment

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