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3 years ago
Featuring water walls, feather-clad bars and flaming cocktails
Looking to jazz up your feed? Take a trip to one of London’s most Instagrammable bars, offering a treat for the eyes as well as the taste buds. Let the likes roll in…
Perched atop The Strand’s ME London, Radio Rooftop is one of the city’s most glamorous rooftop bars. The panoramic city views from here are guaranteed to get the likes rolling in, with The Shard, St Paul’s Cathedral and the London Eye all within sight. But the bar itself is also worth a snap or two, with black leather sofas, monochrome decor and champagne cocktails resembling something out of Ibiza. radiorooftop.com
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Arguably the city’s most flamboyant restaurant, Richard Caring’s Sexy Fish is a sight to behold. Apparently it cost £15 million to produce – which won’t come as a surprise to anyone who has stepped inside. The bar is the restaurant’s centerpiece, adorned in Damien Hirst-designed bronze mermaids with a giant Frank Gehry fish floating overhead and water cascading behind the glittering bottles. Instagram gold. sexyfish.com
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Mexico meets 20s Harlem jazz club at Clapton’s mezcal bar, Doña. Housed in a basement on Stoke Newington High Street, the flamingo-pink feather clad bar features velvet banquet-style seating, low lighting and candles, alongside a mezcal-focused cocktail menu. Live music takes place every night, with a spotlight on female performers. bardonalondon.com
The muse of Tonight Josephine’s sister bar Gloria taught David Bowie how to do his make up – and some say she dated Jimi Hendrix. ‘Gloria always threw the best parties,’ we’re told. Her eclectic character is reflected in the bar’s interiors: think lots of green and pink, flowery velvet booths and neon lights. One of the most photogenic spots here is the bathroom, complete with disco balls and blaring retro dance anthems. blamegloria.co.uk
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This cosy haunt is inspired by the notorious Bloomsbury set, which included the likes of Virginia Woolf and E.M. Forster. The bar is split into two sections: the main indoor bar, and the twinkly, vine-clad outdoor terrace. The latter is more famous on Instagram, thanks to its beautiful floral installations – though inside shouldn’t be overlooked, with wall-to-wall bookshelves, plush leather armchairs and a snare-shaped rum bar all offering plenty of picture potential. thebloomsburyclub.com
Autumn 2019 was a bittersweet month for Sea Containers London’s Dandelyan. Ryan Chetiyawardana’s famed bar was voted number one in the World’s 50 Best Bars awards, but just a couple of months after announced it was closing its doors. The following year, however, the bar re-opened as Lyaness – still under the ownership of cocktail guru Chetiyawardana, also known as Mr Lyan. Lyaness has a different vibe to Dandelyan, but it’s still ultra-Instagrammable. Powder blue and grey shades replace millennial pinks, and the green marble bar remains, alongside brass tables and plush velvet sofas. lyaness.com
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With its glittering pink walls, neon signs and mirror ceilings, Tonight Josephine is a millennial dreamland. A homage to the famous French emperor’s wife Joséphine De Beauharnais, there are now two branches across the city: one in Waterloo, the other in Shoreditch – both boasting equally Instagrammable interiors. The Waterloo original is known for its signature neon sign stating ‘well behaved women don’t make history’, while the Shoreditch branch has it’s own version, asking ‘Où est la discothèque?’ And if that wasn’t enough for picture-hungry drinkers, the bathrooms feature mugshots of Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Justin Bieber. The cocktails are also worth a mention, particularly the Flaming Zombie, which contains three types of rum and is set on fire – great Boomerang material. tonightjosephine.co.uk
