The 13 best live music bars in London
Live music bars in London are where memories are made. Enter into a dimly-lit, often historical establishment and let the music remove any need for conversation – unless you're heading somewhere on the wild side, perhaps. There are live music venues dotted across the capital from East to West, North to South, and it's where many now-iconic musicians started their careers – Led Zepellin, Adele, Florence & The Machine, and The Arctic Monkeys have popped up in one of the city's drinking dens for a song or two over the years. These are the best live music bars in London right now – you might spot the next big thing.
The Nickel Bar, Bank
Best for: an atmospheric drink
It’s almost impossible not to have a decadent night out at The Ned. The grand former bank boasts seven opulent restaurants and three bars, but if you want music, The Nickel Bar is the place to be. The sprawling 1930s casual American bar in the middle of the venue is focused around a raised stage central stage which hosts daily live music to entertain the sophisticated cocktail drinkers. There are jazz trios on Fridays and new acts every Monday, but it’s a very pleasing spot for a drink no matter who is playing.
Address: The Ned, 27 Poultry, London, EC2R 8AJ
Website: thened.com
Live music: Every evening from 7.30pm
Cover charge: Free
Mr. TripperStereo, Covent Garden
Best for: late-night dancing
As the name suggests, music is a key part of this slick Covent Garden bar and restaurant. Set below the hectic Piazza, those in the know slip downstairs to start the night with cocktails (they have their own house gin and vodka here), before moving onto dinner and possibly evening dancing until the small hours. There’s live music every night here from a house band, curated one-off performances and DJs until 3am. Booking is advised, but they reserve tables for walk-ins so always worth popping in.
Address: Stereo, 35 The Piazza, London WC2E 8BE
Website: stereocoventgarden.com
Live music: Every night from 6pm
Cover charge: Free
Below Stone Nest, Chinatown
Best for: expertly curated acts
Set beneath Stone Nest, a performance venue in a Grade II-listed chapel on Shaftesbury Avenue, the aptly named Below Stone Nest is one of the coolest spots for a nightcap in Soho. Set up by hospitality titans, brothers Jackson Boxer (Brunswick House and Orasay) and Frank Boxer (the Frank of Frank’s Cafe in Peckham), this candlelit dive bar with exposed brick walls and flaking paint still feels like a well-kept secret. And it’s not just great natural wine and cocktails here, the live music programme is curated by impressively well-connected A&R rep Tic Zogson who is bringing in new names you’ll want to check out.
Address: Below Stone Nest, 136 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 5EZ
Website: stonenest.org
Live music: 10pm until late
Cover charge: Free
Billy BoltonDownstairs at Morito, Hackney
Best for: dinner and a show
Serving up sunny small plates, dining at Morito in Hackney always feels like being on holiday. And now you can mix their delightful dishes with a side helping of live music at their Morito Music nights. Running on alternative Tuesdays in the stylish downstairs bar, diners sit at shared banquet tables enjoying supper surrounded by some of East London’s finest musicians. From sitar players to Kate Bush-style singer-songwriters, it’s guaranteed to be a delicious night of discovery.
Address: Downstairs at Morito, 195 Hackney Road, London E2 8JL
Website: moritohackneyroad.co.uk
Live music: From 7pm
Cover charge: £35 per person for music and sharing plates
Plaquemine Lock, Angel
Best for: a slice of Louisiana in London
Plaquemine Lock is a true Islington hidden gem – the sort of place you could wander past many times without ever quite making it inside. Once you do, you’ll wish you hadn’t waited so long. This buzzing, brightly decorated pub on a leafy green street next to Regent’s Canal somehow captures the feeling of a relaxed night out while away on summer holidays. The food menu has a strong Southern leaning, with the Creole jambalaya – a hot, tangy plate of rice, chicken, shrimp and homemade andouille sausage – and the fried green tomatoes being standout dishes. From 8pm Monday through Saturday, order a heady Boulevardier (a bourbon-based Negroni) and settle in for two hours of live jazz or blues. On the night we went, the band had the whole crowd merrily singing along – no mean feat for a Wednesday.
Address: Plaquemine Lock, 139 Graham Street, The Angel, London N1 8LB
Website: plaqlock.com
Live music: Monday to Saturday evenings, 8pm-10pm, Saturday Jazz Brunch from 12.30pm-4pm and the first Sunday of every month, 7.30pm-10pm
Cover charge: Free entry
Scarfes Bar, Holborn
Best for: a cosy night of jazz and conversation
Scarfes Bar has the feel of a gentleman’s club – grand but relaxed, like a (very nice) living room with shelves lined with leather-bound books, large wingback chairs to melt into, and a fireplace that roars in winter. There’s live jazz every night of the week which, in keeping with the thoroughly civilised setting, is just loud enough to be appreciated without drowning out any possibility of conversation. The cocktails here are as delicious as they are cheeky. Each is named after a famous figure, and the menu comes with illustrations by famed caricaturist Gerald Scarfe. Our favourite is the Zingy Stardust – a well-balanced and refreshing vodka, lemongrass and lime tribute to the legendary Bowie.
Address: Scarfes Bar, Rosewood London, 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN
Website: scarfesbar.com
Live music: Every night; Monday-Saturday 8pm-12am, Sunday 6pm-10pm
Cover charge: Free entry
Folklore, Hackney
Best for: local talent in a cool, off-the-radar dive bar
This tiny Queer dive bar in Hackney is a characterful spot with bare brick walls, fairy lights, red velvet curtains and a small jungle of potted plants. There’s a mixed bill of acts throughout the weekend with a roster of as-yet undiscovered local talent. Folklore has an association with Bulgaria’s musically diverse and stunningly-located Meadows in the Mountains festival so you can be sure every act will be high calibre and exciting. As for the drinks, they’re simple but effective – lager, ale, and basic but punchy homemade cocktails.
Address: Folklore, 186 Hackney Road, London E2 7QL
Website: facebook.com/186E2
Live music: Gig times vary
Cover charge: Free, some events are ticketed
Jerome CourtialNightjar, Shoreditch
Best for: an old-timey setting and lively jazz
Few bars pull off the speakeasy-style as well as Nightjar. This Shoreditch institution, and one of the best bars in London, is hidden underground, not far from Old Street roundabout, is full of dark, cosy corners, wood panelling and antique trinkets. The drinks list spans decades and celebrates cocktails revived from as far back as the pre-Prohibition era. There’s live music every night from 9pm – a varied roster of some of the best jazz acts in the city who rarely fail to rustle up an atmosphere that’s pure, scintillating fun. There’s a no-standing policy, but that doesn’t mean people won’t be up and dancing in the aisles.
Address: Nightjar, 129 City Road, Hoxton, London EC1V 1JB
Website: barnightjar.com
Live music: Every night 9pm-9.45pm and 10.15pm-11pm (plus late set 12am-1am on Fridays and Saturdays)
Cover charge: Sunday to Thursday – £6; Friday, Saturday – £10, late session is £6 or an additional £5 if you stay on after the first setThe Social, Fitzrovia
Best for: a party
The Social is a funky, unassuming spot tucked away in an unlikely corner of Fitzrovia. It was set up by a record company in the 1990s, so it comes as no surprise that a major priority of this bar is to provide its guests with great music. Upstairs, you’ll find leather booths, a cheerfully affordable drinks list, and walls covered in work from local artists. But the real party is in the basement, where a seriously impressive list of musicians, from Jack White to The Chemical Brothers, have played. You’ll find anything from club nights to rock bands here – but all guarantee a wild time.
Address: The Social, 5 Little Portland St, Fitzrovia, London W1W 7JD
Website: thesocial.com
Live music: most nights
Cover charge: free, some events are ticketed
Upstairs @ Ronnie’s, Soho
Best for: diverse music tastes
Ronnie Scott’s is one of the most legendary jazz clubs in the world, but those in the know head upstairs to find one of the best bars in Soho. While the main club downstairs focuses on world-class jazz, here, you’ll find a broader range of sounds, including everything from jive to R&B – and all without the strict no-talking-during-the-show rule. The famous red interiors are similar but with the addition of leopard-print accents that highlight the less-serious atmosphere. To drink, there’s a wine and cocktail list extensive enough to keep any London barfly happy.
Address: Upstairs @ Ronnie’s, 47 Frith St, Soho, London W1D 4HT
Website: ronniescotts.co.uk
Live music: From 6pm til late most nights
Cover charge: From £6
Kasia SobocinskaThe Slaughtered Lamb, Clerkenwell
Best for: acoustic folk music
While at ground level The Slaughtered Lamb appears to be just another fairly standard London pub, with old-fashioned wooden tables and distressed-leather couches, it hides in its basement a snug, low-ceilinged (and therefore acoustically pleasing) live music space with one of the best folk line-ups in London. There are gigs nearly every night of the week, and while they can be booked ahead, most nights you can just turn up and buy a ticket on the door. To drink, there’s an impressive range of craft beer and an even more impressive range of spirits that can be mixed any way you like. We’d recommend asking for the silky-smooth Japanese Nikka Coffey gin with your tonic.
Address: The Slaughtered Lamb, 34-35 Great Sutton Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1V 0DX
Website: theslaughteredlambpub.com
Live music: Most nights
Cover charge: Free, events in the basement are ticketed
Jack Solomons Club, Soho
Best for: eclectic music and whiskey
To get to Jack Solomons Club you need to find an entrance hidden behind a butcher’s kiosk, which is fitting, given it’s in the basement of Sophie's Steakhouse. The cavernous space used to be a boxing gym (owned by the bar’s namesake – a prominent boxing promoter in the 1950s) but has been dressed up with a series of green-velvet curtained booths and a sprinkling of low-lit tables with comfy red leather chairs. The music here is eclectic, and you could find yourself listening to anything from a guy on a keyboard to a full jazz ensemble. Whatever’s on, enjoy it alongside one of the many signature pricey-but-punchy whiskey cocktails on offer.
Address: Jack Solomons Club, 41 Great Windmill Street, Soho, London W1D 7NB
Website: jacksolomons.com
Live music: Wednesday-Saturday
Cover charge: Free
Jane Jimenez for Sofar SoundsSofar Sounds, various locations
Best for: something unexpected
This one isn’t a bar per se, but a live-music event team that organises gigs at secret locations – sometimes bars, sometimes shops, sometimes someone’s living room – around the city. You’re told the area when booking, but the exact location is revealed 36 hours before the gig. At a typical show, you’ll see three up-and-coming acts who’ve been selected for their different styles – this could be anything from spoken word to soulful R&B to country rock. It’s easily one of the best ways to discover new music in London.
Address: Sofar Sounds
Website: sofarsounds.com
Live music: Most nights
Cover charge: Events are ticketed, and prices vary