Non-alcoholic cocktails London: The best bars for mocktails if you’re going booze-free

Not drinking has become the thing to do in recent years. It’s pretty standard practice these days to take a bit of a break from the booze with multiple stopgaps throughout the year that encourage (nay, enable) this choice - Dry January and Sober October we’re looking at you. There’s even Dry July if you’re in desperate need of a third interval mid-year. For some, 30 days of going alcohol-free is the perfect way to start the year, giving your liver some recovery time, improving your sleep, giving your wallet a little relief… the list goes on.

For others, choosing not to drink alcohol is a lifestyle choice and one that doesn’t end on the 31 January. Then there are those who flirt with abstinence, opting for low-alcohol equivalents or only drinking occasionally. Whatever your reason for staying off the sauce, and there are many merits to doing so, not drinking can be a little tricky to navigate when it comes to social situations. Particularly if you're planning an evening out.  

So, if you’re sick of ordering diet cokes or can’t stomach another lime and soda, the good news is that London’s drinking scene has come on leaps and bounds on the non-alcoholic front. No longer does an establishment’s booze-free bounty seem like an afterthought, with most bars in London offering a range of non-alcoholic drinks and cocktails that are just as compelling as their traditional counterparts.  

Now don’t get us wrong - these places are also fantastic if you are on the wagon, but that’s kind of intentional. Whether you’ve chosen to cut the juice completely, enjoy the odd tipple here or there or downright just love a proper pina colada, we’ve chosen bars that cater sufficiently to everyone. Here’s where to drink in London if you’re not drinking. Or even if you (kind of) are. You do you.  

Ginger Lily Bar & Lounge & Silverleaf Bar, Liverpool Street

What: Pan Pacific boasts two slick, sophisticated bars inside, both of which serve a bevy of excellent non-alcoholic cocktails. We’re huge fans of Silverleaf, cosy Tim Dixon interiors and sensory cocktail list, which includes thoughtful non-alcoholic mixes like the Blackcurrant Eucalyptus, made with Seedlip Spice, caraway seeds, and blackcurrant and eucalyptus water. Or head to the slightly more relaxed Ginger Lily Bar for something more fresh and fruity, like the Endless Joy (pineapple juice, yuzu hot sauce, lime juice and grapefruit soda).
Where: Pan Pacific London, 80 Houndsditch, EC3A 7AB
Book now: Ginger Lily Bar & Lounge; Silverleaf Bar

The Chelsea Bar at 11 Cadogan Gardens, Chelsea

What: There’s an exclusive, secluded nature to The Chelsea Bar at 11 Cadogan Gardens that always makes it one of our favourite spots - despite being just a minute or two from Sloane Square it feels like a real if-you-know-you-know hangout. A great selection of softs and virgin cocktails (we love the Garden Spritz, made with elderflower cordial, cucumber, lemon juice, and soda) puts this high on our list of wholesome places to spend Dry January
Where: 11 Cadogan Gardens, SW3 2RJ
Book now: The Chelsea Bar at 11 Cadogan Gardens

Coupette & Atelier Coupette, Bethnal Green and Soho

What: Coupette and Atelier Coupette are ever reliable for those who want some cocktail innovation, and the world-class mixology teams at both deliver lots of excitement on the non-alcoholic front too. Coupette’s Pinada (double pineapple, coconut sorbet and roasted pineapple soda) is so good you might never go back to a Pina Colada, and we have a lot of love for Atelier Coupette’s fragrant, bittersweet Flower Power Sour as well.
Where: 423 Bethnal Green Road, E2 0AN; 9 Moor Street, W1D 5ND
Book now: Coupette; Atelier Coupette

Hithe + Seek, City of London

What: Not just an excellent wine bar, Hithe + Seek also boasts a superb cocktail list and lots of great soft options, as well as that lovely panoramic view out over the River Thames. If you love a fresh, fruity cocktail, give the EC4V Spritz (passion fruit purée, peach purée, raspberry purée, and white peach and jasmine soda) a go. The bar stocks a range of nice Fever Tree and London Essence soft drinks too, so there’s something for everyone here.
Where: 60 Upper Thames Street, EC4V 3AD
Book now: Hithe + Seek

Nightjar, Shoreditch

What: This Shoreditch favourite requires customers to locate its anonymous wooden door before entering the speakeasy-style bar, designed to evoke the old-school glamour of the roaring twenties via a schedule of live jazz, golden era cocktails and vintage spirits. It’s great if you're drinking, and just as good if you’re not. The main list is divided into four sections - Pre-Prohibition, Prohibition, Post-War and Nightjar Signatures - but you’ll find a page devoted to low and no alcohol suggestions that are just as punchy as the booze-filled ones. Look out for Passion De Coco made with Seedlip Grove 42, coconut orgeat, coconut water, and lemongrass.
Where: 129 City Road, EC1V 1JB 
Book now: Nightjar 

Eve Bar, Covent Garden

What: Putting the same level of intricate creation into his drinks as he does his food, Eve Bar by Adam Handling is showcasing a variety of unique ways of utilising food in its cocktails. Elements of the drinks are frozen, fermented and carbonated, using the 'waste' from the chef's restaurant, Frog by Adam Handling, in these creations. A few of the drinks are also available in non-alcoholic form - we're obsessed with the Cream Soda, which mixes up cream soda, Everleaf Mountain, pink grapefruit soda, and strawberry jam into a jammy, fruity, nostalgic wonder-drink. 
Where: 34 Southampton Street, WC2E 7HF
Book Now: Eve Bar

The Little Blue Door, Fulham

What: Don’t be tricked into thinking you’ve got the wrong number when entering this famed restaurant and bar, which is designed in the style of a faux flatshare. Coffee tables and bookshelves aside, it’s an undeniably homely place to grab a drink with mates. There’s also a few mocktail options on the menu featuring the Catch Me If You Can made with apple, pineapple, mint, ginger, smoked rosemary and lime, all mixed together for a fruity fusion that’s served on the rocks.
Where: 871-873 Fulham Road, SW6 5HP
Book now: The Little Blue Door 

Artesian at The Langham, Marylebone

What: Whatever you’re sipping on is guaranteed to taste fantastic when you’re in the surrounds of one of London’s plushest hotels. Artesian at The Langham has a rep as one of London's most innovative cocktail bars, and the recently reinvented menu puts the focus on ‘ingredients of the future’ - like insects, pandan, tiger nuts and kombu. Rather than creating a separate non-alcoholic drinks menu, many of its signature cocktails are available with booze and without, reworking each one with slight twists to make them non-alcoholic.
Where: 1C Portland Place, W1B 1JA    
Book now: Artesian 

34 Mayfair, Mayfair

What: At one end of 34 Mayfair’s art-deco dining room is a sleek marble bar where you can order a series of artfully-created cocktails, with a lot, a little or zero alcohol. Opt for Something Low if you're drinking mindfully, or go for a fresh, fruity Lychee Blossom (lychee juice, jasmine tea, honey, strawberry, and lemon) if you're steering completely free of the hard stuff.  
Where: 34 Grosvenor Square, W1K 2HD 
Book now: 34 Mayfair 

Lyaness at Sea Containers, Southbank

What: Lyaness’ cocktail menu pays particular attention to its ingredients, which is why you might be surprised to find things like goat's milk, sarsaparilla and even bugs in a cocktail. So playful with ingredients is this waterside bar at Sea Containers Hotel, that it has reworked many of its signature cocktails as boozeless creations too (at very reasonable prices, we might add). The drinks list changes regularly thanks to the incredible creativity of Ryan Chetiyawardana and team, but you really can't go wrong with any choice here and the team are expert at pointing you towards your perfect drink. 
Where: 20 Upper Ground, SE1 9PD 
Book now: Lyaness

Rockwell at The Trafalgar, St James's

What: There are only a couple of non-alcoholic cocktails on the menu at Rockwell at The Trafalgar, but the level of culinary skill and artistry that goes into each one boosts their value ten-fold. Where some bars are happy to keep things simple, Rockwell goes the extra mile with non-alcoholic mixes that are really playful with flavours, for example, the Sofia, which combines Lyres Dark Cane non-alcoholic rum with lychee, coconut, citrus, and a fresh bergamot and grapefruit tonic. We'd happily drink one of those on every visit. Bonus points for the decor, which has a lovely relaxed rainforest vibe about it. 
Where: 2 Spring Gardens, SW1A 2TS
Book now: Rockwell

The Bar Below, Mayfair

What: Aptly named The Bar Below, for this is indeed a basement bar located underneath main restaurant HIDE. Here you'll discover a range of alcohol-forward and lighter tipples to quench your thirst. A decent number of its signature cocktails can be ordered without alcohol and all are based around seasonal ingredients - think light and floral in summer and a little heftier in winter.  
Where: 85 Piccadilly, W1J 7NB
Book now: Below at HIDE

Baccarat Bar, Knightsbridge 

What: With red velvet seating, hanging chandeliers and a brass detailed bar, Baccarat Bar is everything you'd expect from Harrods, guaranteed to provide an evening of glitz and glam. Believe us when we say that this bar is stepping up the game with these creative cocktails - and mocktails! Each drink comes as part of a pair, that's inspired by a classic flavour combination and a photography effect. For example, the Manhattan Project and the Coque & Smoke are both inspired by lens flare, and take a playful twist on the idea of colour inversion with these takes on a whisky and coke - just without the whisky of course! 
Where: 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL
Book now: Baccarat Bar

The Permit Room at Dishoom, King’s Cross 

What: Dishoom’s Permit Room is a nod to the personal permits required by law in Bombay for people to drink on medical grounds. Dishoom has always led the way on excellent alcohol free options (or Teetotal Tipples as you'll see on the menu), which includes a number of cocktails made with no or very little alcohol. The sober menu also features non-alcoholic wine, beer and a number of refreshing lassis and coolers. 
Where: 5 Stable Street, N1C 4AB 
Book now: Dishoom King’s Cross 

If you're looking for more places to gather the crew for a drink, alcoholic or otherwise, check out our list of the best pubs all over London.