London is a huge city, so as a tourist, or a new resident of the city, it took me some time to figure out where the best areas to go for a night out are. Below I’ll share a few of the top areas I’ve been to, and some of the specific places in each area I recommend.

Kensington

If you want to hang out with a posh crowd, this is where to go. I kid you not, when I went out in Kensington a guy was telling me all about the ‘struggle’ of having to wait for his boat to be sailed across the Atlantic since he just used it in the Caribbean but now was going to use it in the Mediterranean… such a rough life (eye roll).

Where I recommend: Kensington Roof Gardens, The Churchill Arms, Piano Kensington, Eclipse

SoHo

SoHo in London reminds me of SoHo in NYC – there’s a ton of restaurants, pubs, bars, and clubs all around. This is a great area to go for a night out because there’s something for everyone. There’s also a good mix of tourists (SoHo is close to Picadilly Circus) and Londoners who go here.

Where I recommend: Coach & Horses, Dirty Martini, Kingly Court, Ain’t Nothing But Blues Bar

Camden

Amy Winehouse used to live in this area. It’s very hipster but has a lot of cool art and a good vibe. You’ll find a mix of Londoners and tourists here as well. There’s also a nightly bar crawl of Camden (mostly for tourists), but is a good way to go to a few bars with a group at night.

Where I recommend: The Hawley Arms, The Camden Head, Camden Comedy Club (£5 and £10 comedy nights!)

Dalston

Dalston is a rapidly gentrifying area, and hidden within there are some really cool places to go out. This is a bit off the tourist track (there aren’t really any tourist attractions in this area), but as its a fifteen minute walk from my flat I go out here quite often.

Where I recommend: Dalston Roof Park, Escudo de Cuba, Jolly Butcher, Tipsy Dalston

Shoreditch

Shoreditch is near Bank, so lots of bankers come to this area for happy hour after work, although it’s more of a hipster area overall. It has a lot of cool bars, and regular bar crawls.

Where I recommend: Zigfrid von Underbelly, Queen of Hoxton, Blueberry, Bavarian Beerhouse

Which of these areas do you think you’ll visit on your next trip to London? Hopefully all of them!

Till next time all!