London's hottest nightlife happens in exclusive members' clubs, but if you can't make it inside there will always be an attractive designer cocktail lounge or an elegant hotel bar for a few drinks and socializing at night. For a more relaxed evening, the city's traditional pubs are still there, many with some extraordinary Victorian interiors. London is also a mega clubbing city, with superclubs hosting superstar DJs to provide the beats into the morning.


The Cow
Attracting Notting Hill hipsters and a few celebrities, this pub also has a separate restaurant upstairs serving excellent Irish oysters. But it's the drinks everyone is after here, and you can have wine by the glass (French seem to be the favorites). It's not cheap, but everything is also refreshingly old-fashioned.

Trailer Happiness
This west London bar serves Tikis and other cocktails mixed by professional barmen in a space made for you to unwind. The drinks can be accompanied by snacks such as Thai squid salad or sandwiches, and enjoyed on leather benches by low tables in the large seating area. The clientele is hip and rich, although the prices are not as high as you'd anticipate in a place like this. It's also a surprisingly relaxed and unpretentious place, where you may also hear some cool DJ-spun music.

Mandarin Bar
Not only is it one of the best hotel bars in London (inside the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park), it is also one of the city's hotspots for the hippest, most fashionable crowds (and celebrities such as Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez who've passed by in the past). Sit on a leather armchair to see and be seen.

Absolut IceBar
Sitting next to the Below Zero restaurant you'll find London's Absolut IceBar, where everything is kept at below zero temperature -- everything from the walls to the tables to the glass holding your drinks is made of clear ice. It can get crowded and it's a little touristy, but it's also an experience you'll be telling your friends about.

The Cuckoo Club
The Cuckoo Club is currently London's most chic, glamorous, and exclusive club. It serves Modern European cuisine at the restaurant, cocktails at the bar, and an LED-studded dancefloor designed by the company responsible for London's Hermés flagship store. It seems to satisfy the city's most demanding clientele.

Paramount Club
London's most attractive members' club opened on the top floors of the West End's Centre Point building, offering 360-degree views of the city and a sleek Tom Dixon-designed space that includes a champagne bar, a lounge area, and private event space. Unfortunately most likely you won't get to see it unless you make yourself a member or know someone who is.

Egg
Egg designed its three different floors and beautiful courtyard to please the fashionably crowds it hoped to attract. It been able to do that since it opened in 2003, where dance music is mixed to get you on the dancefloor or as a soundtrack for a drink at the elegant bar or one of the terraces.

Fabric
In the past decade this superclub has been the top choice for serious clubbers who usually spend the entire night on the dancefloor. Those who need to take a few breaks from the electro or house beats can head to one of the bars and join the hip crowds for a drink. Superstar DJs and a vibrating floor add to some of the best London party nights.

Inigo
Whether it's house music or hip hop, the dancefloor is usually packed and there's even dancing on tables. This is a laid-back club with a pub-style look, and a welcoming, refreshingly unpretentious place for a night of drinking and dancing.

Koko
It used to be called "Camden Palace," and this different incarnation keeps a palatial look, with a fabulously opulent interior. It attracted several music legends in the past, and Madonna and Prince are two more recent examples (the first one in 2006 during her "Confessions on a Dance Florr" days, and the second one in a surprise performance in 2007). Its eclectic list of events makes this a great place to check out every time you're in town.

Matter
Opened in late 2008, this superclub was made for dancing, with a system sending bass waves through your body. It holds almost 3000 people in its three levels, and hosts major DJs.

Maya
Maya is not members-only so at first thought one would imagine it is less exclusive than other similar clubs, but there's a very strict door policy to ensure that everyone inside looks hip and glamorous. It's an escape for the connected and fashionable set, who dance to electro house in a seductively-illuminated space.

Mo*vida
This is the A-listers' club, an exclusive West End hotspot built within the vaults of the London Palladium. It's the multiple winner of "Best London club" awards, and serves more Dom Perignon than anywhere else in the world. In the lavishly designed space you can sample the international cuisine at the restaurant or sip champagne with the beautiful people.

Paper Club London
This smart club has kept a high profile with celebrity-hosted events and a sparkling clientele. The entry policy is strict but with the right attitude and look you can make it inside, where you'll find music suitable for all tastes.

The Roof Gardens
The Roof Gardens is made up of a restaurant ("Babylon"), a bar, and a club. Surrounded by gardens, the club has a rich interior with crystal chandeliers and full length mirrors creating a chic ambiance. The atmosphere is also relaxed while never losing its cool and fabulous vibe. The music mixes soul, funky house, and club classics.

Ministry of Sound
Britain's first ever "superclub" is still London's most famous. Its name is recognized worldwide, and it remains as popular as ever. For those visiting London it's almost obligatory to try to spend a night here. The dancefloors are big, but even so they can get crowded as everyone dances to the sounds mixed by well-known DJs.

Heaven
This club is known for its large gay crowds, but it's not exclusively gay. Some of Europe's biggest DJs are often guests here, attracting all kinds of party lovers to its various floors. Expect a cool atmosphere of ravers enjoying the electro sounds.

Boujis
This is princes William and Harry's favorite club and a hotspot for celebrities and rich locals, so don't be surprised to see paparazzi standing outside. It's one of London's most sought after nightspots, so naturally there is strict door control, but it is not impossible to make it inside. If you want to try it, be prepared for expensive drinks and good crowd-pleasing music.

Proud Cabaret
This restaurant, bar, and cabaret club serves classic British cuisine together with sultry entertainment in the form of burlesque dancing, singing, and jazz. The interior is inspired by 1920s glamour, with plush booths, leather banquettes, and velvet curtains.