Guide to the best barbers in London

Originally launched in Edinburgh, the acclaimed Ruffians barbershops can be found at different locations around London. They are known for the refined grooming experience they provide in a casual, welcoming setting. Their professional staff will consult with you and take their time to find the best look for you, while you sit back and enjoy a drink from the bar.

Nomad Barber was founded by “the world’s most travelled barber”, Miguel Gutierrez, who started a successful YouTube channel nearly a decade ago documenting barbering around the world. The suave Hackney shop attracts clients from around the globe, looking to get pampered by the professional barbers. Haircuts include a complimentary hair wash, hot towel and hot lather neck shave, with different massage treatments incorporated into the shaves as well.

The Islington-based Supply 91 offers expert grooming in soothing natural settings that reflects the company’s concern for the wellbeing of not just its customers, but the planet as a whole. The talented barbers use only organic products in their work. The latter includes the full range of services, from the classic haircut and wash to a quick beard tidy or a facial scrub, and the staff will also teach you how to recreate your look at home.

Brent Pankhurst, a leading British barber and stylist, launched the barbershop at the Thom Sweeney Townhouse with his associate Joann Gowland and designed it as the epitome of men’s luxury and grooming. The bespoke chairs were upholstered by Bentley’s leather craftsmen and provide comfortable support while you treat yourself to a distinguished new haircut, smooth shave or hot towel face massage.

Joe and Co., established by celebrity men’s stylist Joe Mills, is regarded as one of the best barbershops in the capital. You can sit back and relax in the knowledge that you’re getting some of the best care around, as the barbershop brings together elite services and contemporary styling techniques in a casual, laidback setting. The full range of services is available, including consultations, professional haircuts and shaves, and pampering aftercare.

Stoke Newington’s Cuts & Bruises barbershop favours streetwise hipness over traditional gentlemanly masculinity, providing 1990s ragers and game consoles as entertainment while you wait. They even host basement gigs for friends and clients. None of this detracts from the quality of the services, with thorough haircuts, detailed beard trims and relaxing hot towel treatments all on offer.

Applying contemporary approaches to historic Turkish barber craftsmanship, Adam Grooming Ateliers offer traditional grooming, adapted to the needs of the modern man. Through the years, their barbers have not only gained experience, they’ve helped evolve and develop services such as beard reshaping, hot-towel press, wet shaves and more. At the trademark black-and-white barbershops, you can sit back with a beverage and let the professionals refine your style.

As hinted at by the name, OS Lifestyle aims to be more than just a place where you can get your hair cut. The lifestyle brand’s locations in London and Brighton are supposedly the first carbon-neutral barbershops in the UK, and they also offer bespoke branded products such as eco-friendly soap. At their welcoming barbershop in Chelsea, they provide a range of haircuts and beard trims.

The Murdock barbershops around the capital cater to gentlemen looking for top-notch service in classically elegant settings. When you pay them a visit, they’ll greet you with a complimentary beverage, ranging from tea and coffee to gin and whisky, then get to work on pampering you with various grooming treatments. These include haircuts and beard trims and reshapes.

With over 20 years of experience in the barbering business, internationally-renowned barber and businessman Mark Maciver has worked on celebrity clients such as Anthony Joshua, LeBron James, J Cole and Big Sean, among many others. At his barbershop in Hackney, the award-winning professional and his team provide the full range of hair and beard grooming for men with afro-textured hair, as well as haircuts for women and kids.

Renowned for their perfectly blending skin-fades, RXB London showcase exemplary skillsets in other areas as well. The Brixton barbershop offers a broad array of haircuts, beard trims, stylings and other grooming services. You’re also welcome to take advantage of their free WiFi while you’re there, as well as enjoy a complimentary cold drink.

Located exclusively in Selfridges department store, Acqua di Parma Barbiere Shop promises an incomparable grooming experience. The highly-trained experts at this upmarket barbershop combine Italian tradition with contemporary methods to provide you with a luxurious service. It doesn’t matter whether you’re there for your regular haircut or for a special occasion, they’ll pamper you with quality treatments in a relaxing, calming setting.

Truefitt & Hill has been a top choice for distinguished gentlemen in need of a cut or a shave for over two centuries. The classically refined barbershop was established in 1805 and has provided its services to several generations of the Royal Family. The luxurious treatments here will have you feeling as pampered as a baby, especially if you opt for the Ultimate Grooming Experience – a haircut, shave, manicure and facial that combine to have you feeling your absolute best.

A respected grooming institution in London for more than a century, Pall Mall Barbers have won numerous awards for their services and count celebrities such as HRH Prince William among their clients. Their experienced barbers offer a range of first-class services, from haircuts to beard trims, and use the group’s quality products to shape your style. Whichever of the branches you visit, you can be sure you’ll leave looking like your best self.

Located in the soothing basement spa area of the five-star The Ned hotel, Ned’s Barbershop provides high-quality grooming to hotel guests and Ned’s Club members and their friends. In the elegant, wood-panelled barbershop with gilded mirrors and green leather chairs, you can indulge in a wide assortment of services, from quick trims to detailed restylings and pampering facials. You can even have your shoes shined.

An iconic UK-based men’s brand, Geo. F. Trumper goes back to the 19th century and offers a range of products that include everything from men’s fragrances and razors to leather goods and cufflinks. Their original branch in Mayfair is a timeless wood-panelled barbershop with vintage brushes, but you can get their signature services in the younger St James’s branch as well. They even teach proper shaving with a cartridge or open razor, if you want to have a go at it yourself.

Ted’s Grooming Rooms can be found all over London, drawing inspiration for their stylish interiors from the local area and offering authentic Turkish barber services. The peak of these is undoubtedly the signature Full Ted, which includes a hot-towel treatment, massage and ear flaming, in addition to the bespoke haircut and beard trim or shave, but even you’re just after a swift shape-up, the expert barbers will take good care of you.

Gentlemen’s Tonic is a refined men’s day spa in Mayfair that offers a range of pampering options for discerning gentlemen who want to relax and look their best. In addition to the facials, manicures, pedicures and other treatments, their barbers will take care of your head with different haircut, shave and colouring options. They also offer children’s cuts and the Father & Son bonding experience, and you can also attend a traditional shaving class.

The welcoming Art Deco barbershop on the lower ground floor of Soho’s Mühle store also features a curated exhibition about the history of shaving. You can peruse it before or after indulging in the available services, which include haircuts, razor shaves, beard sculpting, facials and more. With the Mühle shop conveniently right there as well, you can also load up on quality care products and grooming essentials.

If you aren’t sure what kind of new look you’re after, Kesman Grooming in Farringdon will be happy to advise you. The welcoming barbershop prides itself on its consultation process, taking a detailed look to determine the best options for your head shape, hair type and personality. In the warm contemporary space with a coffee bar, they offer a variety of grooming options, including skin-fades and colouring.