The best listening bars in London

Evolving from a pop-up into a fully fledged venue, Hausu is a London listening bar built around the idea of enjoying food, drink, company, and music in equal measure. Outfitted with a vintage hi-fi setup, it pours thoughtfully chosen wines and cocktails, while the kitchen serves inventive small plates centred on fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Since landing in Hackney in 2023, Bambi's combination of good cooking and quality hi-fi sound system has proven a winning combination. With a setting reminiscent of your dad's vinyl den and shelves stacked with records, there's no shortage of tunes to discover at this London listening bar, while the kitchen turns out tempting small plates and the low-intervention wines keep flowing.

Spiritland has not only been around for a while now, it actually helped bring the concept over from Japan in 2016 as one of the first listening bars in London. The cool, contemporary lounge has its own radio studio attached and regularly hosts DJ sessions, album launches, talks, and other events. The music policy is broad, the venue is seating-only, and the sound system is top-notch, of course.

The companion ground-floor bar to the upstairs restaurant by Michelin-starred sushi master Endo Kazutoshi, Kioku Sake Bar takes things seriously. Its gently minimalist wooden interior, shaped by traditional Japanese design, provides the backdrop for one of the city's largest bespoke sake collections, complemented by a menu of cocktails. Drawing on the spirit of Japanese listening bars, the atmosphere is guided by guest-curated playlists.

The Equal Parts listening is run by the same team as the established Sager + Wilde wine bar, though the titular parts here refer to cocktails. A selection of signature cocktails is served here, alongside low-intervention wines and other craft drinks, while the shelves are full of vinyl records awaiting their turn on the sound system. It's a lively spot that's rightfully hailed as one of the best in the neighbourhood.

Run by the team behind The Cause, All My Friends offers a more laidback spin on the hi-fi listening bars popping up across the capital. Compared to the glossy, polished feel of many a London listening bar, this has a more DIY feel to it and comprises a ground-floor record shop, a custom-built sound system, and street-food vendors. When you need a breather, you can slip out to the terrace and unwind with views over the canal.

This Notting Hill bistro hides a well-stocked vinyl library in its basement. Set on Golborne Road beneath the striking Trellick Tower, the relaxed hangout blends a neighbourhood wine bar, music space, and open-fire restaurant under one roof. Its cooking revolves around the grill, turning out dishes that pair gentle smokiness with yielding textures, while drinks follow the same easy-going spirit.

Housed within the elegant Japanese restaurant Nijū and modelled on a 1950s Japanese listening bar, Nipperkin Bar offers a cosy, close-knit setting for savouring finely crafted cocktails alongside a small menu of Japanese sandos. The discreet venue seats only 22 guests around a single central table, creating an exclusive, communal feel. With soft lighting, a warm ambience, and an audiophile-approved sound system,  it's designed for unhurried, intimate evenings.

Named after legendary American DJ Larry Levan, Peckham's Bar Levan is naturally as big on the music as the natural wines. Fitted with a vintage sound system, the bar plays bangers from vinyl all day long. The curated wine list features organic and biodynamic wines from across Europe, accompanied by European small plates. They host wine tastings, too.

An audiophile's dream in Dalston, Brilliant Corners is indeed rather brilliant. Thanks to the izakaya-style Japanese culinary offerings and the inspired mixology on display, even those who aren't fussed about sound quality are sure to have a good time here. It's one of the better-known listening bars in London for a reason, however, its dimly-lit, minimalist setting providing the perfect accompaniment to the state-of-the-art sound system.

Named after the Japanese word for jazz and the corresponding expression for their listening bars – jazu kissa – Deptford's Jazu began life as a pop-up listening bar before finding a permanent home in 2024. Outfitted with a bespoke sound system, DJ booth, and disco ball, it shifts easily from mellow daytime hangs to late-night dancing. Guests can choose from a range of signature drinks, and the kitchen hosts regularly changing residencies.

If London's cocktail world were a university campus, Behind This Wall would be the effortlessly cool arts major with an enviable shelf of records – minus the attitude. This easy-going basement listening lounge has a bespoke hi-fi system pieced together from vintage components, setting the tone for its unfussy approach. There's no fixed list of drinks here; you simply tell the bartenders what you're in the mood for, and they'll mix it on the spot or steer you toward something spot-on.

This East London hi-fi listening bar spot blends drinks with an immersive music experience, thanks to 22 speakers arranged throughout the venue. Guests can enjoy food or a quiet game of chess up front, while the back area is made for vinyl listening and evening dancing. The menu spans jazz- and funk-friendly cocktails, beers, wines, Japanese sake, and small plates.

Fitted with a custom-built hi-fi sound system, Nine Lives features quadraphonic audio soothing listeners with a rich, warm sound. The low-lit, eco-minded listening bar is hidden away in a Victorian basement and styled with tropical plants and tiki-inspired touches. Its drinks list leans inventive, offering creative cocktails alongside wine, beer and soft options. The seasonal tacos channelling the laid-back flavours of 1970s Southern California are worth giving a spin as well.

Space Talk is a strikingly designed London hi-fi bar, fitted with a bespoke sound system and sleek, retro-futuristic interiors that nod to Indian disco icon Asha Puthli. The venue hosts DJ sets and curated listening sessions ranging from ambient electronica to global sounds, with details like a sunken booth and polished metallic finishes adding to the atmosphere. Despite its effortlessly cool aesthetic, the bar remains warm and welcoming, serving inventive cocktails and fostering an easy sense of connection.

Truthfully, we have no idea whether you're welcome to play Patti Smith's seminal album “Horses” here. We do know, however, that Goodbye Horses hits the connoisseur trifecta. Oenophiles will enjoy browsing the thoughtful selection of organic and biodynamic wines, gourmands can tuck into sustainably minded, seasonal small plates shaped by global flavours, and audiophiles are sure to find something to their liking in the listening bar's vinyl record collection.

Chiave in Shoreditch is a sleek cocktail bar that doubles as an easy-going place to dance and listen to music in its basement. Its atmosphere is shaped by a well-crafted playlist and a line-up of inventive house cocktails served in an unfussy, friendly space. Though mixology is the star, there's also a tight list of French and Spanish wines, plus beer, for those after something simpler.

Helmed by award-winning mixologist Mr Lyan, Seed Library is built around a deliberately pared-back, analogue feel in both its interiors, music policy, and drinks. The drinks list changes often and draws on an eclectic mix of ingredients, yet each cocktail stays rooted in the bar's philosophy of reworking classics with a craftsman's touch – think a gimlet scented with coriander seed. The same kind of care is applied to the vinyl sound system and the tunes it plays.

Jumbi is a lively Peckham spot that blends a hi-fi music bar with an Afro-Caribbean restaurant, celebrating the culture's sounds and flavours. Its single-turntable setup encourages focused listening, supported by a custom vinyl library drawn from one founder's full collection and rotated by guest selectors. In the kitchen, a line-up of Afro-Caribbean-inspired small plates pairs neatly with a cocktail list centred on rum.

Like Equal Parts, Bruno is another banger from the Sager + Wilde team, though the drinks list is focused firmly on biodynamic wines here. The candlelit Hackney wine bar has a crackling vinyl player for setting the mood, while the changing kitchen residencies keep a stream of fresh small plates coming. It's buzzy yet intimate, and though it's perhaps a tad less focused on the music than some of the other listening bars mentioned here, it certainly earns its place on the list.

Olfaclub is a Walthamstow wine bar specialising in low-intervention wines served only by the glass, thoughtfully arranged by how approachable they are to help guests discover something new. The moody, stylish space also offers complimentary water you can customise with mineral drops to mimic famous bottled waters. A vinyl player completes the vibe, inviting visitors to settle in for a proper listening session.