Where to drink the best martinis in London

The martini at Sketch is built around the restaurant's own London dry-style gin, with a bright juniper backbone lifted by maraschino, dry vermouth and orange bitters, then finished with a twist of lemon. It's crisp, dry, effortlessly elegant and pairs deliciously with Sketch's loaded fries, available at the bar.

As the name suggests, Caia's direct martini keeps things refreshingly simple. Served freezer-cold and made with your choice of gin or vodka, it's finished with just a whisper of dry vermouth for a crisp, ultra-clean serve. Pull up a stool at the bar or, if you're lucky, bag one of the coveted terrace tables overlooking Golborne Road, then as the night draws on, head downstairs for some live vinyl mixing.

Sollip's signature martini is a beautiful, simple reflection of the restaurant's Korean-British identity. It combines a Korean rice spirit distilled with pine needles and aged with honey, with crisp Cornish vodka, resulting in a martini that's dry and silky. Marrying the ancient pine forests of Korea with the rugged coastline of Britain's South West, it's a thoughtful take on the classic that's every bit as refined as the food.

Dinings SW3 puts a distinctly Japanese spin on the classic with its Dorai dry martini. A delicate blend of premium spirits is stirred with the restaurant's house sake before being finished with fragrant shiso oil, creating a martini that's exceptionally dry, light and aromatic. Elegant and restrained, it's the perfect match for Dinings' refined Japanese menu.

French, chic and effortlessly sophisticated, Maison François does the mini martini just right. Served in a half-size pour with premium vodka and a touch of dry vermouth, it's the ideal aperitif when you fancy a martini without committing to the full measure. Stop in before an afternoon of bar-hopping around St James's, or finish the evening downstairs at Frank's Bar with one last impeccably-made drink.

Few bars can claim quite as much martini history as Spy Bar at the OWO. It is set within the building where the Vesper martini was created and a favourite haunt of Winston Churchill, so it's the obvious destination for fans of the iconic cocktail. The house Vesper blends gin with a London honey distillate and a bespoke vermouth infused with British botanicals, finished with a touch of quassia bark. It's one of the finest Vespers you'll find in London.

The Connaught Bar's classic martini is deservedly famous, but it's the vintage martini that steals the show. At £150, it's an indulgence, blending 1970s Gordon's dry gin with 1970s Martini extra dry vermouth for a rare taste of cocktail history. More than just an expensive drink, it's a tribute to the evolution of the martini and the heritage of The Connaught Bar.

Served as shorter pours designed for a quick aperitif, The Park does martinis its own way. There are four to choose from: the martini del Nonno, sherry martini, turf club martini and Vesper, and while you can't go wrong with any of them, the turf club is our pick of the bunch. A mix of gin, dry vermouth, maraschino, orange bitters and Angostura bitters, it's bright, complex and dangerously easy to drink.

Rather than leaving your highly specific martini order to memory, the team at Brutes hand you a delightfully pink checklist to customise every detail. Wet or dry? Twist or olive? Gin or vodka? Simply tick your preferences and let the bar do the rest. As for garnishes, expect the unexpected, from monster munch crisps and blue cheese-stuffed olives to a decadent caviar bump.

At the Egerton House Hotel, you can't beat the house martini, but for those looking for more of a martini education, they provide immersive martini experiences that offer two distinct ways to explore this iconic cocktail. Begin with a classic introduction, or choose the more indulgent connoisseur experience, where flavour, technique and ritual are explored in greater depth. You'll never have to fret over your order again.

At the very top of Quo Vadis' drinks menu, you're invited to order a martini before considering anything else. That's how essential they are to the Quo Vadis experience. Here, they're served simply but very well; naked with a twist or wet with an olive. Looking for something a little more customisable? Fear not, the "QV martini list" offers a range of vodkas and gins, served twist, olive, wet, dry, naked, straight up, rocks, gibson or gimlet. For a quintessential old-Soho experience, we'd recommend dry with a twist.

As is common to all worthy New York-style restaurants in London, the first page of the cocktail list at Dover is a martini list. There's everything from Vespers to appletinis to dirty, spicy serves, but we come for the aptly named perfect martini. Perfect is the seemingly unattainable best in class of martini mythology, but the Dover has done it. Freezing cold, expertly concocted and served to perfection. It's a must-try martini.

Having opened its doors in 1798, Rules has had more than two centuries to perfect the martini. Its signature Vesper combines gin, vodka, amber vermouth and citrus for an elegant take on the Bond classic. Served in one of London's oldest restaurants, it's a cocktail steeped in history and one that's best enjoyed before settling in for a traditional British feast.

At Osteria Vibrato, the martini is treated with the reverence it deserves. Served ice-cold and poured tableside, it's crafted using a carefully curated selection of artisan spirits and vermouths. Pair with a platter of cured meats and crunchy, salty Italian crackers for the perfect sip 'n' bite. 

If you like your martinis unapologetically savoury, this one is hard to beat. Belvedere vodka is stirred with oloroso sherry and an intensely flavoured house brine blend, before being garnished with olives sourced from Borough Olives, the specialist supplier that's been championing exceptional small-scale producers for more than 15 years. Silky, saline and packed with umami, it's a martini that leans deliciously dirty.

Nopi's martinis are a reflection of the seasons, with the cocktail list changing throughout the year to showcase the best produce available. For example, the summer is the time for lime leaf and rhubarb martinis, which pair fragrant lime leaf with the tart sweetness of rhubarb for a bright twist on the classic. Thoughtfully inventive, Nopi's rotating martini menu gives you a good reason to keep coming back.

At Rita's, you can either keep things straight with the classic styles of martini, or go for their seasonal, shorter serves. Think tiny tomato-tinis in the summertime, served in chilled martini glasses with a tomato-powder rim, finished with a drizzle of Rita's tomato-infused olive oil for that subtle tomato tang. We can't imagine anything that pairs better with Rita's pre-supper snacks of British seasonal produce like smoked trout parfait with crackers and crudités or jalapeño popper gildas.

Rasputin's doesn't do subtle martinis, they specialise in memorable ones. They're most famous for their five-olive martini, where ice-cold spirits and precise dilution meet five olives stacked on a cocktail stick teetering on the top of your glass. If you're partial to something a little dirtier and drinks that almost double as snacks, Rasputin's is the cosy, neighbourhood dive you'll find yourself coming back to again and again.

A great steak deserves a great martini, and Hawksmoor has long understood the assignment. Its ice-cold martinis are packed with vodka, chardonnay, vermouth, olive brine, green peppercorn, tarragon, and a spritz of rosemary. This herby, umami martini is the ideal pairing for a juicy cut of steak and a side of beef-dripping chips.

For something a little different, Ognisko's beetroot martini puts a distinctly Eastern European spin on the classic. Horseradish vodka is shaken with beetroot juice, warming spices and a touch of apple juice, creating a vibrant cocktail that's earthy, peppery and subtly sweet. It's an unconventional take that feels perfectly at home on the menu of this long-standing Polish favourite.

If your ideal martini is as dirty as they come, Acre's olive grove martini delivers in spades. Vodka is stirred with generous measures of olive and pickle brine, creating a bold, savoury cocktail with plenty of salty punch. It's unapologetically briny and the perfect choice for anyone who believes there's no such thing as too dirty.

At Bar with Shapes for a Name, what looks like a crystal-clear, bone-dry martini is rarely just that. A perfectly transparent serve might taste intensely of coffee, chocolate, herbs, fresh fruit or coconut. It's cocktail-making at its most technical, where appearances are deliberately deceptive and every drink challenges your expectations. At Bar with Shapes for a Name, nothing is quite as it seems.

Noisy Oyster's Oyster Martini is a love letter to the sea. Crisp vodka and dry vermouth provide the classic foundation, while the oyster brings a fresh, saline edge that elevates every sip. Bracing, savoury and unmistakably coastal, it's the perfect pairing for their signature roe-topped toast, or simply a must-order for martini devotees looking for something a little different.

If you like your drinks juniper-forward, you're in luck. At the Seed Library, their signature martini is served not with a few token juniper berries floating in the glass, but the whole branch. Earthy, off-dry and moreish, this is the perfect stepping-stone cocktail for someone beginning to embrace the brine but isn't ready to commit to half a jar of pickle or olive brine filling their glass. 

Dante's blue cheese olive martini is a dirty martini dialled up to the max. Ice-cold gin or vodka is paired with a savoury olive brine before being garnished with a punchy blue cheese-stuffed olive, adding a rich, creamy finish to every sip. Bold, briny and unapologetically indulgent, it's the kind of martini that converts even the sceptics.

Ellie's is a low-key hangout spot on Kingsland Road, best known for its unpretentious energy, lively late-night DJ sessions and very reasonably priced drinks. The martini here is dirty, wet, potent and comes in at only £8. You still get the tall-stemmed, wide-brimmed glass - just without the side of pretence. 

A modern savoury take that's become something of a signature. Olive oil-washed vodka is combined with fino sherry and crystal-clear distilled tomato water, with just a hint of basil bringing freshness to the finish. Clean, saline and deceptively light, it's a brilliantly balanced riff on the dirty martini that's every bit as elegant as it is drinkable.

What Three Sheets does best is bringing an East London energy right into the heart of the West End. The martini they serve has an East London edge; made with a tea-infused vodka, olive oil, briny white wine, sea salt. However, Three Sheets can read the room and in Soho, for an extra £8, you can add a caviar bump to your order. A perfect pairing for a night out in Central London.

Akub puts a distinctly Palestinian spin on the classic martini. Its signature serve combines Palestinian olive oil fat-washed vodka with za'atar, dry vermouth, a herbaceous aperitif and orange bitters, creating a silky, savoury cocktail layered with delicate herbal and citrus notes. Pair with one of Akub's sensational dips and freshly baked bread, and you've got one of our favourite bookings to return to time and time again.