The American Bar

The American Bar has been shaking drinks since the 1890s, which makes it the oldest cocktail bar still standing in London, and two of its old bartenders basically wrote the whole playbook. Ada Coleman, running one of the world's most famous bars back when that was unheard of for a woman, invented the Hanky Panky right here. Her successor Harry Craddock wrote the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book and handed us the White Lady and the Corpse Reviver No. 2. All still on the menu, all still excellent. There's a pianist every night, a lot of marble and mirror, and a guest list over the years running from Churchill to Sinatra. It's been named World's Best Bar by both the World's 50 Best Bars and the Spirited Awards, so nobody's overselling it. Go dressed up and drink something with a hundred years on it.