The Cornerhouse

Walk through those doors on City Road and you'll clock it immediately: this place has the confidence of a bar that knows what it's doing. The kind of spot where you can order a carefully made cocktail without it feeling pretentious, and the staff genuinely seem to like their job. It's packed most evenings—locals propping up the bar, groups clustered round high tables—but never feels chaotic. The drinks list isn't trying too hard, but that's precisely why it works. City Road's transformed over the past few years, and The Cornerhouse has become the anchor that makes people actually want to spend their evening here rather than drifting towards the city centre.