The London Stone - St Albans

You'll find yourself in one of St Albans' smartest corners when you push through The London Stone's doors. This isn't some try-hard cocktail theatre; it's a genuinely well-run bar housed in a beautiful period building that actually feels like part of the street rather than something imposed on it. The bartenders know their craft—they're making proper drinks with thought behind them, not just throwing bottles at each other for Instagram. It's the kind of place where regulars sit alongside couples on dates, everyone seemingly content with what they've ordered.