Forget cosy pubs and trendy, cosmopolitan wine bars. On colder days, the new place to curl up with a hot toddy is, believe it or not, the humble library bar.
No longer just spaces for bookworms, pottering pensioners and panicky students, more and more of London’s loveliest hotels and bars are opening swanky, book-filled watering holes, allowing visitors to partake in some seriously scholarly drinking. If you love books, cocktails and cosy corners, these are the best library bars in London for a cosy drink.
The Cinnamon Club
Wine and books sit side-by-side on the shelves at the Cinnamon Club’s Library Bar. Reopened in 2015 following an extensive refurbishment, this fine, Grade II listed establishment was once the Reading Room of the old Westminster Library and, perhaps in homage to its history, is now home to a stunning library bar.
The Cinnamon Club serves innovative and creative Indian cuisine so the library is the perfect place to perch with a cocktail before you partake of dinner.
WHERE: THE OLD WESTMINSTER LIBRARY, GREAT SMITH ST, LONDON SW1P 3BU
WEBSITE: WWW.CINNAMONCLUB.COM
The Fable
If you’re looking for the perfect place to take your book on a date then make a beeline for this Holborn hidden gem. Created for the Drake & Morgan collection (head to their restaurant in Kings Cross, it’s fantastic!) and inspired by the fabulous fables of Aesop, the Fable Bar offers seasonal food and sumptuous cocktails as well as bespoke events and fascinating literary masterclasses.
The library itself is lined with leather bound books sourced from vintage markets across the land so expect to be entranced and enthralled by the sheer variety of books on offer.
WHERE: 52 HOLBORN VIADUCT, LONDON EC1A 2BN
WEBSITE: WWW.DRAKEANDMORGAN.CO.UK
The Library at NoMad London
Read in luxury at The Library Cocktail bar at NoMad London. Reserved exclusively for hotel guests, you must be staying here to take advantage, but what better excuse to book a staycation?
The bar boasts collections on the arts, culture and history of London and New York, and is the perfect place to hunker down with a book and your classy cocktail of choice.
WHERE: 28 BOW ST, LONDON WC2E 7AW
WEBSITE: WWW.THENOMADHOTEL.COM
By The Handbook
The Cinnamon Club
The Fable
The Library at NoMad London
