When it comes to organising a big night out, the best locations are often those in which you can seamlessly shift from cocktails to your meal to after-dinner drinks – all without leaving the premises.
In London, the choice of restaurants with bars is vast, but there are a few in particular which get the delicate balance of food, drinks, and atmosphere just right for spending the entire evening. Here are some of the ones that our members rate most highly – call us to discuss your reservation.
Cocoon
65-67 Regent Street, London W1B 4EA
Overlooking buzzy Regent Street, Cocoon is a pan-Asian restaurant – the menu incorporates flavours from Japan, China and Thailand. Choose from stir-fries, tempura, noodle dishes and sushi for dinner, followed by a cocktail or two from the innovative menu. ‘The cucumber cocktail is one of my favourite drinks in the whole city,' says lifestyle editor Jean Edelstein. With decor that looks like a 1970s interpretation of the future, the funky surroundings are great for a stylish party until the small hours – the lounge is open until 3am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with a DJ spinning records from 11pm.
Dinner guide price: £40
Crazy Bear
26-28 Whitfield Street, Fitzrovia, London W1T 2RG
The Royal Thai Embassy has endorsed Crazy Bear as one of Britain's best Thai restaurants – what better authority is there? This London outpost of the popular Oxfordshire restaurant features noodles, seafood (wok-fried lobster is particularly glam), meat and chicken stir-fries and curries for dinner. After you eat, the basement bar – all sexy dark wood and cosy leather upholstery – does quirky mixed drinks, classics and champagne. If you're still peckish, you can snack from the bar's Thai small plates menu until 10.45pm – then sip cocktails until midnight.
Dinner guide price: £30
Floridita
100 Wardour Street, London W1F 0TN
Celebrate Latin culture at this sizzling nightspot in Soho, where a live Cuban band might well be playing while you dine on Latin American cuisine – think meatballs stuffed with quail's eggs, grilled lobster and spit-roast suckling pig – before retiring to the bar for daiquiris and mojitos of every hue. If you feel like it, you can even pop next door for a genuine Cuban cigar (although you will, of course, have to enjoy it on the sidewalk). The party carries on until 2am on weekdays and 3am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights (it's closed on Sundays). Don't miss salsa night, on the final Tuesday of each month, where you can learn hot moves from dance experts.
Dinner guide price: £25
Gilgamesh
The Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8AH
A fusion of Asian flavours awaits you in the mammoth dining room at Gilgamesh, where no extravagance has been spared in the decor to give it a lavish, Babylonian feel dominated by carved wood and red brocade. Watch the chefs prepare dishes such as plum miso Chilean sea bass, Singapore noodles and duck and watermelon salad through the open, stone-carved kitchen. Then snuggle into a booth in the Babylon VIP lounge to drink Asian-influenced cocktails late into the evening.
Dinner guide price: £30
Bob Bob Ricard
1 Upper James Street, London W1F 9DF
MasterChef's Gregg Wallace – arguably one of Britain's pickiest foodies – gave the menu at Bob Bob Ricard ‘10 out of 10'. It's all about modern British classics in this restaurant, which resembles a gentleman's club with a twist of wit: beautifully-prepared staples such as macaroni cheese, shepherd's pie and chicken kiev are followed by nursery favourite desserts such as rhubarb jelly with custard. Moving over to the bar, you can continue the theme with the signature rhubarb gin and tonic – but there are dozens of other drinks to try, including an impressive selection of wines and high quality spirits. Bob Bob Ricard is designed for night owls: the kitchen's last orders are taken at 1am, and you're welcome to stick around for drinks until 3am.
Dinner guide price: £30
Inamo
134-136 Wardour Street, London W1F 8ZP
Some diners are drawn by the gimmick at this futuristic Asian fusion restaurant – you order from a menu that is projected onto your table. The food, however, doesn't require fancy technology: it's ‘top quality', according to a review in the London Lite. Go for a selection of tapas-style dishes such as sea bass salad and salmon sashimi, or opt for one of the larger offerings, such as hot pot chicken and black faced lamb. Retire to the basement bar to enjoy cocktails or sake under sultry red lights until midnight – or even have a late dinner there, since the full menu is available.
Dinner guide price: £30
Pigalle Club
215-217 Piccadilly, London W1J 9HN
A 1940s supper-club vibe – created using kitsch decor of gold and greens, hot pink leather chairs and mirrored walls – makes the Pigalle Club ideal for a playful first date, especially with the dance floor just steps away from your ringside table. There's even a stage that hosts the occasional star turn and burlesque show. Meanwhile, the concise modern European menu offers a choice of two (£35) or three courses (£40), but the highlight at The Pigalle Club is the cocktail menu. It features a range of classics, from the Pimms Cup to special Pigalle favourites such as the 'Kurrently Something', to an extensive champagne menu. And thanks to a late licence, the party goes on until 3am.
Dinner guide price: £40 (includes £15 admission charge)
Dover Street Restaurant and Jazz Bar
8-10 Dover Street, Mayfair, London WIS 4LQ
This Mayfair favourite has been pulling in the crowds for three decades with its great French food and equally impressive live jazz. The decor is grand and the menu is small but perfectly formed: think asparagus risotto followed by pot roast duck, or lobster medallions and fillet steak. The slate of jazz acts is extensive, and there's something on almost every night – last orders from the kitchen are at 2am and the music doesn't stop until 3am on six days of the week.
Dinner guide price: £35
Nozomi
14-15 Beauchamp Place, London SW3 1NQ
Nozomi offers some of London's best contemporary Japanese cuisine, and there are fine cocktails in the award-winning bar. Go for one of the sushi and sashimi selections for the best sample of what the kitchen has to offer; or if fish isn't your thing, opt for the Wagyu beef. Before and after dinner you'll want to head to the luxurious, dark wood bar to drink the cocktails that have scored Nozomi a host of five-star ratings alongside the glitterati of Knightsbridge – the bar is open until 12:30am on Friday and Saturday nights.
Dinner guide price: £40
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