Where to Drink in the Square Mile, From Guinness to White Port Tonics

The City of London has long had a reputation as a place you leave promptly. According to Sauce Magazine, that has changed, and the Square Mile is now home to some of the best restaurants in town. Several of the places it picks are just as interesting for what is in the glass.

Here is a drinker's route through the EC postcodes, based on Sauce Magazine's guide.

For a proper pint

The Horsemen & Fitzgerald's is a newcomer to the Square Mile, inspired by the horse-racing world and split into two spaces. Up front, The Horsemen is described by Sauce Magazine as a buzzy Irish freehouse with properly poured Guinness, good whiskey and the racing always on.

Behind a velvet curtain, Fitzgerald's serves a Kentucky-meets-Dublin menu. Sauce Magazine mentions Irish beef tartare topped with Tayto, a Wexford T-bone and a Dubliner brownie with cornflakes. Its advice for the drinks is simple: a couple of pints of Guinness.

For cocktails with a bit of history

Blacklock City sits in an old electricity substation, on the site of a medieval meat market. The menu is built around chops grilled under heavy Victorian-style irons, and the review suggests sipping a cocktail or three alongside. The "All In" option piles beef, pork and lamb chops onto charcoal-grilled flatbreads and is aimed at tables of two or more.

For a bar with a conscience

At Ara, self-taught chef Murat Kilic runs the kitchen with global flavours such as corn ribs seasoned with umami dust and mussel skewers in a roasted chicken wing butter glaze. The bar is sustainably minded, according to Sauce Magazine. It uses some of the same ingredients as the kitchen and works with eco-conscious spirit suppliers such as Discarded Spirits Co. The wine list comes from sustainable vineyards.

For a white port tonic

Bar Douro City is Sauce Magazine's pick for a quick trip to Portugal. You can sit at the counter by the open kitchen, surrounded by azulejo tiles, and order petiscos such as salt-cod fritters and smoked sausage croquetas. There is also a heated terrace, where the review suggests a white port tonic, or a pastel de nata with cinnamon ice cream.

For wine with a view

Angler sits on top of the South Place Hotel and has held a Michelin star since 2013. Head Chef Craig Johnston won the Roux Scholarship in 2025 and Masterchef: The Professionals, according to Sauce Magazine. The seafood-led menu includes steamed turbot with crushed squash and a squid bolognese. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the skyline, and the review points to an extensive wine list.

Restaurant St. Barts, which looks out over the gardens of St. Bartholomew the Great, is described as the only dining destination in London with both a Michelin star and a Green star. Sauce Magazine says its menu can run from a brisk one-hour business lunch to a three-hour signature dinner.

Galvin La Chapelle, run by brothers Chris and Jeff Galvin, occupies a Victorian chapel with soaring vaulted ceilings. It holds a Michelin star and pairs refined French technique with an approachable feel, according to Sauce Magazine.

For the small hours

Duck & Waffle, on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower, is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Sauce Magazine suggests it for a sunrise or sunset view, a midnight feast after a night out or a Sunday roast. The menu includes ox cheek doughnuts and the namesake duck and waffle.

For the business meeting that is really a long lunch

Hawksmoor Guildhall has oxblood leather booths and polished wood, which Sauce Magazine calls the most handsome interior in the City right now. Steaks come off the charcoal grill, with beef fat chips and creamed spinach on the side. There is a private dining room for larger groups. Sauce Magazine also recommends 1 Lombard Street, a Grade II listed former banking hall with a glass cupola skylight, which has served modern European brasserie classics since 1998.

Know before you go

• The Horsemen & Fitzgerald's: 1 Broadgate, EC2M 2QS
• Blacklock City: 13 Philpot Lane, EC3M 8AA
• Ara: 1 New Drum Street, E1 7AY
• Angler: South Place Hotel, 3 South Place, EC2M 2AF
• Bar Douro City: Unit 3, 1 Finsbury Avenue, EC2M 2PF
• Hawksmoor Guildhall: 10 Basinghall Street, EC2V 5BQ
• Restaurant St. Barts: 63 Bartholomew Close, EC1A 7BF
• Duck & Waffle: 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY (open 24 hours, seven days a week)
• Galvin La Chapelle: 35 Spital Square, E1 6DY

Sources: Sauce Magazine