Never heard of listening bars? Well, listen up (ahem) because they’re the latest hospitality trend sweeping over the capital, offering a haven for discerning oenophiles, foodies and audiophiles alike. Blending high quality sound with delectable menus and refined cocktail lists, a visit to a London listening bar will reimagine your idea of a brilliant night out. So, if you’ve been tasked with planning the next date night or friendly get-together, you’ve come to the right place: welcome to London’s best listening bars. 

Jazu, Deptford

Jazu – a hi-fi cocktail bar in south-east London – was launched by co-founders Jimmy Hanmer, Scott Addison and Rosie Robertson to reflect their idea of a perfect night out. Blending top notch drinks and great music, Jazu offers a bespoke DJ booth and sound system, with a sleek, curved concrete bar and a record wall boasting more than 3,000 vinyl – showing this place is as much about the music as it is about the cocktails and food. On Friday and Saturday nights, the decks welcome everyone from high-profile DJs to local selectors, playing from 7pm through to 3am. 

Helming the kitchen is chef patron and co-founder Hanmer, whose concise evening menu of small plates features native breed beef burgers; mushroom croquettes with cacio e pepe aioli; celeriac shawarma with homemade satay sauce; and roast monkfish burger with chimichurri. Fancy more low-key vibes? Book for your next weekend brunch to dine on eggs Benedict with house-cured bacon served on a hash brown, or classic mushrooms on toast with baked feta and pickled shimeji mushrooms while listening to the best morning vinyl playlist. 

2 Deptford High Street, SE8 4AF, visit jazudrinks.com

Brilliant Corners, Dalston

Image: Sam Harris

Brilliant Corners is renowned for its range of guest DJs, Japanese izakaya-inspired menus and specially-curated wine lists – as well as pioneering London’s listening bar scene. Launched by brothers Amit and Aneesh Patel more than a decade ago, the low-lit space is an audiophile and oenophile’s dream, boasting one of the best audio setups in the capital with an end-to-end analogue system featuring 1970s Klipschorn speakers and a modified turntable. Meanwhile, the menu features a range of sashimi and sushi but we recommend the sea bass carpaccio, prawn tempura with daikon, and chicken karaage with spicy miso. Complement your snacks and sounds with a white negroni or mezcal margarita, and you’re guaranteed a good time. 

470 Kingsland Road, E8 4AE, visit brilliantcornerslondon.co.uk

Goodbye Horses, Islington

Image: Adam Kang

Designed to create the ‘perfect listening experience’, Goodbye Horses is Islington’s most exciting new wine bar, serving seasonal small plates and biodynamic wines to a soundtrack of vinyls from a 4,000-strong library. Step inside to discover a minimalist space that lets the food and music do the talking, conceived in partnership with renowned Swiss architect Leopold Banchini, who helped transform the former pub. Alongside small plates and an extensive wine selection, tunes are served via an audiophile-quality sound system by Izaak Gray consisting of vintage and restored Tannoy Lancasters in a quadraphonic arrangement to create a balanced volume that doesn’t overpower conversation. 

More of a coffeeholic than an oenophile? Located in the same building as the wine bar, Day Trip focuses on the art of pour-over coffee. Helmed by barista Douglas Conde, it offers a gateway to the sister wine bar, as well as an enchanting garden space designed by environmental artist Ji-Hae Hwang. 

21 Halliford Street, N1 3HB, visit goodbyehorses.london

Bambi, London Fields

Bambi is a music-led wine bar and restaurant from James Dye – the co-owner of The Camberwell Arms – and chef Henry Freestone, who previously won a Bib Gourmand at Peckham Cellars. Having opened its doors in East London last year, Bambi blends a sophisticated-yet-casual restaurant with a music studio, where vinyl plays into the early evening before resident DJs take to the decks post-dinner, playing tunes from the custom-built wall of records on a high-spec vintage sound system by Friendly Pressure. The record collection and resident selectors are curated by DJ and Run Dem Crew founder Charlie Dark. On the menu, expect delectable plates of cauliflower cheese arancini, chicken parm ciabatta and Dedham vale rump with lemon and confit garlic.

Netil House, 1 Westgate Street, E8 3RL, visit bambi-bar.com

Black Lacquer, The City

Nestled under the Hyde London City hotel, a stone’s throw from St Paul’s Cathedral, Black Lacquer pays homage to the Los Angeles club scene, specialising in playful drinks alongside endless vinyl. Celebrating a multitude of music genres, this creative, late-night hangout features vinyl-forward music programming, ranging from lo-fi ambient beats and smoky jazz for after-work drinks, to amapiano vibes that pulse throughout the weekend. 

Elsewhere, Black Lacquer’s cocktail list is an homage to Japanese flavours, served in elegant Shotuku and Kimura glassware over hand-carved blocks of ice – expect izakaya staple, the lemon sour, and the tomato paloma: an intriguing blend of blanco tequila, seaweed, strawberry, and tomato soda. A small menu of moreish snacks including spicy tuna handroll, cheeseburger spring roll, chips with golden curry dip and signature prawn katsu sando will easily satiate your appetite. 

15 Old Bailey, EC4M 7EF, visit hydehotels.com

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