A cocktail bar run by brothers who recommend books to read as you sip away is the best in the country, according to a new list.
Just two years after it opened, Manchester’s Schofield’s Bar has been named the very best the country has to offer in the UK’s Top Cocktail Bars Awards.
The bar on Manchester’s Little Quay Street is run by brothers Joe and Daniel and is sat on the corner of the iconic Sunlight House, an art deco masterpiece. The menu consists of classic cocktails that cost between £9.50 and £12, and include treats such as the Clover Club – made with Bombay Sapphire Gin, Schofield’s Dry Vermouth, raspberry, lemon and egg white.
The brothers have also made available some of their favourite books for guests to read while enjoying a drink, which they’ve paired with cocktails. Some of the book and cocktail combinations include Casino Royale, served with a Vesper Martini; Cocktail, served with a Singapore Sling; and The Old Man and the Sea, served with a Mojito.
A line up of gin glasses on a cocktail bar
In the top 50 list around half of the bars that made the cut were London-based, but the North made a strong showing, with some of the top hailing from Manchester. Breaking into the top ten was Blinker Bar on Spring Gardens, while Speak in Code in Jackson’s Row came in 12th, and Halcyon Project Distillery landed in 21st.
In second place was Satan’s Whiskers in Bethnal Green, London, which came top of the pile last year. At the London bar the drinks menu changes every day meaning you can always discover something new thanks to their unusual twists on classic cocktails.
The bar has exposed bricks, hip hop music and interesting objects all along the walls, as well as plenty of entertaining regulars to set the atmosphere and keep you company. You can even buy pre-bottled cocktails to take away from the bar and there are snacks on the menu too.
Chris Lowe, group director at William Reed, publisher of Top 50 Cocktail Bars, said: “It’s so exciting to see so many new names on the list which just highlights the breadth of talent there is across the UK.
“London will always have a decent portion of the list, but it is amazing to see so many other cities show up, like Glasgow and Birmingham. The list continues to grow to help people discover hidden gems and the UK’s best bartending talent.”
On the night, London claimed twenty-four of the Top 50 spots with five new entries including highest new entry, Kwānt in Mayfair which has been voted number 11.
Elsewhere in the UK, Birmingham’s Passing Fancies climbed a whopping 29 places after joining the list for the first time last year. Taking home the third spot, the bar in the neighbourhood of Digbeth was joined by fellow Birmingham bar, Couch, in fourth position and Fox and Chase in 39th.
Scotland also secured nine spots on the 2024 list, with Hey Palu in Edinburgh climbing the ranks to number 5. Edinburgh bars took five places and include Panda & Sons in 9th, Nauticus at number 41, and a new entry from The Wildcat at number 46.
You can use our interactive map below to find the one closest to you – and we’ve also got the full list below.
The UK’s top 50 cocktail bars
- Schofield’s Bar, Manchester
- Satan’s Whiskers, Bethnal Green, London
- Passing Fancies, Birmingham
- Couch, Birmingham
- Hey Palu, Edinburgh
- Blinker, Manchester
- Swift, Soho, London
- AMARO BAR, Kensington, London
- Panda & Sons, Edinburgh
- Tayér + Elementary, Shoreditch, London
- Kwãnt , Mayfair, London
- Speak In Code, Manchester
- Three Sheets, Dalston, London
- A bar with shapes for a name), Hackney, London
- Murder Inc., Soho, London
- Tabula Rasa, Leeds
- Lab 22, Cardiff
- Filthy XII, Bristol
- Crossroads, Newington Green, London
- The Connaught, Mayfair, London
- Project Halcyon, Manchester
- SOMA, Soho, London
- Eve Bar, Covent Garden, London
- Side Hustle, Covent Garden, London
- The Hideout, Bath
- Little Mercies, Crouch End, London
- Below Stairs, Leeds
- Silverleaf, Spitalfields, London
- Bar Termini, Soho, London
- Seed Library, Shoreditch, London
- Charlie Brown’s, Glasgow
- Bramble, Edinburgh
- Scarfes Bar, Holborn, London
- Happiness Forgets, Shoreditch, London
- The Absent Ear, Glasgow
- The Bar With No Name (69 Colebrooke Row), Islington, London
- Artesian, Fitzrovia, London
- Callooh Callay, Shoreditch, London
- Fox and Chance, Birmingham
- Milk Thistle, Bristol
- Nauticus, Edinburgh
- Public, Sheffield
- The Gate, Glasgow
- Nightjar, Shoreditch, London
- Ojo Rojo, Bournemouth
- The Wildcat, Edinburgh
- Lyaness, South Bank, London
- Pennyroyal, Cardiff
- Bench, Sheffield
- American bar Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Scotland
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