Out to impress on a first date? Or just after a cosy spot for two? These romantic London bars should send sparks flying

Planning a first date (or any date, for that matter)? We’ve plucked out some London bars that are sure to impress – yes, some of these bars are romantic settings, but mostly they’re all places that are damn cool and will make you look like you’ve got it going on. And even if that spark just sadly isn’t there, we can guarantee you the drinks will make a great match. From dimly lit cocktail bars to character-filled watering holes, these places are perfect for a spot of wooing.

69 Colebrooke Row

What better than a secretive tryst at ‘The bar with no name’? 69 Colebrooke Row oozes jazz-age style and the cocktails are seriously impressive, all ingredients to help Cupid strike in this backstreet bar in Angel.

Bar Américain at Brasserie Zédel

The French are meant to have written the book on love, so how about a trip to Brasserie Zédel’s Bar Américain. Prices are reasonable, art deco decor sets a sophisticated tone and a short, simple list of classic cocktails means you can get straight down to business.

Bar Termini

Show off your insider knowledge by whisking your date off to Bar Termini. Book ahead and squeeze into this teeny bar for equally teeny negronis and the rosy cheeks that come with them. Or stick with the cracking coffee also served from behind the bar.

Bloomsbury Club Bar

A gorgeous bar, inside and out, get along to Bloomsbury Club Bar for cosy encounters. Indoors is a plush, wood-clad den with live jazz the backdrop to you putting on the moves. Or take things to the terrace – a twinkly, vine-clad space fit for a ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ of your own.

Four Quarters South

A dedicated classic and retro arcade games bar, The Four Quarters is the place to go if you want to brush up on your ‘Street Fighter II’ skills or just revel…

Cocktail Trading Company

Cocktails are served with golf balls as ice, with teeth floating in them and even aflame at this bar on Bethnal Green Road. The theatre of drinking at CTC will be enough to keep the conversation flowing, but for any awkward pauses, they often have a pianist tinkling slow jams on the ivories.

Compagnie Des Vins Surnaturels

The Neal’s Yard setting in the centre of town is romantic enough. But cosy up for cheese and wine – the ultimate aphrodisiacs, in our book – in one of Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels’ cushioned corners for that je ne sais quoi on date night.