Cocktails in the City 2025 is nearly here! There’s something special about sipping a beautifully crafted cocktail in the open air, music in the background, the buzz of London all around. This summer, Cocktails in the City returns to Bedford Square Gardens. Marking its 10th anniversary by shaking, stirring, and celebrating with its most ambitious edition yet.
Over two weekends—10–12 July and 7–9 August 2025, London’s finest bars will leave their usual rooftops, basements, and five-star hotels to meet in one glorious alfresco space for Cocktails in the City 2025. Bedford Square Gardens is the ultimate place to transform a garden with live music, mixology and a good-time energy.
London Meets the World in a Glass
London’s cocktail scene has always been a global melting pot, and this festival captures that spirit. Expect seasonal British ingredients alongside smoky Mexican mezcals, elegant French aperitifs, and vibrant spices from India. Among the highlights of bold agave or delicate florals, the range is wide, and the creativity is off the charts.
The “London to India” experience promises a sensory hit of masala, mango and mixology. While “The Spirit of Mexico” brings a curated tasting of tequila, mezcal, and modern Mexican riffs. If you like your drinks refined and understated, “The French Connection” is your stop. Showcasing some of London’s most sophisticated French-led bars teaming up with boutique producers from across the Channel. Expect a journey through various cocktail cultures, guided by the best bars London has to offer.
Sip, Learn, Dance, Repeat
This year’s 10th anniversary celebration at Cocktails in the City 2025 comes with fresh additions that go beyond the glass.
There’s a new focus on sustainable luxury, with a collection of bars showcasing seasonal and low-impact ingredients without sacrificing taste. Think Michelin-starred flair with a conscience.
In addition, Coffee lovers, too, get a dedicated zone with Coffee Cocktails 2.0—a bold, bittersweet universe far beyond the espresso martini. And if you’re the kind who likes your drink with a side of flair, hands-on masterclasses, ice carving workshops, and meet-the-maker tasting rooms let you fully immerse in the experience.
More Than Just Cocktails
It wouldn’t be a true summer festival without music, games, and food to soak it all up. From a DJ-led silent disco to singalong sets with live bands, the vibe here is relaxed, unpretentious, and pure joy. Adding to the experience, imagine lawn games, rare spirit tastings, and street food from cult favourites like Sticks’n’Sushi, Officina 00, and Get the Greek and you’ve got the recipe for a perfect night out.
Look out for cocktail appearances from The Savoy, Experimental Cocktail Club, Coya, Disrepute, Bar Americain, Dishoom, Artesian, Raffles, Muse Bar, Zetter Townhouse, and many more.
Bars & Signature Sips
Get ready to taste some seriously inventive cocktails from top-tier London bars across both weekends at Cocktails in the City 2025.
Vesper Bar (from The Dorchester) will be showcasing its famed “Golden Ratio” serve—a perfectly balanced martini twist inspired by the classic Vesper Martini.
Archive & Myth brings its signature blend of Major and Minor formats to the Coffee Cocktails 2.0 stage: expect a tropical Ron Santiago De Cuba long drink crowned with white chocolate and horchata, while its bar downstairs teases guests with bold flavour fusions.
Gothic Bar will impress with foraged-botanicals served like a Wild Hedgerow Martini made with Hepple Gin and blackthorn and a Regal Orchard Spritz featuring Showerings cider. Meanwhile, Guards Bar at Raffles teams up in Local Luxury to highlight Sapling Vodka and Asterley Bros vermouth in refined, low-impact cocktails.
Among the modern classics, Artesian Bar will showcase its lavish, highly creative serves as part of the sustainability-focused British ingredient experience. Odyssey Bar and Lounge, joining similar bespoke zones, will round out the line-up with adventurous, globally-inspired sips that reflect the festival’s cosmopolitan ethos.
The storied glamour of Quaglino’s meets the modern flair of Renais Gin in a bold new partnership set to elevate London’s cocktail scene both at the bar and beyond.
A dedicated Renais x Quaglino’s pop-up bar will give festival-goers four bespoke Renais Gin serves, each designed to highlight the spirit’s elegant character, drawn from the Watson siblings’ vineyard roots in northern France. Expect a journey through floral, fizzy, and citrus-forward profiles, all shaken or stirred to perfection by Quaglino’s expert bar team.
The four cocktails include:
- Bijou N.16: A citrus-forward twist with Renais Gin, white vermouth, camomile and saline
- Deco Revival: Fennel, yuzu, rhubarb and egg white make this a vibrant, sour showpiece
- Golden Bloom: Bright, floral and sparkling with elderflower, white wine syrup and grapefruit bitters
- Finesse: A fresh take with clarified basil & cucumber, homemade grapefruit-rosemary soda
Whether you opt for the deco-inspired zesty Deco Revival or the herbaceous sparkle of Finesse, each drink is an ode to craftsmanship and contemporary flavour. Guests sipping at the stand will also receive an exclusive invite, a voucher to visit Quaglino’s and continue the cocktail experience until the end of the month.
Bespoke Drinks Worth the Wait
Odyssey Bar brings both adventure and expertise to Bedford Square. Known for its pre‑batched cocktails crafted in‑house lab and boasting the UK’s largest American whiskey collection, Odyssey will serve its crowd-pleasing Whiskey Sour—made using Evan Williams Bourbon, a custom citrus blend, and plant-based froth “Foma”—for that perfect balance of zing and mouthfeel. But even more immersive is their Blend Your Own Whiskey session: you can create a 200ml bespoke bourbon blend to take home for just £15. It’s hands-on, memorable, and deeply personal.
Eve Bar, synonymous with refined sustainability, will feature in the Local Luxury area with cocktails crafted around seasonal, low-impact ingredients. While the exact “guest drink” is yet to be announced, past festival trends suggest sophisticated serves such as a foraged-berry gin fizz or a delicate herb-infused martini. Expect sleek presentation, clean flavours, and a conscience-driven spin—true to their eco-luxury ethos.
Festival Experiences
Beyond the drinks, Cocktails in the City offers a festival of experiences designed to entertain and indulge. The brand-new Coffee Cocktails 2.0 showcases avant-garde caffeine cocktails from Archive & Myth, Viajante 87, and Disrepute—with standout serves like Viajante’s Carajillo featuring Licor 43, cold brew and coconut-infused rum. For those craving elegance, Local Luxury brings together bars like Eve Bar, Gothic and Guards Bar to celebrate sustainability through locally sourced ingredients and seasonal craftsmanship.
On the creative side, Le Cordon Bleu takes over the Tasting Stage, offering masterclasses in culinary technique and pairings led by their chefs and a Master Sommelier. Other highlights include cocktail masterclasses, silent disco headphone DJ sets, live bands, ice-carving demos, tasting rooms, and a full street-food lineup.
An Urban Oasis Worth Raising a Glass To
Over the past decade, Cocktails in the City has brought more than 100,000 people together to toast, taste, and explore. It’s where curious newcomers and seasoned sippers meet, united by a love for great drinks and great company. Whether you’re there for the margaritas, the music, or just to see what London’s cocktail scene is really about, this year’s edition is shaping up to be something special.
Event Details
Location: Bedford Square Garden, London WC1B 3ES
Dates: 10–12 July & 7–9 August 2025
Tickets: £22 (includes entry, one cocktail, entertainment, and full access)
To discover more, visit Cocktails in the City
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All imagery courtesy of the bars featured.