Kettner's

Is Kettner's Worth Booking in Soho?

Yes — if you want a bar in the heart of Soho that carries genuine historical weight and delivers a more composed atmosphere than the street outside would suggest. Kettner's at 29 Romilly Street has been a fixture in London's West End long enough to outlast several generations of trends, and that longevity is the first thing working in its favour. If you've been once and are deciding whether to return, the answer depends on what you came for the first time: the room, the drinks, or the occasion.

The Atmosphere

The mood inside Kettner's sits closer to a private members' club than a conventional Soho bar — lower energy than the surrounding neighbourhood, with enough architectural character to make the space feel considered. Noise levels are manageable for conversation, which puts it in a different tier from the louder options nearby. For a second visit, aim for a weekday evening if you want the room at its most relaxed. Weekend nights bring more foot traffic and a noticeably different energy: livelier, busier, and less conducive to the kind of unhurried drinking the space is built for.

What to Try Next

If you've already done the obvious visit, use a return trip to work through the spirits list more deliberately. Kettner's has enough heritage behind it that the bar programme tends to reflect classic-leaning construction rather than experimental cocktail trends. Champagne has historically been part of the identity here, but on a second visit the spirits selection is worth your attention. For comparison, cocktail-forward bars like 69 Colebrooke Row or Amaro offer more technically driven programmes if that's the direction you want to push.

Booking and Logistics

Kettner's is easy to book by London standards , no weeks-out scramble, no ticketed entry system. Walk-ins are generally viable outside of Friday and Saturday evenings. Given the Soho address, getting there is direct from Leicester Square or Tottenham Court Road. If you're planning around a wider London evening, cross-reference with our full London bars guide or our full London restaurants guide to pair it with a nearby dinner. For something further afield, Bramble in Edinburgh and Bar Kismet in Halifax offer useful points of comparison for atmosphere-first bar experiences outside London.

The Verdict

Kettner's earns a return visit on atmosphere and address alone. It's not the place for boundary-pushing cocktail technique, but for a composed, historically grounded Soho drink in a room that doesn't feel like it was assembled last year, it does the job better than most options on the same streets. Check our London bars guide if you want to benchmark it further before committing.

Also worth exploring nearby

• A Bar with Shapes For a Name , for a more technically focused cocktail programme
• Academy , if you want a different register of the same Soho-adjacent bar scene
• Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu , for international context on classic-leaning bar craft
• Our full London hotels guide if you're building a full evening around the area
• Our full London wineries guide and experiences guide for broader London planning