The 5 best bars and pubs near St Paul's, London

Nestled in the heart of the City, Vinoteca City's 300-bottle wine list has made it one of St. Paul’s most popular bars. Open seven days a week from 12pm to 11pm, Vinoteca City also offers a private hire mezzanine with a seating capacity of 42 guests, and full venue hire with a capacity of 180.

Guests are welcome to stick to drinks, but you'll also find a compact food menu of bar snacks, small plates and mains: cured meats and cheeses, pan roasted cod and grilled bavette steak, for instance. At the bar, you'll be able to pick from a wide range of accessibly-described wines from around the world, including biodynamic and organic producers, as well as a fun range of wine cocktails. And if vino's a no-no, you'll find some well-chosen alternatives to choose from.

The bar’s open-plan interior, with a majestic bar counter taking centre stage, makes it a flexible venue for all manner of celebrations.

If you're after unpretentious fun and cocktail party energy, you could do a lot worse at this St Paul's outpost of the Dirty Martini bar chain. Groups can book the whole bar or just an area, with drinks packages and table service for groups looking to zip through bevs at their leisure. Happy hours (before 8pm) offer half-prices martinis and deals on wine and prosecco, while night owls and nightcap-seekers will be right at home: this late-night bar stays open 'til 3am Wednesday to Saturday.

Open till the late hours of the evening seven days a week, Fleet offers a dining menu for every occasion, including their smash burger, delightful small plates, and tasty Buddha Bowl. An experienced team behind the bar creates some of London's best cocktails, signature gin and tonics, and premium craft beers; ideal for after-work drinks or a date with that special someone.

Do not worry about the space being confined to the first floor as this St. Paul’s bar has ample amount of space to suit all your social requirements - be it catching up with your friends or discussing the next business plan with your corporate partners. If your group is on the larger side, Fleets also offers the full venue for private hire. Sip on espresso martini and forget all your worries at Fleets, one of St. Paul’s most iconic bars.

Head to the 7th floor of the Leonardo Royal London to discover a lush roof terrace with views over the Cathedral's dome. It's an inviting spot on a warm summer evening, but a weather-safe conservatory offers shelter beneath a retractable roof if the weather should turn. An oasis of calm above the hustle and bustle of the City, it suits anything from after-work drinks to weekend lounging.

On the menu, a tasty array of shareable bites promises to tickle the palette (and line the stomach) – try the pulled jackfruit tacos, mac'n'cheese bonbons or burrata with roast peach. Cocktails include an array of summery twists on the G&T, frozen cocktails and a barrel-aged margarita, while wines, beers and spirits are of course available, albeit with a price point to match (a bottle of beer starts at £7).

With a dark (it used to provide 'last pints' to those facing the hangman at the nearby Newgate Prison) Magpie & Stump now happily specialises happy hour, draft cocktails and pub quizzes. The current pub is a replacement for a magnificent Tudor-style replica that was built in the 1930s, decorated in an art deco style. Open from Monday to Friday until 11pm, Magpie & Stump offers full venue hire for your larger occasions on the weekends from Saturday to Sunday.

Unaffiliated with any brewery or group, Magpie & Stump curates its own stellar line-up of independent beers, with 20 rotating taps delivering lagers, alers, IPAs, sours, stouts and ciders to the thirstiest guests. As well as award-winning fare, they also celebrate inventive new creations, like the Yeastie Boys' Earl Grey IPA ('boldly floral, much like your granny's bedroom;) and an Exal Krankie sour inspired by Irn Bru. An esteemed part of St. Paul's bar scene by any measure.