23 Bars You Need To Visit In 2017

The dream team behind Night Jar and Oriole (if you have't been to these bars, add them to the list too) opened up Swift late last year and it's already looking set to be one of the buzziest bars of 2017.

The interiors are gorgeous, and better still, the cocktails arrive quickly (hence the name) – no fiddly garnishes, just solid flavours and minimal wait time. Plus, their Irish Coffee is probably the best you'll find in the city, just sayin'.

Bath's cocktail scene has boomed in the last year or so, and when I say "it's boomed", I mean, the Dark Horse opened there. Lovingly put together by its owner, Louis, this bar serves up brilliant cocktails based on the best of local ingredients. Plus, it's just been named the fourth best new cocktail bar in the world, nbd.

If you're looking for something a touch more refined though, head to Drugstore Social, the new cocktail bar on the block. Their cocktails are all about using the healthiest of locally foraged produce, so the drinks give you a buzz but not a guilt trip.

Want more Glasgow bars? Click here.

I mean. Look at it. It's sodding beautiful. Also, this place runs one of the best pub bars I've heard of. They do all the usual – beer, wine, spirits...etc. But David behind the bar also whacks together absolutely killer cocktails. They've won a ton of awards (gastropub of the year, licensee of the year), and host regular tastings too. Get yourself down to the coast for a visit ASAP.

Everyone knows the famous London hotel bars; the Connaught, the American Bar, the Artesian...etc. But this gorgeous Birmingham hotel bar should definitely be on your radar too, mainly because of the absolutely cracking bar team behind it, headed up by James Bowker; a regular winner of cocktail competitions, and a finalist in last year's World Class Bartender Of The Year.

For more Brummie cocktails, click here.

Beautiful cocktails, beautiful interiors... BrewStone is just a beautiful place to be. If you think Cardiff is the be all and end all when it comes to Wales, let these guys prove you wrong.

There's a lot of cocktail bars to choose from if you're in Edinburgh - the Bon Vivant, Last Word Saloon and The Devil's Advocate are all brilliant picks. But Bramble, hidden in a basement under a clothes alteration shop is a great place to discover this year. It's understated, the cocktails creative without ever being alienating, and last year it was listed as one of the world's 50 best bars.

It's a gin hotel! These guys opened last December, and the hotel has three bars and a distillery downstairs where you can make your own gin. If you like gin, go here.

Check out the video we made at the hotel here.

If you want a bar that goes the extra mile, Dead Canary is it. It's gorgeous inside (hello Grade II listed building), and full of hand-picked bartenders that 1. know their stuff and 2. are committed to making sure your drink is the best you've ever had. And they play jazz. I don't know what more you want from me here, friends.

Manchester does beer really bloody well. This new craft beer bar in the city proves it. They not only make their own stuff, they also serve a wide range of locally-sourced and international craft beers. I'd go for the fare from their micro-brewery though – their pale ale is a beautiful thing.

For more on craft beer in Manchester, click here.

Pizza joint, Voodoo Ray's, have just opened this basement cocktail bar in their Shoreditch branch. Inside you'll find "three course cocktails" – drinks split into aperitifs, mains and desserts. For the full experience, you'll need to settle in for the night, but that's no real hardship given there's unlimited pizza upstairs.

This gorgeous little cafe bar is nowhere near as lauded as it should be. It's cosy, has an open fire and a thoroughly decent gin selection. What more do you need?

Hackney is miles out, but this teeny tiny new bar may convince you the journey was worth it. They've got pretty wallpaper and Felix Cohen (formerly of the pop up, Manhattans Project) mixing up stellar cocktails. Head over for a chilled out evening sipping on original cocktails.

Leeds is a real hotspot of hidden bars just waiting to be discovered this year. This cocktail bar is easy to miss, despite being placed on bustling Call Lane (a great spot for a night out in Leeds btw), but if you head through its doorway at the start of the street you'll find one of the coolest drinking spots in the city.

Pubs more your thing? Click here for the best pints in Leeds.

Remember Cahoots? This is the new bar from the group behind the 1940s-themed secret underground bar, and guess what, it's another secret underground bar. The tongue-in-cheek theme for this one is all things Italian, and the venue comes complete with a Sistine Chapel staircase, Berlusconi bellinis and a speedboat table.

Check out the video we made at the bar here.

London undoubtedly dominates when it comes to cocktails, and Soho is the jewel of its crown. A cocktail bar treasure trove, you have to have something special to stand out here. And newly opened Company Below is pretty special. An intimate underground bar, with space for barely more than 20, it serves up cocktails that will wow you, without going mad on showy high tech drink techniques. Definitely search it out on your next Soho expedition.

If you're into wine, you need to visit Loki this year. This brilliant wine bar has won 11 major national awards in the last three years, and believes "wine should be fun not stuffy". Sign me up.

FYI, the tastings here are what really make this place. Get one of their taste cards, which lets you taste up to 40 different wines for as little as 69p per glass, before choosing your preferred bottle and heading upstairs to polish it off.