Our selection of the best Shepherd's Bush bars

The Broadcaster occupies the old Television Centre in White City a smidge north of Shepherd’s Bush. The Broadcaster is divided into a ground-floor pub, a first-floor dining room, and a rooftop bar. The design and decor are effortlessly cool and casual – think weaved wicker lampshades, mood lighting, and plants.

The Broadcaster focuses on top-quality drinks and seasonal menus showcasing elevated pub cooking. This Shepherd’s Bush bar is brought to you by the Open House group whose philosophy is, “Our house is your house,” which is essentially the Spanish mi casa su casa, and they have the relaxed atmosphere to back it up.

The Broadcaster rooftop is available for semi- and full private hire with a maximum capacity of 70 seated. Also available for private parties and events are the cosy Green Room and spacious Play Room.

The Hawk’s Nest is in Shepherd’s Bush Market near Goldhawk Road station, which might explain the name, and the fact that the glass roof and canopy of plants make it feel, well, nest-like. What we’re trying to say, is it’s aptly named.

The spacious Bush bar is well-known and well-loved for its sourdough pizzas, cocktails, and super relaxed and contemporary vibe, making the best use of old brick railway arches. If we didn’t know better, it could almost be somewhere east. Throw in DJ sets on Fridays and Saturdays and we’ve got ourselves one of our favourite Shepherd’s Bush bars.

The Hawk’s Nest is available for private hire year-round with a capacity for 120 guests.

Located in Dorsett Shepherd’s Bush Hotel across from Shepherd’s Bush Green is an upscale cocktail bar known for having over 70 tequilas and mezcals – a list long enough to read as an agave Bible, or a novella at the very least. If agave spirits aren’t your jam, never fear, Jin Bar is manned by mixologists extraordinaire.

Sleek, chic, retro ‘70s decor, an admirable collection of plants, and an attractive illuminated bar, this Shepherd’s Bush bar is a top pick for its low-key groovy atmosphere (in the words of Zoolander’s Mugatu, so in right now), top-class cocktails, and love of the agave plant.

Found on the corner of Uxbridge and Askew Roads is the Shepherd’s Bush bar that’s the local’s local, well, one of the locals (Bush has several). Laid-back, hearty pub food, and pints that don’t break the bank.

The dark interior is relaxed and inviting like you expect from a local, the kind of place you could happily spend an afternoon and night in. It has a busy collection of frames hung on the walls that are oddly pleasing to the eye. All in all, tasteful digs in which to enjoy live music, karaoke, pub grub, and sport. Unfussy and unpretentious. We dig it.

The Princess Victoria was one of the original gin palaces built in 1829, now it’s arguably one of the most loved pubs in Shepherd’s Bush and a boutique hotel to boot.

Located on Uxbridge Road, The Princess Victoria has a handsome horseshoe bar and offers over 100 artisan gins, and real ales, and boasts an excellent wine list. This lovingly restored building comes complete with an equally lovely terrace and courtyard garden.

This Shepherd’s Bush bar takes pride in a menu that focuses on the best ingredients from small producers from across the British Isles. It also takes pride in its history, hospitality, and its locals. There’s nothing we don’t like about The Princess Victoria, it’s the genuine deal, get yourself over for a drink as soon as.

Let’s be honest, it’s London, for something to be truly hidden and secret is incredibly rare. However, we appreciate when pubs still position themselves as hidden or secret, it feels like they’re doing it while winking in exaggeration and elbowing us in the ribs.

Having said all that, The Crown and Sceptre is another great bar located on the backstreets of Shepherd’s Bush that does have a very lovely, very cosy garden. Laid-back, with all the libations you could ever want from a traditional pub. Not so hidden, not so secret, but damn good at what they do.

Let it be known that Uxbridge Road is home to the best Shepherd’s Bush bars. When we need a local to catch the football, we’d choose The Pocket Watch – it’s not too far from Loftus Road Stadium, home to Queens Park Rangers football club.

The blue and wood interior of The Pocket Watch makes for a chill atmosphere, it’s a place for a catch-up pint and to catch the football. It’s a local that does Happy Hour every day and all night on a Monday and we approve, good god do we approve.

The pub is also available for private hire with a range of food and drinks menus that can be catered for your party or event.

Studio Bar is a contemporary little cocktail bar and lounge in the K West Hotel & Spa near Shepherd’s Bush station. It’s a trendy spot that has made it onto our list of the best Shepherd’s Bush bars by virtue of their cocktails. And yeah, the decor is chic and cool, it goes with the territory of being Instagrammable.

Not that we indulged this far, but there is something immensely attractive about staying overnight in a hip hotel, receiving spa treatments, and ending the day with a good meal and top-class cocktails. Since we weren’t able to afford all of that, what we can vouch for is their wildly imaginative signature cocktail menu and Happy Hour on Mondays and Thursdays.

Arguably located in the southern part of Shepherd’s Bush – it’s practically Hammersmith, but we figure if you’re already out in Bush there’s no reason not to head south on Shepherd’s Bush road to Smith’s Cocktail Bar.

Not to be confused with the hotel & pub upstairs, we’re purely discussing the underground cocktail bar with its brick walls, velvet seats, and lounge-style tables to complement Smith’s bespoke cocktail menu. The signature cocktails are a little on the unusual side, but we mean that in a good way, and if we had to recommend one it’d be the Peacock Pheasant, a herb-y, floral little number with Jägermeister, elderflower, blackberry, Prosecco, and mint.

The cocktail bar is available for private hire for up to 100 guests for parties and celebrations.

The Shepherd & Flock dates back to the 1860s and used to be known as a Courage house as evidenced by the golden cockerel straddling the sign frame. Courage Brewery was mighty popular in the Victorian era, so much so that pubs like The Shepherd & Flock proudly boasted “Courages” in their signage along with ales and stouts.

These days The Shepherd & Flock is an unapologetic, unadorned, straight-talking Irish pub and old man boozer. You won’t find this Shepherd’s Bush bar on social media, serving “real ale” or even food for that matter. It’s a proper boozer – you go to drink, and with pints under a fiver, drink you will. It refuses to acknowledge it exists in the 21st century except for the fact that you can catch sport on the telly. And we love it.