Highgate Girls' Night: Best Gastropubs and Hidden Cocktail Corners

There’s something special about a girls’ night out in Highgate. It’s not just about drinking-it’s about finding a place that feels like yours for the evening. A spot where the lights are low, the music hums just right, and the cocktails aren’t just drinks, they’re experiences. Forget the crowded clubs downtown. In Highgate, the magic lives in tucked-away gastropubs and secret cocktail corners that don’t advertise themselves on Instagram.

Where the locals go after work

The Highgate Arms isn’t the flashiest place on the map, but it’s the one you’ll keep coming back to. Tucked between a bookshop and a bakery, it’s been around since the 1980s and still serves pints in thick-bottomed glasses. The menu is simple: slow-cooked beef brisket, crispy pork belly buns, and a changing selection of local ales. But what makes it perfect for a girls’ night? The stools at the back bar. They’re worn smooth from years of conversation, and the staff know your name by the third visit. No reservations needed. Just show up, slide onto a stool, and let the evening unfold.

The hidden bar behind the bookshelf

Walk into The Velvet Quill and you’ll think it’s just another cozy bookstore. But if you pull the third book from the left on the second shelf-the one with the faded green spine-you’ll hear a soft click. Behind it, a narrow door opens to a 12-seat cocktail den lit by vintage Edison bulbs. The bartender, who goes by only ‘M’, mixes drinks using herbs grown on the rooftop. Try the Highgate Honeycomb: gin, wild thyme, honey liqueur, and a drop of smoked salt. It tastes like autumn in a glass. No menu. No prices listed. You tell M what you like, and she reads your mood. One night, she gave three friends a drink made with elderflower, black pepper, and a whisper of mezcal. They didn’t know what it was called. They just knew it was the best thing they’d ever tasted.

Where the cocktails have stories

Whisper & Co. doesn’t have a sign. Just a small brass bell above the door on Kentish Town Road. Inside, the walls are lined with handwritten notes from past guests-messages pinned under glass, like letters to future strangers. The cocktails here are named after local legends: The Astronomer (a gin sour with star anise and a floating edible silver leaf), The Librarian (a bourbon old-fashioned with lavender bitters), and The Gardener (vodka, cucumber, mint, and a splash of elderflower tonic). You don’t order these by name-you ask what’s new. The bartenders don’t just pour drinks. They tell you why they chose the ingredients. One night, a bartender explained that the lavender came from a garden behind Highgate Cemetery. "It’s the same lavender Mrs. Whitaker planted in 1923," she said. "Her granddaughter still visits every Sunday. We use her cuttings."

Food that doesn’t feel like an afterthought

Too many bars treat food like an afterthought. Not here. At The Ivy House, the kitchen opens at 5 p.m. sharp, and the menu changes every week based on what’s fresh from the farmers’ market in Hampstead. Last month, it was duck confit with roasted pear and hazelnut polenta. This month, it’s wild mushroom arancini with truffle aioli. The portions are generous, but not heavy. Perfect for sharing between sips. The wine list is small-just 12 bottles-but every one has a story. The Chablis? From a vineyard owned by a woman who moved from Paris to Highgate in 1998. The natural red? Made by a former librarian who started making wine after her retirement.

Why Highgate feels different

Highgate doesn’t try to be trendy. It doesn’t need to. The people who run these places care about what they’re doing. They’re not chasing viral posts. They’re building something quieter-something that lasts. You won’t find neon signs or DJ booths. But you will find women in their 30s and 40s, laughing over shared plates, sipping drinks made with care, talking about everything and nothing. The kind of night that leaves you feeling full-not just from food, but from connection.

When to go and what to wear

Weeknights are quieter, better for conversation. Fridays and Saturdays get busy, but never overcrowded. Arrive before 8 p.m. if you want a seat at the back bar or the hidden tables. Dress casually but thoughtfully. No heels unless you’re okay with cobblestones. A good coat, a pair of comfortable boots, and a scarf you can take off when the room warms up. That’s it. You don’t need to look like you’re going to a party. You just need to be ready to slow down.

What to skip

Don’t go to the chain pubs near the tube station. They’re loud, overpriced, and staffed by people who’ve never been to Highgate before. Skip the rooftop bars that charge £18 for a gin and tonic. They’re pretty, sure-but they don’t know your name. And they won’t remember you next week.

Final tip: Bring a notebook

One of the best parts of a Highgate girls’ night? The drinks you’ll want to remember. Write them down. The name. The ingredients. Who made it. Where you were sitting. Because next time, you’ll want to go back to the same place. And you’ll want to tell your friends exactly where to find it.