The John
Underground cocktail bar
A cocktail bar in a renovated Victorian public toilet under the top of Burgate, with a hidden entrance, good music and late nights.
📍 Burgate, Canterbury CT1 2HG
Our top 10 Canterbury bars
If you only have one night, start here.
- The John
Cocktails in a Victorian toilet under Burgate.
High Street, Burgate and Orange Street - The Fig
French wine and a contender for the best negroni.
High Street, Burgate and Orange Street - The Pound
Drinks in an old prison cell.
Westgate and St Dunstan's - The Falstaff Cocktail Bar
Deep sofas and masterclasses.
Westgate and St Dunstan's - Pegasus Tap Room
More than 100 gins and cinema seats.
Westgate and St Dunstan's - The Ballroom
Hidden upstairs in an old ballroom.
High Street, Burgate and Orange Street - Alberrys
Rum and cocktails, open late.
St Margaret's Street and St Peter's Street - Citi Terrace
Cocktails on a terrace off Longmarket.
High Street, Burgate and Orange Street - Cosy Club
Four floors of Art Deco glamour.
St Margaret's Street and St Peter's Street - The Ivy Canterbury Brasserie
A marble bar for drinks before dinner.
High Street, Burgate and Orange Street
Map of Canterbury bars
Tap a pin for the bar. Numbers match the list.
Bars in the city centre
The middle of the old city, from the High Street and Longmarket to Burgate by the cathedral gate and Orange Street by the Marlowe Theatre.
Swipe to see all 8 bars →
The Fig
French wine and cocktail bar
A French-inspired wine and cocktail bar on Orange Street with an ever-changing cocktail list, small plates and a contender for the best negroni in the city.
📍 6 Orange St, Canterbury CT1 2JA
The Ballroom
Hidden cocktail bar
A hidden upstairs bar in a former ballroom on Orange Street, decorated in a mix of Baroque, bohemian and Victorian styles.
📍 15 Orange St, Canterbury CT1 2JA
The Ivy Canterbury Brasserie
Brasserie cocktail bar
A brasserie on the Parade with a marble bar, house cocktails and bespoke drinks from the bar team.
📍 16 Parade, Canterbury CT1 2SH
The Cuban
Latin cocktail bar
A Latin cocktail bar and party venue on the High Street with DJs and late hours.
📍 43 High St, Canterbury CT1 2RY
Citi Terrace
Terrace bar and restaurant
A bar, restaurant and lounge on Longmarket with an outdoor terrace and drinks by an in-house mixologist, such as a spicy blue margarita.
📍 1 Longmarket, Canterbury CT1 2JS
The Thomas Becket
Traditional pub
A cosy pub with a warm welcome off the cobbled side streets near the King's Mile.
📍 21 Best Lane, Canterbury CT1 2JB
The Foundry Brew Pub
Brewpub
Home of Canterbury Brewers and Distillers: a huge multi-room brewpub in a Victorian metal foundry, with its own beers, spirits and pub food.
📍 77 Stour Street, Canterbury CT1 2NR
Bars around St Margaret's Street
Narrow streets either side of the High Street, with long-running cocktail bars, a rooftop and a magic bar.
Swipe to see all 4 bars →
Alberrys
Cocktail and rum bar
A long-running cocktail bar on St Margaret's Street with a fun rum list and platters. It stays open late.
📍 38 St Margaret's St, Canterbury CT1 2TY
Cosy Club
Restaurant and cocktail bar
Four floors of Art Deco glamour with a touch of steampunk on St Margaret's Street. Try the banana espresso martini.
📍 20-21 St Margaret's St, Canterbury CT1 2TH
The Rooftop
Rooftop bar and burger kitchen
A rooftop bar and burger kitchen on St Margaret's Street.
📍 8 St Margaret's St, Canterbury CT1 2TP
Houdini’s Magic Bar
Magic bar
A magic-themed bar on St Peter's Street.
📍 6 St Peter's St, Canterbury CT1 2AT
Bars by the Westgate
Around the medieval Westgate Towers and out along St Dunstan's Street, with a bar in the old jail, a hotel cocktail bar and a gin palace.
Swipe to see all 3 bars →
The Pound
Cocktail bar and restaurant
A bar in Canterbury's old city jail by the Westgate Towers, where you can drink in a former prison cell. Signature cocktails, food and a riverside terrace on the Stour in summer.
📍 1 Pound Ln, Canterbury CT1 2BZ
The Falstaff Cocktail Bar
Hotel cocktail bar
The public cocktail bar of the Falstaff Hotel on St Dunstan's Street, with deep sofas, wood-panelled nooks, a terrace and 90-minute cocktail masterclasses.
📍 8-10 St. Dunstans St, Canterbury CT2 8AF
Pegasus Tap Room
Gin bar and craft beer tap room
Canterbury's gin palace and craft beer tap room on St Dunstan's Street, with more than 100 gins, cocktails and vintage cinema seats.
📍 86 St. Dunstans St, Canterbury CT2 8AD
Bars around Northgate
The north and east of the old city, busy late and with students.
Swipe to see all 4 bars →
Tokyo Tea Rooms
Cocktail bar
A cocktail bar on St George's Place.
📍 41 St George's Pl, Canterbury CT1 1UT
The Penny Theatre
Late-night pub and cocktail bar
A Canterbury institution on Northgate for decades, open from lunch into the early hours.
📍 30-31 Northgate, Canterbury CT1 1BL
The Parrot
Historic pub
The oldest pub in Canterbury, from the 14th century and said to stand on Roman foundations, with beamed ceilings, stone-flagged floors, three open fires and a garden.
📍 1 to 9 Church Lane, St Radigunds, Canterbury CT1 2AG
The Thomas Tallis Alehouse
Ale house
A couple of steps down into cosy old rooms on Northgate, a destination for craft beer and cask ale.
📍 48 Northgate, Canterbury CT1 1BE
Canterbury cocktail trails
Three routes in walking order, with the time between each bar. See them all on a map.
The old city
6 bars · about 8 minutes on foot in total
- 1Alberrys38 St Margaret's St, Canterbury CT1 2TY
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 2The Rooftop8 St Margaret's St, Canterbury CT1 2TP
- 🚶 about 2 min to the next bar
- 3Cosy Club20-21 St Margaret's St, Canterbury CT1 2TH
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 4The Ivy Canterbury Brasserie16 Parade, Canterbury CT1 2SH
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 5Citi Terrace1 Longmarket, Canterbury CT1 2JS
- 🚶 about 3 min to the next bar
- 6The JohnBurgate, Canterbury CT1 2HG
Orange Street to the High Street
3 bars · about 3 minutes on foot in total
- 1The Cuban43 High St, Canterbury CT1 2RY
- 🚶 about 2 min to the next bar
- 2The Fig6 Orange St, Canterbury CT1 2JA
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 3The Ballroom15 Orange St, Canterbury CT1 2JA
The Westgate and St Dunstan's
3 bars · about 2 minutes on foot in total
- 1Pegasus Tap Room86 St. Dunstans St, Canterbury CT2 8AD
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 2The Falstaff Cocktail Bar8-10 St. Dunstans St, Canterbury CT2 8AF
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 3The Pound1 Pound Ln, Canterbury CT1 2BZ
More Canterbury bar guides
- Cocktail barsEvery cocktail bar in our Canterbury guide in one place: speakeasies, hotel bars, award wi
- Hidden and late-night barsHidden and late bars in Canterbury: The John, The Pound, The Ballroom and Alberrys and mor
- Date nightRomantic cocktail bars in Canterbury for a night for two: The Fig, The Falstaff Cocktail B
- Fun bars for groupsLively Canterbury bars for birthdays, hen and stag dos and nights out: The John, The Pound
- Gin, rum, whisky and tequilaThe best Canterbury bars for gin, rum, whisky and agave: Pegasus Tap Room, Alberrys, Citi
- Pubs and beer barsThe best pubs in Canterbury: historic boozers, real ale pubs and craft beer bars.
- Cocktail trailsReady-made Canterbury cocktail trails on foot, The old city, Orange Street to the High Str
Know before you go
- 🗓️ Book at the weekendThe smaller bars fill up on Friday and Saturday. Book where you can, or go early.
- 🚶 It's compactEverything inside the city walls is a short walk. St Dunstan's is just outside the Westgate.
- 🎭 Before the theatreOrange Street is right by the Marlowe Theatre, so The Fig and The Ballroom are handy before a show.
- 🆔 Bring IDYou must be 18 to drink and many bars ask for ID if you look under 25.
Your questions
What is the best cocktail bar in Canterbury?
Start with The John, hidden under the top of Burgate, The Fig on Orange Street and The Pound in the old city jail. The Falstaff is the pick for a calmer hotel bar with masterclasses.
Where are the best areas for cocktails in Canterbury?
The old city centre around the High Street, Burgate and Orange Street has the most bars close together. St Margaret's Street is busiest late and the Westgate and St Dunstan's Street have three of the most interesting bars.
Are there hidden bars in Canterbury?
Yes. The John is underground in a former Victorian toilet on Burgate, The Ballroom is upstairs on Orange Street and The Pound has tables in an old prison cell.
Where are the best gin bars in Canterbury?
Pegasus Tap Room on St Dunstan's Street has more than 100 gins.
Which Canterbury bars are open late?
The John, Alberrys, The Cuban and The Penny Theatre all stay open late. Hours change, so check before you go.
What is the oldest pub in Canterbury?
The Parrot on Church Lane, built around 1370 and said to stand on Roman foundations. It has beamed ceilings, stone-flagged floors and three open fires.
Who wrote this guide
This guide is written by the team at M.AD Agency. We run Cocktail Week, the ten-day cocktail festival held town by town across the UK and Ireland. Since 2022 we have taken it to more than 20 towns and cities and worked with hundreds of bars. We love Canterbury's bars, so we put this guide together from our own research and trusted local guides.
No bar paid to be included and nobody can buy a place. We check the guide regularly as bars open, change and close.
Our nearest cocktail festivals to Canterbury
Want your bar in this guide?
Run a bar in Canterbury that should be here? Get in touch at hello@cocktail-week.com and tell us about it.