Rubber Turnip

Where to smoke a cigar in London - the best venues, terraces and members' clubs

London has always been a cigar city. From Churchill's wartime Romeo y Julietas to the Cohiba-scented booths of St James's, the capital carries more heritage than almost anywhere outside Havana. Since 1 July 2007, where you can lawfully light one has been governed by statute, and the venues still catering to cigar smokers have shaped themselves around that fact. A 2026 round-up follows — legal framework first, then nine venues confirmed trading at time of writing.

The legal framework: what UK law actually says

The rules are set by the Health Act 2006 and the subordinate Smoke-free (Premises and Enforcement) Regulations 2006. Under Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the Act, all enclosed and substantially enclosed public places and workplaces in England have been smoke-free since 1 July 2007.

The key test is the "substantially enclosed" rule. A space is substantially enclosed — therefore smoke-free — if it has a ceiling or roof and less than half of its perimeter consists of openings in the walls. Plainly: a terrace qualifies as outdoor only if at least 50% of its walls are absent. This is why London's great cigar terraces feature glass screens and deliberately open sides — the architecture is doing legal work as well as aesthetic.

Three consequences flow from this:

• Outdoor terraces at restaurants, bars and hotels are legal cigar spaces, provided they meet the open-perimeter test.
• Private members' clubs are bound by exactly the same rules — membership does not exempt an indoor room. The better clubs have invested in proper outdoor courtyards.
• Licensed sampling lounges at specialist tobacconists operate under narrow exemptions; most have moved to outdoor-compliant layouts with industrial ventilation.

Minimum age to buy tobacco is 18, and all cigars sold at retail must comply with the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015, in force since 20 May 2016 — which is why the grandest Havana now arrives in a drab olive box. The contents are unchanged; only the packaging is legislated.

If in doubt about any specific venue, look for the ceiling and count the walls. Half or more of the perimeter must be open air for smoking to be lawful.

The hotel terraces

The Lanesborough — The Garden Room, Hyde Park Corner

The Lanesborough's Garden Room is the benchmark every other London cigar terrace is measured against. The covered outdoor space on Grosvenor Crescent is open year-round, heated, with blankets, a fireplace and a walk-in humidor of Cuban and pre-Castro rarities. Expect £50–£250+ per cigar (vintage well above), booking required for evenings, and a monthly masterclass programme running through 2026. Of the hotel terraces, the one most likely to justify the bill.

The Wellesley — Cigar Lounge & Terrace, Knightsbridge

Occupying the former Hyde Park Corner tube entrance at 11 Knightsbridge, The Wellesley houses what is widely cited as Europe's largest hotel humidor, with a collection valued above £1.5 million. Two glazed terraces flank the portico, designed to satisfy the open-perimeter rule while shielding guests from traffic. No membership required; minimum spends apply at busy times. Skews older and more moneyed than Lanesborough — some prefer it, some find it stiff.

The Ritz London Cigar Lounge, Piccadilly

At 150 Piccadilly, The Ritz Cigar Lounge is a jewel-box of yellow leather, dark panelling and Lalique detail. It stocks The Ritz's own-label range — Churchill, 1906 Laguito, Family Reserve and Piccadilly — alongside the expected Habanos classics. Smart-casual dress. Open Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 23:00; booking recommended for groups. The most touristed room on the list, but the staff know their stock and the house blends are worth trying.

Ten Trinity Square Private Club, City of London

Inside the Four Seasons at Ten Trinity Square, the Cigar Shop & Lounge is a members-and-guests space with a cigar sommelier and a curated selection of vintage Havanas, Cohibas and Montecristos. In summer, the Bloom Lounge rooftop opens for outdoor smoking with some of the best skyline views in London. Access is via membership or hotel-guest introduction, which keeps the volume blessedly low.

The members' clubs

5 Hertford Street & Birley Cigars, Mayfair

Robin Birley's 5 Hertford Street is arguably the most exclusive members' club in London (annual dues reportedly around £3,500, long waiting list). For members, the cigar courtyard — a palazzo-style outdoor space adjoining the humidor — is one of the very best places in the city to smoke. Non-members can still access Birley Cigars on the corner of Shepherd Market, open weekdays 11:00–18:00 — the closest most readers will get to the Hertford Street standard.

Boisdale — Belgravia, Canary Wharf and Mayfair

If the Lanesborough is the grand hotel of London cigars, Boisdale is its jazz club. Belgravia, Canary Wharf and Mayfair each operate heated outdoor terraces and comprehensive Cuban humidors, paired with live jazz, soul and blues most nights. Belgravia's terrace sits above the Macdonald Bar with cashmere blankets for winter; Canary Wharf is a two-floor Art Deco room over Cabot Square with one of the UK's largest whisky bars. No membership required; booking essential for music nights. By some distance, the most fun room on this list.

The cigar merchants with sampling facilities

Davidoff of London, St James's Street

On the corner of Jermyn and St James's for more than four decades, Davidoff of London is the Sahakian family's flagship — one of the world's largest walk-in humidors, stocked with Dominican Davidoffs and the full Havana range. Retail rather than terrace, but staff will point a good customer toward the Sahakian Lounge at the Bulgari for sampling. Open Monday to Saturday, 9:30 to 18:00.

The Edward Sahakian Cigar Shop & Sampling Lounge, Bulgari Hotel

At 171 Knightsbridge, the Edward Sahakian Cigar Shop & Sampling Lounge is the destination for rare Havanas and vintage stock from Sahakian's forty-year personal collection. The leather-panelled sampling room has state-of-the-art air purification, and ageing vaults keep stock at 11°C and 68% humidity. Open Mon–Sat 16:00 to midnight, Sundays 15:00 to 23:00 — buy a single cigar and smoke it on the premises. For depth of back-stock, nothing in London comes close.

Sautter of Mount Street, Mayfair

A family-run merchant more than fifty years on Mount Street, Sautter is compact but deeply-stocked, with an intimate sampling area at the back. It hosts Churchill-themed dinners and tastings, and recently added a larger Knightsbridge branch. Still the best place in Mayfair to buy a single cigar and ask real questions.

Three venues omitted on purpose: Claridge's Fumoir is a cocktail bar in name only; 45 Park Lane has no compliant outdoor provision; and Bourdon House, while beautiful, is Alfred Dunhill members-only and no longer takes walk-ins.

Practical notes for the night

• Book ahead. Hotel terraces fill on weekends and through summer.
• Check BYO policy. Many venues serve a cigar you bring in for a small "cutting fee" — others insist on house stock only.
• Dress properly. Smart-casual minimum; jackets expected at The Lanesborough, The Wellesley and 5 Hertford Street after 18:00.
• Budget realistically. A single Cohiba or vintage Havana on a hotel terrace runs £50–£250; a full evening can exceed £300 a head.

For readers who want to bring their own — sensible when venue mark-ups run three to four times retail — Prestige Cigars UK is a UK-based online source for the classics most London terraces will cut for a small fee: a Cohiba Siglo VI for the hotels, a Montecristo No. 2 for Boisdale, a Padrón 1964 for a whisky-led evening.