Where do locals actually go for aperitivo in London?

London doesn't have a deeply embedded aperitivo culture the way Milan or Turin does, so "locals" largely means Italians living here and a smaller crowd that picked up the habit abroad. That said, a few spots do it properly. Café Murano in Covent Garden and St James's runs an Italian-focused bar program where you can drink a well-made Negroni or Aperol spritz alongside decent cicchetti without feeling like a tourist trap. Petersham Nurseries in Richmond and its Covent Garden offshoot attract a crowd that genuinely treats the early evening drink as a ritual rather than a prelude to a meal. Bar Termini in Soho is perhaps the most serious about it, small and deliberately Italian in format, with Negroni variations that are worth the detour. Many Italians in London simply replicate it at home or in each other's flats, which tells you something honest about where the tradition actually lives in this city.

Trip Friend knows London cold.

Plan a real trip there, and Trip Friend can answer every follow-up — with your dates, your style, and your places baked into the conversation.

• Where do locals drink coffee in London?
• What does a local breakfast look like in London?
• Where is the street food in London actually good?
• Where can I eat after midnight in London?
• How do I get from the airport to the city in London?
• Cash or card in London — what do locals actually use?