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Much like a classic watch or a perfectly tailored suit, a good haircut can have a transformative effect. Nothing proved that fact more than lockdown, when men were forced to fetch the kitchen scissors, prop up a mirror and try their hand at a DIY job. The botched attempts that littered our Instagram feeds only confirmed that cutting your own hair is very, very hard and fraught with danger. In fact, it shows just how important the best men’s barbers are.

It’s vital, then, to find one that you truly trust. Someone you can rely on to get you looking your best, and gently try to steer you away from some of your trendy (but only for a hot minute) suggestions. Esquire's guide to the best barbers in London includes the most stylish places in the capital to get a tidy up, a trim, or a full-scale wet shave.

Huckle The Barber

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In need of some proper R+R as well as a trim? Head to Huckle The Barber, where the contemporary and cool ambience will get to work at lowering your stress levels. Inside either of their Old Street or Lamb’s Conduit Street locations, a range of complementary refreshments are immediately on offer once you're comfortably sat on a Takara Belmont Apollo 2 chair (the best hairdressing seats in the bizz, FYI), where facials by Malin + Goetz are available, too. All of the highly-trained team have been picked by the barber’s founder, Chris Ward, and have at least five years of haircutting experience. In fact, most of them are session stylists, meaning their time outside the salon is often spent doing the ‘dos at Mens Fashion Week and magazine editorials.

hucklethebarber.com

Ruffians

Ruffians haircut barberspinterest
Ruffians

After being showered with industry awards for their first outlet in Edinburgh, the team behind Ruffians looked to conquer London with their original site near Covent Garden and their places in Shoreditch, Marylebone and Liberty in Soho offer oases of calm in the middle of the city. Enjoy an expert shave or shear from their knowledgeable staff and relax in the bright, spacious, fuss-free environment, aided by a tipple of your choice. With extremely competitive prices, Ruffians is everything you could want from a barber.

ruffians.co.uk

Pall Mall Barbers

One of the best mid-range priced cuts in London, Pall Mall Barbers have outlets in Trafalgar Square, Fitzrovia, Westminster, Bishopsgate, Paddington and King's Cross. The cool, unfussy interiors make it feel like you're popping into your local barbers but the treatments – pardon the pun – are a cut above. You can also collect points to spend on products a services.

pallmallbarbers.com

Pankhurst

Pankhurst barberspinterest
Pankhurst

Partnering with Thom Sweeney, Pankhurst has a new home within the tailor’s Old Burlington Street townhouse. What hasn’t changed is that the lauded barber is the best in the West for its cut-throat shaves, set amongst hand-upholstered Bentley chairs and a lounge prepped with Balvenie whisky. Oh, and the experience wouldn’t be complete without their exemplary hot towel face massage.

pankhurstlondon.com

Ned's Barbershop

the ned
The Ned

Walking into The Ned for the first time is a striking experience. The Grade 1-listed former bank, which was transformed into a luxury hotel and members club in 2017, is humungous; filled with bars, restaurants and green verdite-covered columns. It all feels like an ode to Gatsby-style decadence. But walk down the stairs, and you’ll find something altogether cosier.

The Ned’s humble barbershop feels a world away from the chattering and clinking of the main hall. It’s small, calm and exclusive. The wood-panelled, speakeasy-inspired barbershop – led by Tom Harrigan – offers a long list of services, from haircuts to wet shaves to express facials and threading, all provided with reassuring expertise and in a relaxed atmosphere. There’s even a shoeshine service.

thened.com

Murdock London

Visions of the demon barber spring to mind when you first set foot in each of Murdock's three outlets (Soho, Covent Garden and Shoreditch), but throat-slashing is low on the agenda. Quite the opposite, as their Mental Health First Aid trained barbers are always happy and open to chat about what’s on your mind. Be sure to check out the website after your visit, as Murdock sell lots of lovely booty – including a range of luxury shave products and a popular beard moisturiser – to compliment your new 'do.

murdocklondon.com

Geo F Trumper

The great-grandaddy of barber shops, Geo F Trumper has been around since the mid-19th century, first operating from its Curzon Street outlet before opening a second on Duke of York Street in the 1960s. As close to an Empire-era shave as you'll ever get, the mahogany-clad interior, cabinets full of mirrors, soaps and brushes dating back to 1875 and impossibly courteous staff make the £41 for a haircut seem pretty reasonable.

trumpers.com

Gentlemen's Tonic

Aiming to provide a haven for men in need of restoration, Gentlemen's Tonic in Mayfair avoids feeling overly gimmicky by mixing traditional barbershop features with updated ones – think: restored wood panelling and leather seats alongside private LCD screens showing a range of sports. And with a variety of luxury treatments on offer, the establishment gives off an all-round gent’s spa vibe.

gentlemenstonic.com

Supply 91

With their new flagship situated in the Quadrant Arcade on Regent Street, a branch on Upper Street, Islington, and a residency in 180 The Strand’s Health Club, Supply 91’s sustainably-minded barbers is slowly (but surely) taking over London. Maxwell Oakley and Luke Davies have combined their 19 years of industry expertise to open a barbers that plants a tree for every treatment they do, pays their staff to partake in community projects and uses Oway haircare products, made of recyclable packaging and bursting with biodynamic ingredients. Oh, and the coffee they serve is from Redemption Roasters, an Islington-based social enterprise which sees male prisoners educated in coffee roasting and barista skills.

supply91.co.uk

OS Lifestyle

Don’t just expect a good cut when you pop into OS Lifestyle; the UK’s first carbon-neutral barbers will also show you how everyone can live a more sustainably-minded reality. The clue’s in the name: the founders, Joseph Steven and George Oakley, see OS as more of a lifestyle brand than just a place to get your haircut, with plastic-free shampoo bars and organic cotton T-shirts available to buy within their Fulham Road and Brighton establishments. Don’t forget to follow them on Spotify, where their curated in-store playlists can be enjoyed at home.

oslifestyle.co.uk

Mühle

On the lower ground floor of the Mühle store on Carnaby Street, you’ll find a barbershop that’ll send you back in time. Not because of the dated décor – oh no, it’s half-tiled walls and glass-front cabinets are a minimalist’s dream – but because the space also plays host to an exhibition exploring the history of shaving. It goes without saying that their wet shave is up to scratch – expect own-brand scrubs and creams as well as a hot towel to finish – but Elliot Forbes’ haircuts, which are conducted after a thorough consultation, are also of the highest quality.

muehle-shaving.co.uk

Woolf

After serving fresh ‘dos for Soho natives over the past 20 years, the team behind Joe and Co. have moved to North London pastures with their newest venture, Woolf. Situated in Kings Cross, the barbers take inspiration from the Bloomsbury set, but you needn't be a writer by trade to feel that creative energy. Pine green walls, eclectic light fixtures and traditional barber chairs nod to the location’s bohemian past, while their lauded team will ensure your haircut is fitting for the 21st century.

woolfkingsx.com

Truefitt & Hill

Being able to publicise that you’re the oldest barbershop in the world is a clear testament to the services on offer, which is why Truefitt & Hill still have a loyal following to this day. Established in 1805, this SW1 joint has chopped the locks of Frank Sinatra, Winston Churchill and even some of the royal family, proving that they provide the best cuts for some of the world’s best gentlemen. Their Ultimate Grooming experience is a luxurious treat of that high calibre; within the 90-minute session you’ll enjoy a haircut, traditional hot towel wet shave, manicure and facial treatment within its espresso-wood walls, all using their state-of-the-art grooming products. Mind, it’ll set you back £195 – but that's the price you pay for being treated like a prince.

truefittandhill.co.uk

Main photo: Rory Mcpharland, GM of Sharps Barber and Shop, taken by Fleur McGerr

Lettermark
Carmen Bellot
Style Editor

Carmen Bellot is the Style Editor of Esquire, writing on all things menswear and grooming.