The coolest bars are, of course, always the ones that no-one else knows about, so please don't tell anyone about these top ten cool bars in South London...

10. Call Me Mr Lucky!
Part of the Breakfast Club independent chain of cafes and bars, 'Call Me Mr Lucky' is accessed through the kitchen of their greasy spoon on Southwark Street. You have to use the secret password with the barman to get access...
9. Nine Lives
Hidden away just off Tooley Street, Nine Lives is a very cool basement cocktail bar, with plenty of attitude but a warm welcome and a great range of cocktails.
8. 12th Knot
Tricky to find but all the better for it... 12 Knot (previously The Rumpus Room) offers a mesmerising view across the City and the River. Beautiful people and a very stylish setting make it a very cosmopolitan place for a sundowner. 
7. The Bar at Casa Do Frango
A very friendly Portuguese chicken restaurant in an old warehouse hides a dive bar at the back. Worth going for either the wonderful chicken or the nameless bar, or ideally both.
6. Cantina at O'Meara
The bar at the live music venue - O'Meara is a new addition to the area and enjoys the 'cradle-to-grave' Flat Iron Square next door which offers a feast of food options. Cantina is still in its infancy so get it whilst its hot.
5. Bar Elba and Tonight Josephine
These bars were an immediate success when they opened as a rooftop and basement combo. Friendly staff and a buzzing atmosphere add to the flavour. When you arrive it feels very exclusive as there no signage, but when you get to the roof you realise that its mobbed and you were the last to know!
4. Bermondsey Arts Club
A former public WC, the BAC is an art-deco feast with regular jazz and excellent cocktails.
3. 26 Leake Street
Part of the new imagining of the Banksy Tunnel street-art complex, 26 Leake Street is a cool bar with an adjoining huge event space. There is also an original Banksy rat mural which is on permanent display, hence the nickname 'The Rat Bar'. A slightly forbidding approach down the tunnel but well worth the trip. The art is ever-changing and very impressive.
2. Canova Hall
Part of a former department store in Brixton which has now been converted into offices, the ground floor is now a cavernous bar stripped back to its beautiful basics. Upstairs is now a member's rooftop bar called...Upstairs.
1. Upstairs
Members only, but if you can find someone to take you, this rooftop bar and restaurant space in Brixton has some dramatic views and is part of the amazing refurbishment of the Victorian department store. Faded grandeur and achingly cool.

Sun is sometimes tricky to find in the morning, but finding a decent coffee is thankfully getting easier... These are our ten best al-fresco coffee choices on the South Bank.

Monmouth Coffee in Borough Market is busy but grabs some serious mid-morning sun. Italo on the stunning sun-trap of Bonnington Square. 'Table' on Southwark Street has a nice yard at the back and The Breakfast Club further down has a few small tables outside for breakfast. The new Tate Gallery extension has a good coffee kiosk and a great free viewing gallery. Scoop London Bridge has loads of temporary outside seating but still gets busy. F@ckoffee on Bermondsey Street might have a potty-mouthed name, but gives great coffee. The Green Room on Upper Ground has a nice big open area.

If you want to go really off-piste, the Gentleman Baristas on Union Street has a tiny but leafy terrace through the back of their first floor. You might have to time this one right to catch the sun though...!

Finally Mercato Metropolitano is a new Italian food market concept at Newington Causeway with loads of foodie gems. We haven't tried this one yet but we feel a sunny coffee re-tox coming on soon!

Any others that should be in this top ten?