11 Secret Drinking Dens
Everyone loves a drinking den. Though the first thing that springs to mind may be a candlelit basement bar, below we have proved that cosy ground floor destinations can be equally worthy of den status, but low ceilings, dim lighting and creative cocktails are hard to beat. Plan a date, round up your friends and get drinking.
Blakes Hotel
The Hotel Drinking Den
Blake’s Hotel has recently given its basement bar a smart makeover. Burnt orange and black striped wallpaper so shouldn’t work but it really does – something to do with the dim lighting and low ceilings. The whole bar qualifies as ‘drinking den’ status but we love the room round to the left, down a couple of stairs.
Where: 33 Roland Gardens, Kensington, London, SW7 3PF, United Kingdom
Website: www.blakeshotels.com
Megaro Bar
Prohibition Drinking
Tucked away beneath King’s Cross, Megaro Bar brings a bit of a Prohibition vibe to laid-back, modern day surroundings. 1920s jazz plays from the speakers, with intimate tables separated by thick red velvet curtains. A full cocktail menu is available but the bar specialises in barrel-aged cocktails like the ‘Boulevardier’ with Knob Creek Rye, Antica Formula, Campari and orange bitters.
Where: 23-27 Euston Road, King's Cross, NW1 2SD
Website: www.megarobar.co.uk
Gordon’s Wine Bar
Vaulted Cellars
It may not be much of a secret but you can’t get much cosier than Gordon’s Wine Bar. The 19th century cellars by Embankment are made even cosier by hoards of thirsty wine lovers who flock there as soon as they pack up for the day. You probably won’t manage to get a table but in the warmer months you can hang out on the alleyway outside but during a dark winters night you really do want to try and nab a seat under the arches.
Where: 47 Villiers Street, Embankment, WC2N 6NE
Website: www.gordonswinebar.com
Chelsea Prayer Room
Cocktail Bar Tucked Away Above an Italian Restaurant
An Italian restaurant on Fulham Road isn’t the type of place you’d expect to find a drinking den but tucked away in Goat you’ll find the Chelsea Prayer Room. Accessed by an ever-changing secret code (the nice people at the door will keep you in the know), here it’s all about the cocktails. Twists on the classics include the ‘Sleepless Beauty’ which is basically an espresso martini with vanilla vodka and chocolate bitters, and the ‘Jackson’; cold-buttered bourbon with bitters.
Where: 333 Fulham Road, Chelsea, SW10 9QL
Website: www.goatchelsea.com
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