14 Of London’s Best Secret Speakeasies
First things first: there are actually no speakeasies in London unless we’re all breaking the law in illegal establishments, knocking back moonshine and generally having a jolly good hedonistic time. Particulars aside, we are a city obsessed with the speakeasy thanks to a swathe of ‘secret’ bars popping up in basements, behind fridge doors and through floor to ceiling velvet curtains.
And while we’re not living through a prohibition era (thank god), 2020 sees 100 years since America’s famous constitutional ban on booze. Tenuous as it may be that’s reason enough for us to list all our favourite London ‘speakeasies’ to slosh back A-grade cocktails in, dance the night away and get merry right into the small hours. Guess they’re not so secret anymore…
Ayllu
This new restaurant is one of Paddington’s secret gems and we suggest getting your visit in before everyone wants to go. The interiors and menu are inspired by the Ayllu community of the Inca Empire – a group of families that lived together, worked the land together and shared their belongings and mealtimes – in short, what food is all about.
On the menu, there’s a creative selection of small plates, inspired by traditional Peruvian flavours and a few Japanese influences, from croquetas de pescados with white miso paste, chives, red chillies and ginger to hamachi tiradito with green chillies, orange tobiko and daikon.
Before we get too carried away with the food (we know you’re here for the speakeasies), we must mention Ayllu’s bar, where you can sink into emerald booths and sip on cocktails destined for your Instagram feed – we’re feeling the classic Pisco Sour.
Where: 25 Sheldon Square, London, UK
Website: www.ayllu.co.uk
Rooms By The Hour
Speakeasies are really all about nostalgia, but it doesn’t always have to be Gatsby Glamour and faux roaring twenties. At Rooms By The Hour, it’s all about the wonderfully sordid scene of 1970’s sex cinema.
Don’t worry, while it is based in Soho, it’s all above board (although it’s geographically actually underneath the very tame Pix tapas bar) and allows customers to drop in for an hour to one of London’s most fun and mischievous secret bars.
There are five private ‘viewing cabins’ big enough to fit up to eight people, black lacquered walls and red neon signage, all playing to the adult cinema vibe. Book in for a quick drink before dinner or the theatre – we promise it isn’t as nasty as we’re making it sound.
Where: Pix Bar, 16 Bateman Street, Soho, London W1D 3AH
Website: pix-bar.com
Behind This Wall
On the sleepy, pedestrianised part of Mare Street you’d be forgiven for walking straight past Behind the Wall, one of the most inconspicuous bars in the city. Head down the rickety stairs to find a hub of design, music and drinking. Like all good speakeasies, they have a list of house rules which include:
- Happy Hour’ — 6pm to 8pm daily
- We don’t sell coke, we do have some great alternatives
- Be nice to Barry
Make of those what you will…
Oh, and you can order Yard Sale Pizza through them if you get peckish.
Where: Behind This Wall, 411 Mare Street, London, E8 1HY
Website: www.behindthiswall.com
Victorian Bath House
Hidden entrances don’t come much cooler than this. By Appointment Only sits inside a real Victorian Bath House (thankfully no longer in use) and if you frequent Liverpool Street you’ve probably wondered what the out of keeping, Moorish-looking building actually is.
Well, it was built in 1895 as a Turkish bath house and to this day is steeped in original features and ornate tiling. Now it can be hired out exclusively on Friday evenings for two to 50 guests – perfect if you want to bag serious date night points or organise your most memorable birthday yet.
Where: 8 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3TJ, United Kingdom
Website: www.victorianbathhouse.co.uk
Below & Hidden
You may have been to the bright, airy foliage filled restaurant that is Bourne & Hollingsworth, but you might not have noticed its darker, cooler alter ego Below & Hidden. Its name somewhat gives the game away – it’s underneath the restaurant – and is probably no bigger than your living room. While the drinks are good, it’s the interiors that really have the wow factor – the tapestry-covered walls give it a Middle Eastern souk vibe, but as the night descends and the cocktails flow they change to reveal floor to ceiling LED light panels, illuminating to the beat of the music. Without a doubt one of London’s best kept secrets.
Where: Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings, 42 Northampton Road, Clerkenwell EC1R 0HU
Website: www.bandhbuildings.com
69 Colebrook Row
If drama and secrecy isn’t your thing, 69 Colebrook Row – a bar so unpretentious it doesn’t even have a name (or does that make it MORE pretentious?) – is the one for you.
The focus is on the drinks with world-class mixologists rustling up a seasonal menu of cocktails and it’s no wonder as one of London’s most talented cocktail creators, Tony Conigliaro is at its helm.
There aren’t really any bells and whistles here when it comes to interiors, it’s all about the menu, so pull up a pew and make your way through the list. Just remember to book in advance.
Where: 69 Colebrook Row, Islington, London N1 8AA
Website: www.69colebrookerow.com
Opium
If there was ever a more suited name for a secret bar it has to be Opium. Nestled right in the middle of Chinatown, this 1920’s Shanghai-themed cocktail bar and dim sum den will not disappoint, in fact, there are three bars to choose from; the Apothecary, serving up tipples in medicine bottles. The Academy Bar: a lounge style bar focusing on Asian cooking and flavours; and Peony, the smallest of the three which will make you feel like you’ve been transported to 1920s China.
Where: Opium Cocktail bar and Dim Sum Parlour, Gerrard Street, London, UK
Website: www.opiumchinatown.com
