Hidden Speakeasies

Whilst in London you’ll be hard pressed to walk more than a few minutes without stumbling across a pub or bar. Pub life engulfs the city and you’ll find that no matter the time of day - pubs will be occupied. In fact, after work they become so full that people pour out on the street to enjoy a post-work pint (or two or three).

Now, although London may not be the most populous city in the world it can certainly feel like it when you attempt to find a quiet drink after work. There are times when you do feel like you need to get away from the hustle and bustle and enjoy a fantastic cocktail in the quiet of a relaxed bar.

Luckily for you, a quiet cocktail experience is possible in London. I promise.

History

Back in the 1930s the United States of America went through a dark and horrifying time that luckily the United Kingdom did not have to experience. Prohibition. Although during this time, alcohol became illegal and scarce, it certainly did not vanish. Instead a network of hidden bars (or “speakeasies”) was born. Bars you couldn’t just stumble upon and couldn’t see from the street, but only heard about through the grapevine.

In recent years, London has adopted this network of speakeasies to allow people in the know to escape from the hoards of people on the street sloshing pints of ale all over unsuspecting passersby. This network is made exclusively of bars where you can actually sit down and have a conversation whilst sipping spectacular cocktails from all over the world. It’s enabled people to enjoy a quiet drink in a smaller bar without having to worry that you might have someone walk into you and spill your drink. Plus, it’s also just really fun to enter a secret bar through a wardrobe.

How does one find a bar that is hidden from sight though? Where does one go? How does one get into bars with no entrances? Allow me to explain…

Although this is not a complete list it is a good starting point to enter this new and fascinating world of London’s Hidden Speakeasies.

Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town at the Breakfast Club, Spitalfields

The Breakfast Club is well known in London to have the most spectacular all day breakfast menu. People queue for hours to enjoy an amazing breakfast meal at all hours of the day. What a lot of people do not know is that many of The Breakfast Club locations are also home to hidden speakeasies accessed through some nondescript part of the restaurant. In the Spitalfields branch, you enter Scaredy Cat Town through the Smeg fridge at the back of the restaurant. Fair warning, you can’t just walk in - you have to address a member of staff and announce you’d “like to see the Mayor”. If there’s space in the bar (there often isn’t), a member will lead you through the fridge and provide you with instructions on how to leave the bar when you’re done.

Fun fact: if your name is Garfield, you drink for free.

The Vault at Milroys

Milroy’s is famous in Soho for having a spectacular collection of Scotch, Irish Whiskey, Japanese Whiskey and other spirits. It’s located just south of Soho Square and is a rather unassuming shop. However, through the bookcase at the back is a hidden candle lit bar called The Vault. Many of the cocktails are whiskey based, however other spirits are available. If in doubt, tell the bartender your favourite drink and ask for a whiskey take on it - you will not be disappointed.

Reservations are highly recommended as there is very limited space. You can stand in the shop and enjoy a drink out front but the experience is not nearly the same.

NOLA

To enter the world of jazz and blues head to Bedroom Bar in Shoreditch, force yourself to put up with the house music, make your way up the staircase at the back, make a left at coat check and wait for a member of staff to seat you. When you’re here, there is one drink you must order given the name of this bar (literally: New Orleans Louisiana): a Sazerac. NOLA’s version of this drink (essentially old fashioned in an absinthe lined glass) was voted the best one outside New Orleans by the New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society!

Reservations are a must.

Jub Jub

Firstly, Calloo Callay is a must on its own - it was voted the best cocktail bar in the world a few years back! However, it’s also home to not one but 2 hidden bars. Go through the wardrobe doors at the back of Calloo Callay and find yourself inside another bar, then head to the back of the room, go up the staircase at the back and you’ll find yourself in Jub Jub - the bar that changes every 6 weeks!

Although fairly quiet on Sundays and in the early week, reservations are always safer.