20 Coolest Places to Drink & Dance
Travel back in time to the Prohibition times and party behind closed and secret doors in some of the best speakeasies in London!
The capital is filled with these bars and I’ve made it my mission to find the top ones as I lived in London for a while and know the city pretty well!
Luckily, these days it’s not illegal to be caught in one of these spots, so party away!
NOTE: For some of these places you’ll need to make a reservation in advance, as some of them are super popular and you’ll have to wait for a long time if you don’t have a reservation.
Quick Picks for Your Stay
Looking for the top speakeasies in London? Then check out this short list where I included the top-rated places in the capital:
- Discount Suit Company
- Evans & Peel Detective Agency
- Callooh Callay
Check out this map where you can see all the places that I’ve included in this post:
This speakeasy has such a cool, minimal design and a fab atmosphere! Here you can enjoy a couple of drinks by candle-light either at the bar or at one of the more intimate tables.
SOMA is centrally-located in Soho, making it the perfect place to start a fun night in the city! Besides cocktails they also offer wine, spirits and some snacks. I would definitely try their Cashew Negroni cocktail and Chaat Margarita.
Area: Soho
Signature drink: Cashew Negroni
Key features: minimal decor
Location: 14 Denman St
Want a fancy speakeasy right in the heart of London, where you can drink, eat delicious food and dance? Then Cache Cache is the place for you! Allowing only 60 people in, this place is sort of hidden, so don’t be surprised if from the outside it doesn’t look like a party place.
That was the whole thing about speakeasy in the past, right? No one could tell what it was when passing by. Their menu has a wide range of options from wines to whisky, but make sure you try their signature drink Princess Cache!
Area: Covent Garden
Signature drink: Princess Cache
Key features: intimate atmosphere
Location: 5 The Piazza
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Boasting a unique blend of Asian decor, Opium Cocktail Bar is a great place that stays open until after midnight.
Their cocktail menu is amazing and yes they serve food as well, some mouth-watering dim-sum platters! This speakeasy is pretty small, which creates that cozy, “hidden bar atmosphere” that you’re looking for!
Area: Chinatown
Signature drink: Opium n°10
Key features: Asian food menu
Location: 15-16 Gerrard St
This place looks exactly how you’d picture one of the speakeasy back in the day! Set in a small basement and hidden behind a fridge door in a restaurant, The Mayor of Scaredy Cat has that dimly-lit vibe that we all love and a fab menu.
Having drinks here is like entering a whole other world! And while you’re there, make sure to try a couple of their cocktails like The Merchant and the Aristocat!
Area: City of London
Signature drink: Aristocat
Key features: hidden behind a fridge door in a restaurant
Location: 12-16 Artillery Ln
Set in the artsy area of Spitalfields, Discount Suit Company is actually a former tailor’s stockroom that was turned into a speakeasy type of bar. I’m sure you’ll love their low lit style of the room that will transport you immediately to those times when it was completely illegal to be in such a place!
They serve cheese boards and also some finger foods but I’m sure you want to learn all about their drink menu, right? Try their Cafe Oaxaca cocktail or maybe the Whisky sour. Definitely reserve your table here as it’s a super popular place.
Area: Spitalfields
Signature drink: Cafe Oaxaca
Key features: basement location
Location: 29A Wentworth St
You’re going to love this place where you actually need a password to enter (don’t tell anyone but the password is “I’m here to get lucky”)! Call Me Mr. Lucky has a subterranean location and normal menu as well as a wheel of fortune type of thing where you can order one of the 3 specific drinks and get a new free drink or shots!
Worth a shot, especially if you’re feeling lucky! They also have a food menu and a nice and intimate atmosphere.
Area: Southwark
Signature drink: Rambunctious Behavior
Key features: password-based entry
Location: 11 Southwark St
Love the name of this place that is set right near the London Bridge station! Nine Lives has chic-industrial decor and they serve some mouth-watering tacos, along with cocktails that will leave you wanting to come back for more.
Once the night begins, a DJ comes in to warm-up the atmosphere, while you’re ordering and drinking some of their Nine Lives Gimlet cocktails!
Area: Southwark
Signature drink: Nine Lives Gimlet
Key features: chic-industrial decor
Location: 8 Holyrood St
Feel like a detective looking for illegal activity during the Prohibition era while enjoying some drinks in this amazing speakeasy! Everything from the decor, to the drinks and atmosphere will transport you to a different time!
Their cocktails are named after mobsters so definitely see which name and beverage you resonate most with! Maybe you’ll go for an Al Capone? I know I’d definitely have a Tommy Shelby (you probably recognize the name from the famous Peaky Blinders Tv series). Book a table here as it gets pretty busy, no matter the time of the week.
Area: Earl’s Court
Signature drink: Tommy Shelby
Key features: detective theme
Location: 310c Earls Ct Rd
This simple yet cozy speakeasy is perfect for a night out in Soho! Their decor includes the classic leather couches and chairs, brick walls and dark furnishings.
As the name suggests, the speakeasy is set underground and is hardly noticeable so double check the map if you can’t find it! I’d try some of their signature cocktails, maybe Cosa Nostra or Provence if you’re missing France.
Area: Soho
Signature drink: Cosa Nostra
Key features: underground location
Location: 8 Broadwick St
Such an awesome speakeasy in Shoreditch that was named after a phrase from the poem “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Caroll. The entire place was built and designed to incorporate the writer’s playful style.
What’s so amazing about this place is that it’s split into different areas, each with its own theme and vibe! The bar is known for its creative cocktails, and I’ve got to admit that I’d definitely try the Narnia Martini or Rabbit Hole, just for the sake of the names!
Area: Shoreditch
Signature drink: Narnia Martini
Key features: inspired by Lewis Caroll’s work
Location: 65 Rivington St
And all that jazz! Gotta love a place that plays live jazz music and has a secret subterranean location! The moment you step foot inside you’ll be transported to the 1920s! Just make sure that you reserve a table, especially during the jazz nights, when the bar gets packed.
Luckily now you don’t have to fear that the police will bust in and arrest you! Their list of cocktails is neatly separated into Pre-Prohibition, Prohibition, Post-War and Nightjar Signatures and each section boasts some unique options like Soul Kiss or Evening Sun.
Area: Shoreditch
Signature drink: Cascara
Key features: 1920s theme
Location: 129 City Rd
Put on your dancing shoes! Barts has the most amazing “Speakeasy Nights” from Thursdays to Saturdays (10PM to 2PM) when you’ll feel as if you’re attending a late night party from the 1920s!
Expect amazing drinks, good music (with a live Dj during the Speakeasy Nights) and an incredible atmosphere!
Area: Chelsea
Signature drink: Sabinis Mistress
Key features: Speakeasy Nights
Location: Chelsea Cloisters, Sloane Ave
If you prefer a fancy and elegant setting then this speakeasy in Soho will definitely become one of your favorite spots! Boasting some Art Deco influences, its decor matches the whole Prohibition era vibe!
The dimly-lit room and intimate atmosphere only add to its magic! Make sure to try their Indecent Exposure cocktail, it sure sounds like a good one!
Area: Soho
Signature drink: Status Quo
Key features: Art Deco design
Location: 4 Kingly Ct
This place is hidden behind a door that doesn’t look like the entrance of a bar, but rather a door that opens to a supply room or something like that! Experimental Cocktail Club blends bohemian-Parisian style and London’s iconic speakeasy vibe in an incredible place!
Come here for some after dinner drinks or just drinks and enjoy the cozy atmosphere.
Area: Chinatown
Signature drink: Saint Germain des Pres
Key features: Parisian bohemian style
Location: 13a Gerrard St
Set in the out of use Kingly Court Underground Station that was used as an emergency air raid shelter during the war (hence the 1940s theme) this unique bar has such fab decor!
Get ready to step into a whole other world and drink cocktails named after some of the country’s most important individuals like Winston Churchill and former Queen Elizabeth II.
Area: Soho
Signature drink: Elizabeth II
Key features: 1940s theme
Location: 13 Kingly Ct
This speakeasy was named after the person who lived in this space, Reverend JW Simpson of the parish of Fitzrovia, who lived here until 1986. The owners kept the rooms as the reverend had them, as well as the original wall coverings, flooring and tiles!
It’s definitely an interesting place and their cocktails list makes the bar even more appealing! Would you go for Bloody Hell or Soft Core?
Area: Fitzrovia
Signature drink: Orpheus
Key features: former home of a reverend
Location: 32 Goodge St
Set in St. Martin’s Lane Hotel, this speakeasy brings flavors from all around the world in a fancy setting!
Blind Spot has nice music, a lovely atmosphere accompanied by dimmed lights and top-notch service! “Spin the Globe” as the menu says and try one of their international cocktails like Santorini or Kobe.
Area: Covent Garden
Signature drink: Santorini
Key features: international drinks menu
Location: 45 St Martin’s Ln
Live music, DJs during the weekend, and an amazing drinks menu! The Lucky Pig is the kind of place that offers a fun atmosphere all week long!
The 1920s vintage-style basement bar has an extensive menu with wines, beers, and lots of cocktails! You could try their signature ones, Traitor sounds like a good one!
Area: Fitzrovia
Signature drink: Traitor
Key features: 1920s theme
Location: 5 Clipstone St
A cozy little bar in Hoxton where the atmosphere is intimate and the drinks mouth-watering! If you’re not the kind of person who likes big, loud and crowded clubs then this place is for you.
You can sit at the bar or at one of the tables and enjoy a couple of cocktails, a beer or some wine!
Area: Hoxton
Signature drink: Mickey River
Key features: basement location
Location: 8-9 Hoxton Square
Looking for the perfect place in Notting Hill, where you can enjoy some drinks after a day of exploring the area? Then check out this speakeasy that has a retro, Polynesian-inspired decor.
They also offer a food menu with Caribbean-style snack food and some cool signature cocktails like Hell in the Pacific.
Area: Notting Hill
Signature drink: Hell in the Pacific
Key features: Polynesian theme
Location: 177 Portobello Rd
FAQs about speakeasies in London
🇬🇧 Does London have speakeasies?
Yes, London has lots of speakeasies, like Opium Cocktail Bar and Nightjar Shoreditch.
🤔 Why is it called a speakeasy?
It’s called a speakeasy as people were told to “speak easy” about these secret bars in public, as they weren’t legal.
🍸 What happens in a speakeasy?
Back in the day, speakeasies were places where alcohol was sold illegally, during the Prohibition period. Nowadays speakeasies are legal but most have kept that “hidden behind closed doors” vibe and some also have different themes going on.
Final thoughts on speakeasies in London
Already decided which speakeasies in London you want to go to? I bet there are many, right?
Have fun exploring all of them and if you stumble across some other amazing ones, drop us the name in the comment section so that we can discover it too!
Enjoy your London adventures!
Happy exploring,
Victoria
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