Photo: Blame Gloria
We get it; sometimes you’re just after a little something different on a night out. Whether you’re just after a slightly different vibe or want to head to a downright scary bar – there’s something in London for you. We’ve rounded up some of the coolest (and strangest) bars in London for a seriously bangin’ night out. And just to make it easier for you, we’ve even listed them according to their location. Here’s a rundown of the best quirky bars in London:
Central London bars
1. Eve
Photo: Eve Bar
Hidden beneath Covent Garden’s The Frog restaurant (which is run by the same people) is London’s very own Garden of Eden. The Eve Bar bar is full of temptation, indulgence and hedonism. Their current menu, the ‘Evolve’ menu takes a no-waste approach to drinks-making that sees the bar and above restaurant working in sync.
📍You’ll find it at 34 Southampton Street, WC2E 7HF.
🚇 Nearest station is Charing Cross.
2. Opium
Is there any better combo than dim sum and cocktails? Head to Opium; the Shanghai-themed speakeasy. Functioning as a cocktail bar and a dim sum parlour in the heart of Chinatown, it features three bars spread across two floors. It’s not an over-the-top quirky bar, but it’s certainly not to be missed.
📍You’ll find it at 15-16, Gerrard Street, W1D 6JE.
🚇 Nearest station is Leicester Square.
3. Blame Gloria
Photo: Blame Gloria
Another quirky bar in Covent Garden is the incredibly bright, all-vintage nightspot, Blame Gloria. Inspired by ‘an opulent nana with a groupie past’, the Bedford Street basement cocktail bar aims to offer an eclectic, loose and outrageous vibe. Expect fabrics inspired by Jimi Hendrix outfits and Peter Blake, boho, and Bowie influences. That means more groovy ‘gram opportunities than you can shake a towering stiletto at. They also do a great bottomless brunch here too.
📍You’ll find it at 20 Bedford Street, WC2E 9HP. There is also a location in Clapham Junction.
🚇 Nearest station is Leicester Square.
4. Basement Sate
Choosing between cocktails and desserts is a thing of the past at Basement Sate, where you can pair your drinks with a decadent dessert. It’s a place where a banoffee pie might come with a bourbon and honey concoction, and diets don’t exist. Intrigued? Prepare to sate that appetite…
📍You’ll find it at
🚇 Nearest stations are Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road.
5. The Escapologist
Credit: The Escapologist
Once the actual headquarters of a Victorian Secret Society, The Escapologist in Seven Dials still parties like it’s 1899. Get some friends together for a night of glam, drinks, and seriously skulduggerous behaviour.
📍You’ll find it at 35 Earlham Street, Seven Dials, WC2H 9LD.
🚇 Nearest station is Covent Garden.
6. Reverend JW Simpson
Credit: Reverend JW Simpson
This cosy cocktail bar in Fitzrovia was once a vicarage, and they haven’t made much of an effort to restore it since Reverend JW Simpson was a tenant. But it all adds to its character. The dimly-lit room, with its divine cocktail menu and attentive table service, is the perfect place for an intimate date night or quirky after-work drinks.
📍You’ll find it at 32 Goodge Street, W1T 2QJ.
🚇 Nearest station is Goodge Street.
7. Cahoots
An air-raid shelter in a previous life, Cahoots pays homage to the Londoners forced to seek shelter underground during the Blitz. As in the 1940s, there’ll be plenty of liquor and sing-a-longs to keep morale high. With three spaces to explore, you’ll be surrounded by retro decor everywhere you look. One space, for example, is modelled on a Bakerloo carriage. Unlike the real Bakerloo line, though, drinking is positively encouraged on board.
📍You’ll find it at Kingly Court, Carnaby, W1B 5PG.
🚇 Nearest station is Oxford Circus.
8. CellarDoor
Photo: CellarDoor
This intimate hidden bar is located beneath Aldwych in an underground space that used to be a public toilet. On any given night you can expect live entertainment in the form of cabaret, blues, and even burlesque shows.
📍You’ll find it at Wellington Street, WC2E 7DN.
🚇 Nearest station is Temple.
East London bars
9. Callooh Callay
O frabjous day! Named after a line from Lewis Carroll’s ‘Jabberwocky’, Callooh Callay has drinks that will make you chortle with joy. To add even more mirth to your mischief, the cocktail menu is currently Pokèmen-themed. As such, the ‘Pokèmenu’ includes a whole range of serves named after your favourite creatures. Spin their wheel of fortune and you might even net yourself a discounted or free cocktail! Gotta catch sip ’em all.
📍You’ll find it at 65 Rivington Street, Shoreditch, EC2A 3AY. There are also locations in Chelsea and Islington.
🚇 Nearest station is Old Street.
10. The Absinthe Parlour @ The Last Tuesday Society
Hidden within Viktor Wynd’s Museum of Curiosities, this cocktail bar has a magical menu of weird and wonderful drinks, each inspired by a strange artefact that can be found inside the fascinating museum. As you might have guessed from the name, The Absinthe Parlour is very big on absinthe (yikes!). You’ll find an impressive menu of different varieties, which can be served the original way with a brown sugar cube, an absinthe spoon and an ice fountain, or in signature serves. Anyone for a Hell Bomb? It’s a shot of chocolate absinthe liqueur dropped into a glass of stout!
📍You’ll find it at 11 Mare Street, Hackney, E8 4RP.
🚇 Nearest stations are Cambridge Heath and London Fields.
11. Looking Glass Cocktail Club
Another of the best quirky bars in London that loves a bit of absinthe, the Looking Glass Cocktail Club is Alice in Wonderland-themed and bills itself as a “haven of debauchery”. Now, it may appear to be a minuscule bar, with just a few seats and tables – but a secret awaits. To enter the main bar area you’ll have to step through the looking glass (i.e. a big mirror). Once you’re in, you’re likely to be there until the early hours, cocktail in hand.
📍You’ll find it at 49 Hackney Road, E2 7NX.
🚇 Nearest station is Hoxton.
12. Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town
Credit: Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town – The Breakfast Club
Make your way to The Breakfast Club on Artillery Lane and inform a member of staff that you are “here to see the Mayor”. They will then direct you to the normal-seeming Smeg fridge, which you’ll have to walk through to enter the dingy, candlelit speakeasy. The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town is filled with vintage furniture and bizarre wall art, while the cocktail menu is brimming with weird and wonderful drinks.
📍You’ll find it beneath The Breakfast Club, 12-16 Artillery Lane, E1 7LS.
🚇 Nearest station is Liverpool Street.
13. TT Liquor
Photo: TT Liquor
Nobody wants to end up in jail, but what if we told you you could come and go as you please and drink as much booze as you like? TT Liquor on Kingsland Road is set within an old Victorian police station, converted into a three-storey haven dedicated entirely to high-quality liquor and damn good cocktails.
If you were just walking past, you’d probably mistake it for a humble old liquor store (and we wouldn’t blame you) but, lo and behold, if you had just popped in and made your way downstairs… TT Liquor is more than just a store or a bar, it’s a bit of history and a whole lot of fun.
📍You’ll find it at 17B Kingsland Road, E2 8AA.
🚇 Nearest station is Hoxton.
14. The Natural Philosopher
It’s a cocktail bar inside a Mac repair store. And it’s not a front either – it’s a gen-u-ine repair store that’s actually well-regarded for being able to save even the most damaged pieces of kit. A museum-worthy collection of vintage Apple equipment sits among verdant touches, plush seating, and paintings that are maybe, almost definitely haunted. But the service is warm, the libations are lovely, and the vibes are delightful.
📍 489 Hackney Road, Hackney, E2 9ED. Inside the MacSmiths Apple Mac repair store.
🚇 The nearest station is Cambridge Heath.
South London bars
15. Tonight Josephine
Tonight Josephine is perfect for cocktails and hedonism. It’s a fuchsia temple filled with glitter and neon, and even its toilets are worth Instagramming. The bar was inspired by the first Empress of France, Josephine de Beauharnais. Josephine was a famed nineteenth-century party animal (and wife of Napoleon – but that’s the boring details) who narrowly avoided the guillotine. Well, there are no guillotins here – phew – but this quirk bar definitely has a party vibe. Don’t forget to take a photo with the IG-famous ‘well behaved women don’t make history’ installation!
📍You’ll find it at 111 Waterloo Road, Lambeth, SE1 8UL. There are also venues in Clapham and Shoreditch.
🚇 Nearest station is Waterloo.
16. Bar Elba
Bar Elba is London’s rooftop answer for year-round partying. In the summer it’s a blissful party island, while in the winter it’s a cosy igloo-filled getaway. Embark on a colourful ascension into paradise, admire the arty witticism along the way, and grab yourself a cocktail. It’s also got some pretty incredible panoramic views of the city too.
📍You’ll find it above Mercury House at 109-117 Waterloo Road, SE1 8UL.
🚇 Nearest station is Waterloo.
17. Call Me Mr Lucky
Photo: Call Me Mr Lucky
Much like The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town, this bar is also hidden beneath a Breakfast Club. Only this time you should announce to a waitperson that you’re “here to get lucky” and all embarrassment should be left at the door. You’ll walk downstairs, through a bustling underground kitchen, and into this secret speakeasy, ready to get up to some serious mischief.
📍You’ll find it at 11 Southwark Street, SE1 1RQ.
🚇 Nearest station is London Bridge.
18. Vaulty Towers
This wacky boozer is owned by the people behind The Vaults, Waterloo’s incredible hidden arts venue. Adorned with props from previous ventures, this quirky watering hole is about as mad as they come. Think treehouse tables and comically high bar stools, as well as espresso martinis and negronis on tap. You could visit Vaulty Towers a thousand times and still find something new each time you’re there.
📍You’ll find it at 34 Lower Marsh, Lambeth, SE1 7RG.
🚇 Nearest station is Waterloo.
19. Little Nan’s
Credit: Little Nan’s
Tucked away in the arches of Deptford Market Yard, Little Nan’s is a super kitsch bar filled with one lad’s grandma’s furniture, ornaments, Pat Butcher portraits, and treasured heirlooms. Early last year they even gave the space a full spruce-up, “extending the capacity of both arches, and revealing new hidden seating nooks”. It’s so kitschy and over the top that it’s been hired out by the likes of Netflix, ITV, Channel 4, Amazon, BBC, and even Vogue. Little Nan’s is a firm favourite in South-East London and well-deserving of its place on this roundup of the best quirky bars in London.
📍You’ll find it within Arches 13-15, Deptford Market Yard, SE8 4BX.
🚇 Nearest station is Deptford.
20. The Four Thieves
Photo: The Four Thieves
If you’re done with darts and find pool a pain, then we’ve got just the place for you. The Four Thieves pub in Clapham Junction is sure to become your new favourite pub thanks to a thrilling games room, and an incredible multiplayer racetrack.
Reminiscent of the old Scalextric, the Moonshine Raceway allows punters to race against each other from their seat high above the action. Under the same roof, you’ll find a bunch of classic arcade games, a VR gaming experience, and even a Dance Centre devoted to the Dance Dance Revolution-esque StepManiaX game.
📍You’ll find it at 51 Lavender Gardens, SW11 1DJ.
🚇 Nearest station is Clapham Junction.
West London bars
21. Trailer Happiness
Rum lovers should make their way to Ladbroke Grove, because this tiki-style bar has a lot of it. Filled with ‘cosmopolitan kitsch’ vibes, Trailer Happiness will amaze you with its cocktail menu and guarantee you have a ruddy good time.
📍You’ll find it at 177 Portobello Road, Notting Hill, W11 2DY.
🚇 Nearest stations are Ladbroke Grove and Notting Hill Gate.
22. Evans & Peel Detective Agency
The next addition to this list of quirky bars in London is another one that isn’t just a simple ‘walk through the door’ affair. You have to make an ‘appointment’ to see a detective, ring the doorbell to enter, and step into their office to present your case. Not for the anxious or shy, but worth it for the cocktails and the live music once you get inside. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to see a man about a horse a drink.
📍You’ll find it at 310c Earls Court Road, SW5 9BA.
🚇 Nearest station is Earl’s Court.
North London bars
23. Near & Far
Credit: Near and Far
This quirky bar takes the Palm Springs concept to the next level. Near & Far is set over four floors and includes a gorgeous covered roof terrace with views over Camden market. The whole place is filled with pastel colours, hot pink lighting, palm trees, and cacti – making it an Instagrammer/TikTokker’s paradise.
The booze list is mighty, and boasts a fantastic selection of cocktails with some pretty silly names (Benedict Cucumberbatch anyone?). Add in the fact that all the grub here is gluten-free – AND they’ve got a veryyyyyyy generous happy hour – and you can see why we love it!
📍You’ll find it at 48 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AJ.
🚇 Nearest stations are Chalk Farm and Camden Town.
24. Bobby Fitzpatrick
Get ready to feel nostalgic as you step into what looks to be your nan’s living room… But fret not, you haven’t travelled through time and space, instead you’ve arrived at a 70s-inspired cocktail and pizza haunt. The decor of this place – another one of the best quirky bars in London – is so spot on that it’ll have you second guessing what year you’re in.
📍You’ll find it at 273 West End Lane, NW6 1QS.
🚇 Nearest stations are Finchley Road & Frognal and West Hampstead.
25. BYOC
BYOC Camden not only gives you the thrill of entering a bar though an inconspicuous, unmarked doorway, it also gives you the opportunity to indulge in cocktails made with your favourite spirit. However, thing’s are slightly different at this 1920’s themed bar. Guests bring along a bottle of their favourite liquor (BYOC recommends a half-size bottle, not a full one!) and pay a flat fee of £35. In exchange the talented bartenders will make use of tehir own homemade syrups, juices, and bitters to whip up something truly special.
📍You’ll find it at 11-13 Camden High Street, NW1 7JE. There’s also a St. Pauls location.
🚇 Nearest station is Mornington Crescent.
Special Mention
26. Mr Fogg’s
It feels beholden to give Mr Fogg’s et al their very own section and special inclusion on this list. The Mr Fogg’s collection of bars currently encompasses (at the time of writing – although they could open a new one at the drop of a hat!) a whopping tne locations around London. Themed around the world of “the renowned explorer, Phileas J. Fogg, Esq.” the bars are inspired by the classic novel, Around the World in 80 Days. Each one boasts unique experiences, delicious cocktails, and jaw-dropping decor (inside and outside!). The bars range from a pawnbroker to a tavern, an apothecary, a ‘Society of Exploration’, and beyond. You’ll just have to check them all out for the full experience.
📍Find your nearest Mr Fogg’s venue here.
So there you have it – some of the most quirky bars in London. Whether you’re looking to grab a bevvie in a former bog or want to ‘make an appointment’ to see a detective and whet your whistle, this guide will hopefully have you covered. Now – the first round’s on you, right?
Also published on Medium.
https://secretldn.com/8-londons-newest-quirkiest-bars/
