Secret Bars in London

Hidden off the busy streets of Brixton is a door, and beyond that door is one of the best bar and restaurants in south London. Known for cocktails, parties, great food and a spectacular Sunday roast, the Beast of Brixton welcomes any savvy enough to find it.

Nightjar is a live swing and jazz speakeasy with inventive cocktails and a tasty food menu to boot. A unique haunt masked between a chicken shop and a newsagent, there's nothing bog standard about this prohibition-inspired nook. Expect innovation and invention by the glassful. 

One of the best secret cocktail bars in London, this unique Hackney Road offering is fronting some of the most sublime sips in the city. Step behind a working Mac shop and you'll find a stunning array of drinks made with locally-foraged produce and natural healing remedies.

Nestled underneath the street of Fitzrovia you'll find this stunning cocktail bar, serving up creative cocktails and lively decor. Head down to the spot on the weekend where you'll find late-night DJs playing tunes til the early hours.

Don't be confused by the stripped back walls and candlelit tables, because Gremio is far from holy. In fact, there's about to be a whole lot of sinning as the DJs spin the tunes while you soak up tapas and cocktails.

This private members club is taking you to a time of slinky circus acts, show-stopping cabaret performers and uplifting live music. Experience some of London's best performers; from vintage burlesque queens to showgirl extraordinaires.

When it comes to hidden bars, this secret one within Merchant House of Bow Lane has it all. Officially the smallest in the capital, there's a private bartender, your own music selection and even the chance to shake up your favourite concoctions.

Look behind the paintings, search a few of the bookcases and you might stumble across the disguised bar at Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings. Harking back to the secret basement haunts of years gone, Below & Hidden serves a variety of different cocktails and potent drinks.

Opened by cocktail sumpremo Oskar Klimaszewski, Found is worth the hunt. The cocktail bar is concealed away in Shoreditch, head downstairs and through the velvet curtain to discover delicious tipples and a venue of cosy nooks and crannies.

The Breakfast Club has a secret... So if you're in town, you should really pay the Mayor a visit. Cool-as-you-like, this cocktail-heavy secret is perhaps the most discreet bar in this list. Ask to see 'The Mayor' after your delicious dinner, and you might just find what you're looking for in the fridge. Yes, the fridge.

Ruby's Bar is kept out of sight down a blackened doorway in Dalston. You'll be enchanted and charmed by the buzzing atmosphere, free-flowing cocktails served in 1940s Manchester milk bottles and the shabby chic decor. Sip on sumptuous drinks in this vintage space (should you be so lucky to find it).

Located in a converted luggage room, The Luggage Room requires entry through a hidden hatch (very secret agent style). Inside, you'll be rewarded with a chic and authentic 1920s bar complete with jazz music and a huge ice block for carving off into each perfectly mixed cocktail.

Find the gold plaque on the wall and descend into somewhere that is 'not a brothel', we repeat is 'NOT a brothel'. This secret gem is the decadent place to hit for your palate pleasers and divine dishes. Top pastry chef Dorian Picard is at the helm to bring you the best in dessert plates while the bar tinkles with hand-crafted cocktails.

Following on from the stellar work of its multi-award winning sister venue, Oriole brings an oasis of warmth, mystery and magic to London. Leave the stressful streets of the capital behind and immerse yourself in a truly exotic experience. There's a vibrant live music programme, tasty plates and a cocktail list showing a penchant for the finest ingredients.

Tucked beneath The Breakfast Club in London Bridge, you'll need to search for this spot. A sassy looking space with neon-lit nooks in abundance, Call Me Mr Lucky is the city's patron saint of all things liquid as innovation and invention are the pinnacle of their entire, basement orientated, eclectic ethos.

A mish-mash of quirky features and cool surfaces, Callooh Callay has a comic book style menu for you to peruse at your pleasure, and a secret Jub Jub room hidden behind a wardrobe. Very Narnia, we know. A one of a kind cocktail bar for sure.  

Opium is a secret cocktail bar in the heart of Chinatown. They are London's leading purveyor of seasonal Oriental themed libations, using ingredients sourced locally in Chinatown. Concealed behind an ordinary little door; it's perfect for a cool and unique place to drink in London. Opium would certainly impress a date or be a good place to have a meal with friends. Private hire? Their Peony bar is a stunning, secret option to boot.

Step through the opulent looking glass mirror and enter a coveted world of decadent debauchery, expertly mixed drinks and lavish decor. Victorian furniture, gorgeous cocktails...and a secret room? This unique hidden bar is a completely original venue exuding charm, fantasy and an intriguing ambience. Best to keep this one hush hush.

Tucked away beneath Blues Kitchen Shoreditch is Moonshine Minnie's, where you can enjoy an amazing selection of whiskey-based cocktails, as well as southern American bar snacks and a soundtrack exclusively led by female R&B artists.

Candlelit interiors, secret stairways and house-infused spirits make The Gobpsy a top pick for great cocktails in the city. Located just minutes from Fenchurch Street and Monument stations, this clandestine spot has it all.

One of North London's best-hidden gems, Doña Bar should be on your list. From suave date nights to slick evenings with friends, you'll find live music, cabaret, comedy, cocktails and all things mezcal here.