Underground Bars in London

Cavernous and cool, not only is Burlock one of the best places to enjoy a little downstairs intimacy, it also boasts one of the best rum collections in London. Head on down to this fun little basement spot for strong drinks and vintage vibes aplenty. 

As far as the best basement bars in London go, Old Street Records has got to be a contender. Jazz nights, EP launches and DJ sessions keep revellers rocking every night and to help get the party started there's a cocktail Happy Hour every day - need we say more?

Descend into Black Rock and you’ll find your newest favourite whisky playground. The cool and minimalist bar holds over 250 bottles of whisky, with the mood lighting surrounding to perfect it. There’s even an interactive cocktail ageing system in the form of a spectacular centrepiece, an 18ft, 185-year-old oak tree trunk.

We know what you're thinking. How could somewhere that boasts so much colour and creativity be found in a London basement? One of the most unique underground bars in the city, head on down for a rich and intimate menu of cocktails from B&H. 

Look for the neon lights guiding you down to the industrial-feel W M Barker & Co, a basement bar in Bishopsgate. It's all about the underground cocktails here, with bartenders shaking up everything from a classic margarita to a Victoria Beckham from the celebrity-inspired list. 

Wine lovers rejoice - tiny, intimate-feel Humble Grape in Battersea is the underground bar for you. With low lighting and simple wooden interiors, the bar is date-perfect; the wine list is more than impressive, with a focus on biodynamic and organic bottles.

Devilishly rich and decadent are the pervading themes of hidden underground bar Basement Sate, a dessert and cocktail bar in Soho. Discover the Parisian in you - sink onto a leather-clad chaise longue and pick delicately at one of the deliciously French desserts while sipping something fruity.

When it comes to secret basement bars in London, there's no better than the Mayor. Hidden behind a fridge and granted only to those who know the right password, The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town is a hidden treasure of cocktails and strong whisky led drinks. 

WC Wine & Charcuterie Bar is a basement bar in London can be found underneath Clapham Common tube station. Occasionally hosting live musical performances, it's the pairing of fine wine and freshly made charcuterie that really grabs the headlines here. Expect effervescent flavours, stunning cheese boards and even better pieces of cured ham at this underground bar in London.

Tucked out of sight at The Brewers Inn in Wandsworth is Jones Cellar Bar, a secret basement bar offering an alternative from the more formal atmosphere upstairs. Set against an exposed-brick-wall interior, visitors can order a tailored charcuterie or cheese platter to enjoy with one of the pub's excellent wines.

Below the Cut is a cavernous hidey hole that serves a carefully curated cocktail menu is luxe surrounding. Located beneath Hanger in Fulham, the bar has an American speakeasy vibe along with serving some of South London's best steaks.

Underneath cocktail and burger joint Shaker & Co is a cool underground 80s bar, Nineteen Eighty Something. The bar is complete with retro cocktails, classic 80s tunes and even a Sega Mega Drive to play on.

Charles Dickens' London is very much alive and kicking, hidden in a London underground cocktail bar in Shoreditch. Worship Street Whistling Stop is a Victorian-style gin palace, complete with gas lamps, waiters in waistcoats and some of the best gin found this side of the Thames.

Hawkmoor Spitalfields Bar is a serious contender for best basement bar in London. Set in a former illegal strip club, guests dine on Hawksmoor's legendary steaks underneath turquoise-tiled arches while award-winning mixologists do wicked things with gin.

Finding secret speakeasy Found, is all part of the fun when it comes to drinking at this underground cocktail bar. The search is well worth it though; the bar's philosophy is quality rather than quantity, resulting in a choice of 12 perfectly mixed cocktails. 

Look behind the paintings, search a few of the bookcases and you might stumble across the hidden bar at Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings. Serving a range of quirky cocktails and having hosted a variety of different events, this is the ideal spot for anyone that's not ready to call it a night. 

Absurd Bird is underground in Spitalfields, offering a great collection of food and drink inspired by the American Deep South. Head to the dishevelled-chic bar and you can enjoy a cocktail or two, with their signature blends being everything like moonshine and bourbon. For food expect, a menu of hearty Southern comfort food.

All the very best secret basement bars in London have a good back story, and The Escapologist is no exception. Part Masonic lodge, part Gentlemen's club, the themed bar is filled with hidden coves, psychedlic art and 90s tunes which would certainly make their Victorian inspiration, master party-goer and criminal Baron Von Took, proud. 

Both brewing their own creations and offering the best produce of London's most iconic breweries, the Temple Brew House has firmly established itself as a leading figure in London's craft beer circles. The venue sits below street level in Holborn and couples the great line-up of craft beer with an equally great menu of traditional British dishes. Think hearty roast dinners, topping-heavy burgers and fresh fish dishes.

Fresh from a summer residency atop Oval Space's terrace bar, Behind This Wall is a secret little cocktail den that's setting up permanent shop in Hackney. The venue has purposely been decorated in an understated manner to stress the explosive flavours of the cocktail menu. With some of Britain's best small batch distilleries and a line-up of fresh fruits and liqueurs, every drink created here promises to dazzle. 

Fitzrovia is ever brimming with places to eat and drink, but have you managed to find one of the best hidden, underground London bars in the area? Known for its industrial interiors and cocktail nods, join the Reverend for more than a drink or three.

Coupling soulful live music with authentic julep cocktails, Kansas Smitty's is a charming underground bar in East London. The entire basement bar explodes into life 5 days a week, when the venue's house band take to the stage, playing a number of famous jazz tunes for guests to swoon with. Based below street-level in Haggerston in East London, this is definitely a hidden gem in London well-worth checking out.

Hidden underneath the renowned pizza specialists Voodoo Rays, Ray's bar is an easy-going cocktail bar in Dalston that's taken the phrase liquid dinner to extreme lengths. To start with, guests can enjoy a prosecco cocktail, before moving onto a rum concoction for the mains and concluding one a sweet note with a sherry-infused creation. Full of charm and certain to leave you smiling, you'll find yourself constantly returning to this East London underground bar.