Speakeasies in London
London's speakeasies make you find the door. Nightjar sits behind an unassuming door near Old Street roundabout and has live jazz, blues, swing and funk from 9pm nightly. Lounge Bohemia hides behind an unmarked red door near Shoreditch High Street station and asks guests not to wear suits. The Spy Bar fills rooms 006 and 007 of the Old War Office, behind a door marked with a tiny 007, and puts a sticker over your camera lens. Soma is behind an unmarked door on Denman Street, Bar Lina beneath the Lina Stores deli and Bar Kinky behind a curtain in Kinkally's basement. Bar Kinky is walk-in only. These are the seven we would start with.
- Nightjar50 BESTSpeakeasy
Nightjar
A basement speakeasy on City Road that has spent fifteen years at the forefront of London's cocktail scene, peaking at No.2 in the World's 50 Best Bars 2013. The menu is organized by historical era, The Old School (1899 to 1933), Mid-Century Mixology (1934 to 1980) and Modern Classics (1981 to 2015), full of theatrical serves built on rare and vintage spirits, from a lavish Singapore Sling to a five-rum Zombie. Live jazz, blues, swing and funk play every night from 9pm, with the cover charge going directly to the musicians. Smart casual, 21+, one floor below ground.
Order thisSingapore SlingFord's gin, Mount Gay XO rum, Fen Chiew baijiu, jasmine & yuzu, Bénédictine, pineapple, cherry beer129 City Road, Shoreditch, London EC1V 1JBSun-Wed 7pm-1am, Thu-Sat 7pm-3amFull profile 
PINNACLESpeakeasySoma
A modern, minimalist take on the speakeasy beneath Kricket in Soho, from the team behind the modern Indian restaurant upstairs. Drinks draw on the Indian subcontinent, makrut lime leaf, chaat masala, palm jaggery, around a statement stainless-steel counter, with smooth jazz early and hip-hop as the night deepens. 1 PIN in The Pinnacle Guide 2025. Best Bar at the 2022 GQ Food & Drink Awards. Limited reservations; first-in-line queue as the evening progresses.
Order thisLeafOpihr gin, makrut lime leaf, curry leaf, pink peppercorn, Gimlet style14 Denman Street, London W1D 7HJMon-Tue 6pm-1am, Wed-Thu 6pm-2am, Fri-Sat 6pm-3am, Sun 5pm-10:30pmFull profile- ScalesPINNACLESpeakeasy
Scales
Scales is a modern speakeasy on Duke Street in Marylebone, close to Selfridges. Its seasonal menus use only produce that is in season somewhere in the world, and the team works peels, pulp and seeds into clarifications, cordials and syrups to cut waste. The result is a list of clear, precise cocktails served in a dark, compact room that takes walk-ins and a limited number of bookings.
25 Duke Street, London W1U 1DJMon-Thu 4pm-11.30pm, Fri-Sat 4pm-12am, Sun 3pm-10pmFull profile - The Spy BarPINNACLESpeakeasy
The Spy Bar
Raffles London at The OWO's subterranean speakeasy occupies rooms 006 and 007 of the Old War Office, once high-security vaults for the identity papers and mission reports of MI5 and MI6 agents. Access is invitation-only (hotel residents), photography is forbidden, and the £150 Spy Bar Tasting Experience, three cocktails, three canapés, is the bookable way in. In the hotel's words: it's classified.
57 Whitehall, London SW1A 2BXTue-Sat 5pm-1am (invitation / hotel guests only)Full profile - Bar KinkyPINNACLESpeakeasy
Bar Kinky
Bar Kinky is a 17-seat cocktail bar in the basement of Kinkally, a Georgian restaurant on Charlotte Street in Fitzrovia. The room has a sleek, futuristic design that the two venues share, inspired by the mountains of Georgia, and the bar plays techno late into the night. The list is built from the restaurant's ingredients, with experimental signatures alongside Kinkally's full cocktail menu, and the bar takes walk-ins only.
43 Charlotte Street, London W1T 1RSTue-Thu 5.30pm-12am, Fri-Sat 5.30pm-2am, closed Sun-MonFull profile 
50 BESTSpeakeasyLounge Bohemia
An unsigned, reservation-only subterranean cocktail lounge near Shoreditch High Street station, one of London's original molecular-mixology speakeasies. The retro 1960s, Czech-inflected room hosts experimental cocktails tailored to each guest's preferences.
1e Great Eastern Street, Shoreditch, London EC2A 3EJEvenings, reservation only (regular service paused 2 Nov to 23 Dec 2026 for ticketed 20th-anniversary sessions)Full profile- Bar LinaSpeakeasy
Bar Lina
Bar Lina is an Italian aperitivo bar in the basement under the Lina Stores delicatessen on Brewer Street in Soho. The cocktail list puts Italian twists on classics, with a Bloody Martini made with coffee-filtered tomato water as its signature, and a short menu of Italian snacks. Tables can be booked, though Friday and Saturday nights from 8pm are walk-in only.
18 Brewer Street, London W1F 0SGMon-Sat 5pm-11.30pm, Sun 4pm-10.30pmFull profile
More of London
These are the speakeasies specifically. The full London guide ranks the best bars of every style, and the directory lists all 91 with a map and filters.
