Hidden Bars and Secret Restaurants to Explore From London Hotels
Saturday, February 18th, 2012
London may be known for its drinking culture, cheap coach purses outlet , but did you know that some of the capital’s best bars and restaurants remain top-secret? Hidden underground or in old Victorian toilets, abercrombie uk , London’s secret bars and nightclubs crop up in the least likely places and if you’re lucky enough to find one of them then you’re in exclusive company:
The Cork and Bottle
Located right in the heart of Leicester Square and close to many popular London hotels it’s a wonder that the Cork and Bottle still manages to stay secret. However, unless you know what you’re looking for it’s impossible to find the Cork and the Bottle. The restaurant lies in between two cut-price ticket booths on Leicester Square’s Cranbourn Street and is a Mecca for wine-lovers. There are over 308 wines on the menu and these aren’t just any wines, the owner Don Hewitson has travelled the globe looking for small wineries that produce more niche and unusual wines. The wine bar also serves food, and if you’re in the area for lunch then the deal offering two courses for £11 is one of the cheapest in this area of town.
Lounge Bohemia
The only way that you can get into Lounge Bohemia in Shoreditch is with a reservation. Guests who have managed to find the secret venue and turn up on the off-chance that they’ll be allowed in have all been turned away, even if the venue is empty. Those are the rules and though it might sound like a bit of hassle, but the cocktails inside this venue are well worth it. Inventions like The Holy Smoke, cheap coach purses , served in a Bible with frankincense and myrrh smoke and leather-infused Courvoisier are not your run-of-the-mill drinks, while the lavender crème brulee made with condensed milk, lavender vodka, advocaat and topped with hard sugar has an almost cult following.
Cellar Door
Although there are many London hotels and popular musicals close-by, chances are that you’ll walk straight past the entrance to Cellar Door at least twice. This former public convenience has been lavishly redecorated and now offers decadent surroundings and cabaret for up to 60 people at a time. Stop here on a Saturday afternoon for High Tea(se) and you can watch a burlesque act in these intimate surroundings while sipping tea and nibbling on scones and clotted cream. Afterwards, retreat to the poker table and cash in your chips, while Pete Saunders, the resident pianist and former Dexy’s Midnight Runners star plays a collection of jazz.
Calloh Callay
In Old Street away from most of the popular tourist attractions and hotels of London, visitors that look carefully can find the Chanel-esque double C of Calloh Callay. Inside the bar, customers can drink cocktails out of gramophones, or choose other delicious concoctions from the Lewis Carroll inspired menu. Once you’ve received your drinks don’t sit in the main bar and drink them, instead open up the wardrobe on the back wall and you’ll find a hidden passage which once you walk through takes you to a hidden back bar.
