When you think of hidden London bars, secret drinking spots tucked away from main streets, often requiring a password, a knock, or just the right intuition to find. Also known as speakeasies, these places aren’t just about alcohol—they’re about atmosphere, history, and the thrill of discovery. Forget the neon signs and long queues. The best hidden London bars don’t advertise. They whisper. You find them by following the scent of smoked oak, the sound of a jazz record spinning low, or the quiet hum of people who’ve been coming here for years.
These spots often live in basements, behind bookshelves, or down alleyways near Covent Garden, Shoreditch, and Soho. Some were once smugglers’ dens, others old bank vaults or underground railway offices. You’ll find speakeasy London, bars that recreate the Prohibition-era secrecy with coded entry and dim lighting next to underground pubs, no-frills local joints where the landlord knows your name and the beer’s been on tap since 1987. Then there are the intimate cocktail bars, tiny rooms where bartenders mix drinks with house-made syrups, aged bitters, and ingredients you’ve never heard of. Each one tells a different story—but they all share one thing: they don’t want you to stumble in by accident.
What makes these places special isn’t the price tag or the Instagrammable decor. It’s the feeling of belonging to something quiet and real. You won’t find a menu with 50 gin options here. You’ll get a drink made just for you, because the bartender noticed you paused at the door. You’ll hear someone tell a story about the building’s past, or how the piano player used to be a taxi driver. These aren’t tourist traps. They’re living rooms with liquor.
Below, you’ll find real recommendations from people who’ve hunted these spots down—bars where the door doesn’t have a sign, where the staff won’t ask if you’re lost, and where the last customer leaves just before midnight. Whether you’re after a whiskey in a 1920s vault, a gin cocktail under fairy lights in a basement, or a pint in a room that hasn’t changed since the ’70s, this collection has you covered. No fluff. No gimmicks. Just the places that make London’s drinking scene worth staying up for.
Discover London’s hidden bars, late-night snacks, and local nightlife secrets that tourists never see. No gimmicks, no crowds - just real places where the city truly comes alive after dark.