Please note, Ape & Bird is now closed. Time Out Editors, January 2018.
Take the back entrance into this fifth Polpo branch and immediately head downstairs. You'll enter a dusky, rustic cavern with bare concrete walls and a few flickering candles. This is where Soho and Covent Garden media types sip negronis until it's as dark outside as it is inside. It’s yet another ‘speakeasy’, what with its basement location, miniature dark wood stools and general lack of lighting, but this covert boozer wasn't born in the USA. Like the restaurant above, Dive Bar is Venetian-inspired (Aperol, Campari and Cynar mixes dominate the menu) and it serves some of the best spritzes in town. A great hideaway to know about in an area known for touristy pubs.