The best secret bars in London

Bruno’s can be found gently bobbing away on the Islington stretch of the Regent’s Canal. This cocktail barge is that rare thing – a hidden London bar that at no point makes you feel like you’re an unwilling participant in an immersive theatre production. Find the buzzer and access a secret pontoon of houseboats as well as this special spot with comfy velvet armchairs, flattering lighting and a soul-focused playlist that pumps out low-level Rick James to a well-behaved cocktail crowd. As romantic spots go, Bruno’s has got the intimate, but not too intimate, thing nailed. This is ideal third-date territory. 

Tucked away in the basement of One Hundred Shoreditch hotel, Seed Library serves up delicious creations of world renowned mixologist Ryan 'Mr Lyan' Chetiyawardana. Discreet and darkly lit, it's the ideal joint for a late night date, as vinyl-only DJs play seriously smooth groves to accompy your chive Daiquiri or corriander seed Gimlet. Don't ignore the snack menu either, with the indulgent likes of bacon jam on toast and smoked chicken nuggets on offer. 

Kitsch, louche and very late-night, the Phoenix attracts a regular crowd of debauched Soho luvvies and miscreants to its famous basement den (the former dressing rooms of the theatre above). Decked out in ancient publicity shots and gaudy amateur art, it is a reliably upbeat and lively space. Membership is required to gain entry after 9pm, so it remains a bit of an inside secret (wink wink, don’t tell them we told you). 

Psst! Over here! The Vault of Soho is a bar hidden behind an unassuming bookcase at the rear of Soho whisky specialist Milroy’s. Once you find your way through it and then down the stairs, you’ll find a dark, delectable little basement where cocktails are made from potent spirits – whisky included, naturally. 

Happiness Forgets may be known the world over for its impeccable cocktails and classy service, but you’ll need to be in the know to locate this hidden-away basement dive. Once you’re in, staff go out of their way to make sure you’re happy. Decor is minimal, table lighting is from candles, no standing is allowed. One of the best bars in east London – or in all of London, for that matter. 

It may look like an old run-down tailor’s, but this is a place for very serious drinking in the dark. After finding the DSC (not easy for first-timers), descend the steep stairs and watch your head so you don’t bump it on the low ceilings. This wood-heavy, dimly atmospheric east London ‘speakeasy’ does tailor-made cocktails to a tee. 

Okay, okay, so this is one of London’s worst-kept bar secrets. But go along with it for a bona-fide ride. Cahoots is a vintage-tube-themed bar and you’re met at the door by an awkward ‘train guard’ actor in mockney character. He’ll escort you to the platform (you know, the bar) in time for cocktail hour – just so long as you’ve booked far enough in advance.

Confession time: cocktails are a bit good at the Rev’s place in Fitzrovia. This bar is hidden on the former site of a rectory, although once you get down the stained glass stairwell, there’s not much else holy about the place. It’s a cosy bar with lengthy – not to mention comfy – sofas in semi circles, ideal for group outings. Say a little prayer for a clear head the day after.

This dimly lit basement bar beneath the Breakfast Club in Spitalfields is reminiscent of a ‘Twin Peaks’-style log cabin, with moose heads, mirror balls and retro wallpaper. How do you find it? Through the café’s fridge, of course. Cocktails, consisting of classics and house specials, are well crafted on the whole.

Hackney Road’s The Natural Philosopher has its residence in the converted storeroom of a Mac repair shop, and nothing much gives its presence away. An ageing rug on the floor, a grandfather clock and deep red walls give a retro feel that contrasts with the laptop workshop upstairs. The bar is found lowered into a well in the ground, while a small room behind and below the bar makes for an intimate cubbyhole. 

Once you find this hidden hangout, gawp at its jawdropping design that creates a look of Eastern smoking den-meets-Western hipster hangout. Find Chinese vases and burning incense mixed with deep funky beats and retro armchairs. Much like neighbouring bar ECC, the entrance is concealed – look out for a jade door on Gerrard Street. 

A Victorian basement bar opposite some railway arches in London Bridge, Nine Lives is a hidden (tropically themed) gem well worth your attention. The cocktails are delicious, fruity and balanced but the hand-picked soundtrack deserves a mention too. These guys love their music, as evinced by their incredibly high definition quadraphonic audio sound system.

This subterranean lounge bar can be found in Covent Garden’s former Bow Street police station. The lockup gained nationwide attention in the late 19th-century for imprisoning Oscar Wilde for his crimes of ‘gross indecency’ (or in modern speak: homosexuality). Today, the venue is far more forward-thinking, serving hyper-seasonal ingredients, from butternut squash to beetroot, in its cocktails. The Tomatoes R’ Us margarita shouldn’t work but is clean and tangy, while the Hot, Cold & Nutty mixes fire and ice by pairing cold brew coffee with hot salted cobnut cream. 

Disrepute’s Kingly Court entrance is pretty discreet, and getting into this Soho members’ club makes you feel like you’re letting your date in on some sort of secret. The cocktail list at this speakeasy-style bar is equally enigmatic, with a separate coded sheet in case you actually want to know what’s in your beverage. Otherwise, take a gamble and pick a tipple from the lyrical, lusty tales used to describe each drink. 

Experimental Cocktail Club isn’t the kind of place you’d expect to find in Chinatown. In fact, it’s not the kind of place you should expect to find full stop: don’t be surprised if you walk past the bar’s unassumingly battered door several times before realising it leads to this buzzing three-floor joint filled with trendy groups and dating couples absorbed in lively chatter.