Where to find London’s best speakeasies

The ultimate East London speakeasy we simply couldn’t miss. With gorgeous decor, cocktails and live jazz, Nightjar is a hit! Serving the vibe seven days a week, creating new cocktails on the regular, and open until late, you cannot go wrong here. Offering a few small plates such as cheese boards and olives, this is the ideal space if you don’t want a full sit down dinner, but need a few nibbles to help get you through the night! Bear in mind there is a small cover charge added to your bill that goes straight to the musicians that play here – support your artists!

A gorgeous speakeasy hidden right in the heart of town, Blind Spot can be found within the St Martin’s Lane Hotel behind a white door with a golden outstretched hand reaching towards you. Stunning service and a romantic setting, this is an ideal date night venue or an enlightening post-show cocktail away from the buzz of Soho and the madness of Piccadilly. An exquisite range of classic and contemporary cocktails, we love this venue. It’s open until late, with live DJs on Friday and Saturday nights.

Inside Kensington’s Troubadour you will find an incredible live jazz space. Hidden under the main dining area via a discreet door and staircase towards the side of the bar, you can catch cracking live jazz and good food every Sunday and Monday night here. It’s more London pub vibe than your traditional speakeasy – but the music is fantastic in such a cosy, relaxed setting. We highly recommend booking ahead to ensure a table to enjoy wine, food and jazz.

For those that have a sweet tooth, Basement State is a brilliant Soho spot. Serving desserts paired with drinks, we recommend visiting this place for a post-dinner drink and sweet treat. Open until late seven days a week with live music events throughout the month, Basement State is a great, relaxed and welcoming venue for a late night stop.

A famous East London venue, having been around on the corner of Commercial Street for the last 400 years or so serving the people of Spitalfields. However, the cocktail bar-cum-speakeasy can be found via a back staircase, opening to a comfortable candlelit nook featuring sofas and classic drinks – a perfect spot on a Friday night out. It also offers Margarita Mondays, which might possibly be the best way to puzzle over the venue’s rich history and connection to the Ripper stories.

Purl is an award-winning, underground venue serving creative cocktails. Priding itself on “multi-sensory level” drinks, this is definitely a venue for those who are passionate about their drinks and intricacies of cocktail making. With live jazz on a Friday night, and brilliant service, this is a great venue in central. Want to take your drinking passion one step further? Purl also offers mixologist masterclasses, perfect for parties and work team events!