The best speakeasies in London in 2026 are Nightjar on City Road for cocktails and live jazz, Evans & Peel Detective Agency in Earls Court for a theatrical entrance, Experimental Cocktail Club behind an unmarked door in Chinatown, Cahoots for a 1940s Tube-station theme in Soho, and Discount Suit Company in a former tailor's stockroom in Spitalfields.
London's speakeasies hide behind unmarked doors, phone boxes and fake shopfronts, and most take bookings, which is wise at weekends. Dress codes are usually relaxed but smart-casual is safest. Expect to pay London cocktail prices, typically well into double figures, plus a service charge.
A 1920s-style basement bar with superb cocktails and live jazz.
Nightjar hides behind an unmarked door on City Road, opening into a dark, glamorous basement with live jazz and blues most nights and an inventive cocktail list organised by era.
It is one of London's most celebrated bars.
Good to know: Book ahead for live music nights; there is a cover charge when bands play.
129 City Road, London EC1V 1JB
Present your 'case' to the detective to be let into the bar.
Evans & Peel Detective Agency in Earls Court greets you at a detective's desk, where you explain your 'case' before a bookcase swings open onto a 1920s-style bar.
It is fun, theatrical and great for a date or a group.
Good to know: Play along with the detective at the door; it is half the fun.
310c Earls Court Road, London SW5 9BA
A sultry bar behind an unmarked door in Chinatown.
Experimental Cocktail Club is up a staircase behind an unmarked door on Gerrard Street, with a candlelit room and creative cocktails from the Paris-born group.
It is a stylish late-night option in the heart of the West End.
Good to know: Look for the shabby door between the restaurants; there is no sign.
13a Gerrard Street, London W1D 5PS
A 1940s wartime-themed bar in a disused Tube station set.
Cahoots, in Kingly Court off Carnaby Street, is designed as a 1940s bomb-shelter-meets-Tube-station bar, with staff in period dress, swing music and cocktails served in playful vessels.
It is a fun, high-energy night out for groups.
Good to know: Book for weekends; it fills up quickly.
13 Kingly Court, London W1B 5PW
An Alice-in-Wonderland-inspired bar with a hidden room through a wardrobe.
Callooh Callay on Rivington Street is a playful cocktail bar with a secret room reached through a wardrobe at the back.
It is a long-running Shoreditch favourite for inventive drinks.
Good to know: Look for the wardrobe at the back; it is the door to the hidden room.
65 Rivington Street, London EC2A 3AY
A tiny basement bar in a former tailor's stockroom.
Discount Suit Company is a small, intimate basement bar off Petticoat Lane, decorated like an old tailor's stockroom, with well-made cocktails and a friendly crowd.
It is a good low-key alternative to the bigger Shoreditch bars.
Good to know: It is small; arrive early or book.
29a Wentworth Street, London E1 7TB
A Victorian explorer's house turned into a cocktail bar.
Mr Fogg's Residence on Bruton Lane imagines the home of Phileas Fogg from Around the World in Eighty Days, crammed with travel curios, with cocktails served by staff in period costume.
It is theatrical and fun, and there are several other Mr Fogg's bars around London.
Good to know: Book a table for weekends.
15 Bruton Lane, London W1J 6JD
Nightjar on City Road is the best known, with superb cocktails and live jazz. Evans & Peel Detective Agency is the most theatrical.
For weekend evenings, yes. Most take online bookings and keep some space for walk-ins earlier in the week.
Many are: Experimental Cocktail Club has an unmarked door in Chinatown, Evans & Peel asks you to state your 'case' at the door, and Callooh Callay hides a bar behind a wardrobe.
Typically well into double figures per drink, plus a discretionary service charge of around 12.5%.
See our cocktail bars and rooftop bars guides.