Speakeasy London: Hidden Bars, Jazz Bars and Classic Cocktails

If you’re looking for a speakeasy, London has some of the best hidden bars in the world: Nightjar behind an unmarked door near Old Street, Evans & Peel behind a detective’s office in Earl’s Court, and Cahoots in a mock wartime Underground station off Carnaby Street. Add live jazz at Ronnie Scott’s or a martini at the Connaught Bar and you have the makings of a perfect late evening. Here is our concierge’s guide to the best speakeasy bars, jazz bars and classic cocktail bars in London.

Every bar here was open in 2026. Hidden bars are small and their arrangements change: door policies, booking rules, music nights and minimum spends. Check with the bar before you go, and book where you can.

What is a speakeasy bar?

The original speakeasies were illegal bars in Prohibition-era America, hidden from the police behind shopfronts and back doors. Today’s London versions are entirely legal, but keep the spirit: a hard-to-find entrance, a low-lit room, a short walk back in time and very good cocktails. Some go all-in on theatre, with passwords and costumed staff; others simply skip the sign over the door.

Speakeasy London: the best hidden bars

Nightjar, Old Street

Behind an unassuming door on City Road, close to the Old Street roundabout, a staircase leads down to a candlelit room of dark panelling and leather. Nightjar has live music most nights, often jazz and swing from the 1920s to the 1940s, and a long menu of cocktails arranged by era. One of the best speakeasy bars in London, and the one to book first.

Evans & Peel Detective Agency, Earl’s Court

On Earls Court Road, Evans & Peel looks like a detective’s office. You’re asked to explain your “case” before being shown through a bookcase into a candlelit 1920s bar, with cocktails named after bootleggers and live jazz on some nights. Playful and great fun on a date. It’s in the heart of Earl’s Court, where many of our ladies are based.

Cahoots, Soho

In Kingly Court, just off Carnaby Street, Cahoots imagines a disused Underground station turned into a 1940s bar. Staff are in period dress, there’s often a swing band, and the cocktails are better than the theme might suggest. A sister venue a few steps away, the Ticket Hall and Control Room, continues the theme.

Experimental Cocktail Club, Chinatown

Behind a battered door at 13A Gerrard Street, the Experimental Cocktail Club spreads over two floors, each with its own bar. It reopened in October 2025 after a redesign. Expect excellent cocktails and late hours; booking is recommended.

Mr Fogg’s Residence, Mayfair

On Bruton Lane, Mr Fogg’s Residence is styled as the home of Phileas Fogg, the Victorian adventurer from Around the World in Eighty Days. Every wall and shelf is crowded with curios, and the cocktails draw on his travels. Theatrical, cosy and only a few minutes from Berkeley Square.

Jazz bars in London

Ronnie Scott’s, Soho

The most famous jazz club in Britain, on Frith Street since 1965. The main room is intimate, with table service and some of the world’s best musicians on stage. In 2026 the club opened Upstairs at Ronnie’s, a refurbished 140-seat room on the first floor for later sets and a broader mix of music. Book ahead for a table near the stage.

PizzaExpress Jazz Club, Soho

In the basement at 10 Dean Street, the PizzaExpress Jazz Club has presented live music since the 1970s and has hosted early London shows by artists who went on to be very famous. It’s intimate, unpretentious and a good place to hear rising singers.

The 606 Club, Chelsea

On Lots Road, the 606 Club is a basement jazz and blues club that turns 50 in 2026, with anniversary celebrations through October. It’s a favourite with musicians and serves dinner as well as drinks, so it can be a dinner-and-jazz evening in one place.

Two of the bars above, Nightjar and Swift in Soho, also have regular live jazz nights, so a hidden bar and a set of jazz can be one and the same evening.

The best bars in Soho

Swift, Old Compton Street

Swift has two personalities. Upstairs is a bright, walk-in aperitivo bar for champagne and bitter classics; downstairs is a dark lounge with a long whisky list, a fuller cocktail menu and live jazz on some nights. It has been a fixture of international best-bar lists since opening in 2016.

Bar Termini, Old Compton Street

A tiny Italian bar with room for about 25, Bar Termini serves espresso by day and a very short list of negronis and aperitivi by night, with seated service only. It’s perfect for one excellent drink before dinner. Book if you can; walk-ins are welcome when there’s space.

Add Cahoots, the Experimental Cocktail Club and Ronnie Scott’s, and you have an evening in Soho without needing a taxi. Our Tottenham Court Road page shows who is based close by.

Cocktail bars in Mayfair and the great hotel bars

Connaught Bar, Mayfair

At The Connaught on Carlos Place, the Connaught Bar is regularly ranked among the best bars in the world. Its martini trolley comes to your table, and the martini is mixed in front of you with your choice of house bitters. The David Collins interior, all platinum leaf and leather, is pure Mayfair glamour.

Artesian at The Langham, Regent Street

Named after the artesian well beneath The Langham hotel, Artesian is a multi-award-winning hotel bar with a creative cocktail menu and a glamorous room. Convenient for Marylebone and Mayfair.

The American Bar at The Savoy, Strand

Open since 1893, the American Bar is where Harry Craddock wrote The Savoy Cocktail Book. Art Deco surroundings, a resident pianist and classic cocktails made beautifully make it one of the great London bars for a first drink on a special night.

A suggested Soho evening

Start with a negroni at Bar Termini around seven, walk a few minutes to dinner, then catch the late set at Ronnie Scott’s. If there’s still energy afterwards, the Experimental Cocktail Club in Chinatown stays open late. Everything is within a ten-minute walk, which is exactly how a good London evening should feel.

How to plan a night of hidden bars

• Book where you can. Most of these rooms are small. A booking saves you a queue on a dark street.
• Go early in the week. Tuesday to Thursday is calmer, and the bartenders have more time.
• Check the music nights. Live jazz is usually on set nights, and some bars add a small music charge.
• Look for minimum spends or time limits on tables, especially at weekends.
• Dress smart casual. Nobody expects black tie, but sportswear can be turned away.
• Keep it to two or three bars. A good cocktail deserves time, and so does the person you’re with.

Hidden bars and a dinner date

A late cocktail rounds off an evening beautifully, but dinner should come first. If you’re planning a dinner date with one of our ladies, choose and book the restaurant, then tell us the time and place; she’ll dress for the setting. A dinner date is three hours, usually around £800. Our guides to dinner dates and overnights and escort etiquette explain the rest, and you can browse our London escorts or contact us to book.

For the restaurant itself, see our romantic restaurants in London. For a drink with a view, try our rooftop bars, and for the whole evening, our date night ideas.