Greek Street Hidden Pub

By now you should know my passion for hidden places. Being somewhere few people know makes you feel privileged in some way. London is certainly one of the best city for these kind of gems.

Today I'll tell you everything about this mysterious blue door in Greek Street, Soho. Greek street is a nice street in Soho filled with bars and restaurants. But in between of all these restaurants and known places a very common blue door is waiting for you. Behind this traditional door you'll find a classic residential building. Find your way to the basement and you'll arrive in a tiny pub filled with regular customers.

Don't go there if you are craving for nice Champagne and fancy cocktails. This rough place is nothing but completely British with football posters on the ceiling, a big dog guarding the door and an owner who'll wonder who the f*** you are. The place is small, with crappy furniture that makes you feel that you are lost in some small town in the countryside.

I loved it! It has a real unique soul. Come with a bunch of friends for an unpretentious glass of wine, you can easily speak to each others and make friend with the customers. Be yourself, nobody will judge you, even if you are wearing that ugly sweatpants of yours. Have a smoke in the courtyard with your bottled beer and if you are lucky enough some musicians will appear, push the tables in a corner and start playing to make you move in rhythm spilling your drink all over the place.

It is nice once in a while to be surrounded by smiley people in a simple atmosphere. If you are looking for somethig So British, this is the place to be !

Mayor of Scaredy Cat

You all know my addiction of prohibition style places. Well today I'll post about a place that is not a secret place (due to the queue to get in) but that fills the urge of surprise and speakeasy.

I love how they hid it and how to get in. In fact, that's the most amusing element of this venue.

Have you ever been to The Breakfast Club in Spitalfields? If not, surprise your colleagues or friends by taking them there for after-work drinks. They may seem amused, intrigued or even not really willing to accompany you, but take the risk of looking pushy and insist! Once there, step inside The Breakfast Club, wait for a waiter and ask to see the Mayor. If your guests don't know the place they will be quite puzzled about your enquiry.

The waiter will ask you to follow him till a huge vintage american-style fridge. Ornament, you say? No, no, this is the secret door to The Mayor of Scaredy Cat! The waiter will open it for you, and you'll see a staircase taking you underneath The Breakfast Club. Imagine the face of my friend when the restaurant staff opened the fridge! Priceless!

I love the effect of surprise and the feeling that a hidden place gives. It is like unwrapping a gift. You have no idea what's inside but you are just too exited!

The Breakfst Club

The Mayor of Scaredy Cat (apparently named after a sitcom episode but I couldn't figure out which one) asks you to play along till the end of your visit. When you feel the need to leave (or have a smoke) you'll be asked to take the stairs up but to go out through an other door than the fridge one. You'll find yourself going out by The Breakfast Club toilets! So Breakfast Clubbers won't get suspicious! This is simply brilliant!

The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club

The Fridge !

Enough talking about how to get in/out and let's discuss about the real matter is: COCKTAILS!

From 7pm to 6pm it is Happy Hour! So if you manage to get during this hour you'll be able to enjoy their cocktails at a ridiculous price of 4£. Not to mention that the earlier you get there the most chances you'll have to get a table. Scaredy Cat gets really busy and people are put on hold in the Breakfast Club till someone leaves.

The menu offers a large variety of cocktails for every taste. All made with precision and skill. Some invented, some classics. Always nicely dressed. We ended up having wine when the happy hour ended. Much more better for our wallets! The bar also have "Cat Food", mostly snacks or even weekend brunch.

They played the Cat theme really well, emphasizing on the details.

We really enjoyed the time spend in this lovely basement with nice drinks, nice food and good company. Go there to impress your friends and to have nice quiet drinks. Also suitable for an original date.

12-16 Artillery Lane, E1 7LS

020 707 89 639

henri@themayorofscaredycattown.com

Tweeter: @mayorscaredycat

Case solved at Evans & Peel

Everybody has a mystery case unsolved, as is my neighbour a serial killer? Is my wife having an affair with the Tesco cashier? I need to know the name of my stalker so I can stalk him back. Is my pilates trainer trying to kill me to keep the money of the 20 courses I've already bought?

Well Evans & Peel, detective agency in Earl's court will happily help you solve your case. Book in advance your appointment and make sure you bring enough evidences (such as photographies of the missing sock that disappeared last week, or finger prints of the suspect) and information about the case.

Be quiet when you arrive, ring the bell and state your name. And then... I won't tell you anything else! This place is all about mystery and secrets and explaining you how it works will spoil the adventure.

The only thing I can say is that cocktails are really creative (and strong), portion of food are disappointedly small (but you come here for the atmosphere, not really for the food) and this place couldn't be cooler than it already is!

As you already know I am a big fan of speakeasies and I am completely in love with anything related with the prohibition ambient.

So if you like being surprised, this bar is made for you!

But shhhhh, it's a secret!

310c Earl’s Court Road

Tube: Earls Court

+44207 373 3573

Small peek inside:

The Box

Tuesday night was girls night out for my friends and I. We started having home made cocktails (I would say experimental cocktails) at my place and then moved on to party hard in The Box.
The Box is certainly one of my favourite places in London. If you like unusual places The Box is made for you.

The first Box appeared in New York and I was lucky enough to experiment it. The result was that I completely felt in love with the place. From the outside you will never imagine what is beneath those big black doors. Once you managed to get in you felt like a time-traveller whom landed somewhere during the prohibition in a small, cosy, dark theatre from the 30s.

Yes, I said theatre, and that means shows ! Following the burlesque vibe of those days, The Box provides one of the most trashy burlesque show I've ever seen. But it is not only a freak show it also have amazingly beautiful dance and acrobatic performances ! The London version watered down the show but it is still something you have to see !

I don't want to spoil it by describing you what really happens there but one thing I can tell is that what happens in The Box, stays in The Box. They completely understood the meaning of that motto as it is forbidden to take pictures in the club, and I can tell you that this is the best thing they could offer us ! No one wants to see pictures of you dancing like the devil in the middle of the club with some almost naked guys, not to mention what happens in the stage, where you could easily end !

So if you are in need of something different, unique and unforgettable (well, it depends on how much Belvedere is running through your blood), try The Box !