Heights & Whispers:
London’s Rooftop Bars and Secretive Speakeasies
Skyline views, clandestine atmospheres, and masterful mixology converge at London’s rooftop bars and secretive speakeasies. Expect allure and some mystery to also intertwine.
THE BLIND PIG
London’s closest thing to a rooftop bar and secretive speakeasy. Tucked away upstairs from Social Eat House, this low-lit space is sought out for its technical and creative cocktails.
CAHOOTS
A disused underground tube station transformed into a 1940s cocktail bar. Classic cocktails and post-war staples get served in old mugs, hip flasks, vintage milk bottles, and tins.
DISCOUNT SUIT COMPANY
Classically inspired cocktails from a clandestine bare-brick bar. Formerly a suit tailor’s storeroom, it was named after its existing original sign and Petticoat Lane business.
FRANK’S CAFE
The cult South London rooftop hangout. It’s located above a parking garage in Peckham. Since 2008, it’s been the district’s de rigueur destination for summertime drinking.
MANETTA’S
Famed former haunt of artists and literati restored to its 1930s splendour. Plush velvet, supple black upholstery, and polished rose gold set a luxe scene for inventive, stylish sips.
THE NEST IN TREEHOUSE
Rustic-chic rooftop bar in Marylebone. It’s got a 360° view of London and green-foliage-filled indoor lounge, where natural materials abound and market-driven cocktails get downed.
ROOF GARDEN AT PANTECHNICON
Nordic-inspired rooftop brasserie — and a botanical haven. Mixologists make crafted cocktails and spritzes, going beyond just botanicals with house infusions and exclusive spirits.
THE VAULT SOHO
Candlelit cocktail den, hidden behind a bookcase in the city’s oldest whiskey shop. So subterranean is its basement bar, it can be found situated in the cellars beneath Greek Street.
UPSTAIRS AT THE DEPARTMENT STORE
Laid-back Brixton members club on The Department Store’s top floor. It was originally designed as a social space for Squire & Partners architects, who developed the building.
