Have you heard of the secret cocktail bar that’s hidden behind a fridge in an east London café?
To get into most cocktail bars, you simply walk in from the street. But London is full of hidden speakeasy bars that only the most au fait Londoners know about. So, if The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town isn’t news to you, congratulations! You’ve made it. (Photo by @aimeekvenn)
If you’re yet to discover the secret, no dramas – that’s what we’re here for. Make your way to The Breakfast Club on Artillery Lane and inform a member of staff that you are “here to see the Mayor”. They will then direct you to the normal-seeming Smeg fridge, which you’ll have to walk through to enter the dingy, candlelit speakeasy.
The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town is filled with vintage furniture and bizarre wall art, while the cocktail menu is brimming with weird and wonderful drinks. Try The Basic Kitsch with vodka, lemon, vanilla and raspberry syrup and lemonade, or the Chiquita with whiskey, Advocaat, Licor 43, banana, lemon and sugar. If cocktails aren’t your style, there’s also plenty of craft beer and wine.
There’s food on the menu, too: from a rather classy cheese board, to Disco Fries with pulled pork, bacon, avocado hollandaise, beer cheese, eggs, fries, chimichurri and spring onion. They sound pretty dirty, but we’re into it.
So, let’s do a quick recap. Head to The Breakfast Club, skip the breakfast (or stay, they have crackin’ eggs), and ask to see the Mayor. Simples.
These guys know what they’re doing:
Location: The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town, beneath The Breakfast Club, 12-16 Artillery Lane, E1 7LS. Nearest station: Liverpool Street. See it on Google Maps.
Date: Monday to Thursday, 5pm – 12am. Fridays, 3pm – 12am. Saturdays, 12pm – 12am. Sundays, 12pm – 10:30pm.
Price: Cocktails cost £8/9, while the food ranges from £3-9.
More info: on the Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town website.