Last Friday night we headed in to London to meet some friends for a surprise celebration  evening.  I always think it adds to the excitement to a night out when you are sending a million text messages in 1/2 hour….”Where are you guys?…  Train was delayed…  Can you stall them for a bit, Victoria tube is manic…. We will wait around the corner so we wont be seen”

We were all meeting at the perfectly apt Clarendon Cocktail Cellar, in one of my favourite parts of London, tucked on one of those streets you dream of living on in the Pimlico neighbourhood,  where everything feels a little hidden and a little oddly quiet for London  The cocktail lounge has been created in what was an old Victorian Pub with apparently a sordid past.  Way back in 1852 both Ladies and Gentleman were as thirsty for glamorous cocktails and a decadent evening out as we were that night.

 As you turn a corner and head down the stairs of the Artist in Residence Hotel, to the Cocktail Cellar you feel as if you are escaping the real world and hiding out in  a 1920’s  forbidden Speakeasies, surely the perfect place for a surprise event then?

For a Friday night in London the cellar was that perfect kinda a busy,  enough punters to create  a Friday night vibe but not too many so you are squashed inbetween the wall and someone’s arm pit, you can’t get to the bar to buy a cocktail, and no one can hear a word of any conversation….(Gosh I am getting old!)  But the Clarendon Cocktail Cellar’s cool interiors provide a comfortable place to sit and while away the evening.  Super lovely and also very knowledgeable bar staff recommend and shake up the best cocktails off a menu named after famous paintings and most of our favourite movies.   Art being a huge part of the essence of the Cellar, who have teamed up with the Lawrence Alkin Gallery in Soho bringing new artwork to the Cellar every month, currently exhibiting, Ryan Callanan’s 10 Years Later

So it was an evening of conversation and laughter while supping on cocktails.    Surrounded by exposed brickwork, metal signs, cast iron shelves, vintage marine lamps and red and black leather bar stools. We started on Anchorman before moving onto Lost in Translations, we were certainly lost after that one!  We feasted on their take on British Bar Snacks of Crab sliders and fries to soak up the cocktails and endless amount of popcorn.

So if you are looking for somewhere to hideout this weekend then the Clarendon Cocktail Cellar should be top of your list, there is even a hidden table tennis room.   It’s a fab spot for time with friends, for celebrations or even to cosy up in one of the booths for a date night to sup on a Driving Miss Daisy.   So make a surprise visit  and have yourself your own little secret evening, just make sure the coast is clear before clambering down those stairs.

The Clarendon Cocktail Cellar is a five minute walk from Victoria tube.