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    Callooh Callay

    3.9 (153 reviews)
    PriceyCocktail Bars
    Open 6:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)

    Callooh Callay Photos

    CALLOOH CALLAY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Callooh Callay

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    Left: Squirtle Right: Bulbasaur
    Kayla H.

    Loved this hidden gem. Great cocktails that are more unique and experimental and the menu was nostalgic and creative being Pokémon themed. Service is great and fast. Everything we had was delicious and is probably one of the better cocktail places we've tried in Shoreditch if you're looking for something different than the classics!

    Marian M.

    Cool, popular bar in Hackney after dinner. Our cocktails were very good and creative! Bar canchero y popular en Hackney donde decidimos venir después de cenar. Nuestros tragos eran muy buenos y creativos!

    Ryen B.

    Cool upstairs bar with a speakeasy feel. Max is behind the bar and is super talented. Menu changes frequently- was a Martini sponsored menu when we visited. Loved the savory Negroni infused with sun dried tomato. By the Book was smooth and well balanced. Tequila Mockingbird could turn me into an agave fan. Recommend!

    Cider
    Janette S.

    Just found these cute place on my Sonder list of places near by. I'm glad that we stoped by this location. Our server was very engaging and friendly. We tried the Pineapple rum punch, The Looking Glass, Cider and the Blueberry Elderflower Gimlet. All was very tasty. Will definitely be added on my list to visit again.

    Miriam W.

    What's not to like about a bar that encourages you to step through a wardrobe door to claim your cocktails? A couple of bits, but first let's talk about the drinks. My honey spun silk - Four Roses small batch bourbon, Averna, condensed milk, honey and a cardamom angostura bitters combo - was absolutely lovely and perfectly sized for a Sunday night (read: substantial but not too much.) Though I really enjoyed my beverage and the company I came with, Callooh Callay's vibe just didn't quite do it for me. Also, a strange and unpleasant scent hit my nose the moment I entered the place and lingered, which put me off. I wouldn't protest coming back here, I just don't see it becoming a habit.

    Merlyn R.

    At Callooh Callay, you'll find a variety of delicious drinks on one of THE coolest drink menus I've ever seen. If you ask nicely, you can take one home and a coaster as a unique souvenir. This place has a hip yet cozy atmosphere and is a must stop for non locals. Prices may seem a little high, but these are some creative and delicious cocktails (so it's worth it!) Note, I came here before the pandemic.

    Yee Gan O.

    Hehe, not being a hipster, I'm behind the times in a lot of ways. The explosion of speakeasies in London has rather passed me by, partly because I don't drink and partly because I don't hang out in Shoreditch that often! Fortunately, I can rely on my Yelp friends to put me right. My Yelp Elite friend Lorrie M was visiting from the States and her frighteningly comprehensive timetable of places to visit included Callooh Callay. We met with local Elite Tirthankar D for dinner at Tayyabs (another great call by Lorrie) and we then went for after-dinner drinks at Callooh Callay On entering, we found ourselves in a busy bar area but the bar tender told us to 'head back'. Fortunately, Tirthankar knew what he meant and walked into what appeared to be a closet at the back of the bar area. Like the book, we emerged into a fairy tale land. Not quite Narnia but a large lounge area We were then given cassette boxes with the drinks menu on the cassette covers. Cool vibe and though it was quite deserted in this secret back room, the service was still pretty attentive My virgin mojito wasn't the best one I've had but I still had a great time, chilling out in this unique venue

    The Gramophone !!
    Shawn P.

    Like most places in Shoreditch, you have to find this place down a sketchy looking street that you imagine Jack the Ripper used to hang out. Once you find the door and enter - you are greeted by a mix up funky 70's style decor a la Disco Stu from the Simpsons meets the Antiques Road Show. It initially looks very small but then someone open up a wardrobe closet and you realize its a door to another part of the club. Nice. This place is best enjoyed in a group, at a table or corner couch and then you have to have a drink or three from their equally funk menu - ex : Hibiscusaurasus - El Jimbo Blanco, granny smith apple, lime and hibiscus syrup !! Then you have to get the Gramophone - watching them pour booze into something that looks like it belongs in a museum and knowing you are going to drink it is half the fun. It has to been to be believed. ( check out the pictures ) Callooh Callay - its worth feeling like you are going to get mugged for

    I'm a rocket man!!
    Daniel P.

    Love this bar, love the area, love life... But enough love for now, let's get reviewing! So I started a Friday night of drinking in Shoreditch meeting 2 Yelp friends here - shout out to Jane G and Isabel F! We arrived separately, but could thankfully find each other since the front half of this bar is really quite small. Points go to: - The menus, designed to be like the leaflets that you it into Oyster card holders as promo material, very cool. Even cooler since I stole the Oyster card holder and can now be sporting a various shades of blue accessory with cocktails in large letters on the front, thereby announcing to the world my likely cocktail addiction! - The cocktails, nice and not ridiculously priced. - The bar staff, recommended a couple to us and were very chatty - The secret backroom, through the secret door. Not giving away secrets, but I did feel a bit like Peter, Susan, Edmund & Lucy (cheeky hint for the literary amongst you!) Points go away from: - 6.30pm Friday night, it was packed and being small there was nowhere to stand - The bouncer who wouldn't let in our late friend at 7pm even though we came out and announced that she was in our party - The backroom, which looked amazing but where you had to book (OK not fair to remove points here because it was our fault for not booking!) 3 stars for this doesn't mean it's bad though. We stayed for 45 minutes max so I would definitely go back with a booking to see more for myself.

    Some kind of cocktails! Totts forgotten their names
    Elisa T.

    Nice big cocktail place but not as interesting as say nightjar or lounge Bohemia. We got in without a reservation yesterday which is lucky as the place was jam packed. There are 2 different rooms: one at the front and one behind the wardrobe. The menu is a sticker book without the stickers so you don't know what the drinks look like until you order them. The drinks were a little too strong for my liking but that's my personal opinion. The whole place also smelled like vomit but I think we just went on an unlucky day maybe. The staff were super attentive and nice but its not enough to draw me back which is fine because they don't seem to be short on customers.

    Bar manual
    Heather C.

    Great speakeasy, we arrived with less than 24 hours in London and after reading the reviews decided we must go. It was Sunday and all the hidden areas was closed but once asked the Manager Will gave us a tour. We loved the attention to detail. Go check them out.

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    Amazing cocktails, we tried many of them Way cool bartenders. Awesome ambiance. Super fun. Will return!!!

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    Page 1 of 4

    Callooh Callay Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Callooh Callay

    Guests enter the toilet through a wardrobe and the toilet itself is decked out in numerous cassette tapes.

    Mentioned in 30 reviews

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    The Alchemist - Drunken veggie dumplings

    The Alchemist

    3.9(119 reviews)
    0.8 miAldgate
    ££

    Giving this place 4 stars. The food and cocktails were spectacular, the service left a lot to be…read moredesired. I'm visiting from the States and this place was an excellent stop. We had a party of 13 so I understand there would be somewhat of a wait and that the whole Dining experience might take a while. We dined on a Tuesday night and the place was quite busy! It took at least 30 minutes from sitting down to get our drinks and another 10 on top of that for them to bring out some bottles of water. It seemed like our server was training someone new. They could have been more efficient, but it took a long time for them both to go around the table and enter in our orders. We were at a work after hours function so we all ordered from the 3 courses for 45 quid option. All of the starters sounded good, but I was slightly disappointed in the drunken dumplings as there were only 2, but the presentation was cool with them pouring the broth into the bowl at the table. I wish I had ordered the cheddar and shrimp toasties as they looked quite good! This place has awesome & fun cocktails, hence the Alchemist name. I didn't realize this at first so ordered a Mai Tai which was not nearly as exciting as some of what my colleagues ordered. Second time around I ordered the red zombie which came out smoking with a test tube vial of absinthe to add in! Definitely cool, but also a bit strong. I had the ribeye steak for my main. It was delicious! The cauliflower and potatoes very good too. Had the next level chocolate brownie for dessert. My only thought is it could have used a bigger scoop of ice cream compared to the size of the brownie but it was delicious! So good, in fact, that I had to finish every last crumb. The ambiance was nice. The bathroom was clean, but a little hard to locate. All in all, I would definitely come back if in the area again.

    One of the better cocktail menus I've ever experienced anywhere in the world. The presentation was…read morefantastic, but the flavors were also spot on. Very unique, yet approachable. We did not eat, but would absolutely recommend the cocktail experience.

    Photos
    The Alchemist - Inside

    Inside

    The Alchemist - Shrimp toasties

    Shrimp toasties

    The Alchemist - Mezcal Meringue, Espresso Martini, French Kiss

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    Mezcal Meringue, Espresso Martini, French Kiss

    Dirty Martini - Dirty Martini on Bishopsgate in London.  December 2022.

    Dirty Martini

    3.4(20 reviews)
    0.6 miAldgate
    ££

    We found this cocktail bar when staying in the City of London at the end of December 2022 and…read morethough it seemed promising. At the time, we did not know it was a chain, but in any case it was unimpressive. It was not terrible but it was not very good, ultimately just ok. The place had some nice decor elements but seemed very much like an loud party place for drinkers who don't really know about drinks but want to seem sophisticated and have fun. I had the seasonal Fairytale of New York, which was the best of the lot, in part because it had no juice or other mixers like that. I often go with drinks along that line if I don't know the place. I then had the Scotch Mist, which was not as good. But it had grenadine, pineapple, and citrus, so there as the problem: it had too much of those and not enough of the Scotches. My wife had the Flyaway, tequila-based, and found it ok but too watery,juicy, and weak. Again, it had juices in it. Our daughter had a dirty martini which was not good. It had kalamata olives, which we took to be an attempt to seem fancy or avant garde, but which simply didn't work in a martini. This was not terrible but basically just an ok,somewhat crass cocktail place for people who want to seem sophisticated and "have fun" with loud music, etc., but don't really know anything about drinks. I can see this filling the role for people like that, but I would never go here again.

    The vibe. The Music. The Wait Staff. The Diversity of guests. THE DRINKS! The freshness…read more All of the above were accurate during my visit. First time in this part of London and traveling from the US. It was a really good experience. I will definitely return.

    Photos
    Dirty Martini - Dirty Martini on Bishopsgate in London.  December 2022.

    Dirty Martini on Bishopsgate in London. December 2022.

    Dirty Martini - Dirty Martini on Bishopsgate in London.  December 2022.

    Dirty Martini on Bishopsgate in London. December 2022.

    Dirty Martini - Cocktails

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    Cocktails

    Be At One - Lychee martini

    Be At One

    4.1(22 reviews)
    0.5 miAldgate
    ££

    The happy hour deal is good, with you getting two cocktails for the price of one. I like how the…read morewhole menu (which is massive, by the way) is eligible for the happy hour price. Two for one is a good deal but I wish you didn't have to get two of the same cocktail. I got the lychee martini and honestly it didn't taste much like lychee at all - also every lychee martini I've had in the past was made with vodka and this one was made with gin (fine, just unusual). The music was so loud I could barely think - my ears are still ringing today. I wish they had turned it down a little bit because it was really overbearing. The overall bar is nice but a little bit cramped. There was limited seating at the bar and only a few tables that were all occupied once I got there. The bartender was nice. I wouldn't rush to return although the happy hour deal is good for what you get.

    Best mixology bar I've found in London!…read more The menu of 'house-drinks' is usually only a starting place for me. We usually try several of the menu drinks to get a feel for the bartender skillz, before ordering what we really want. But; surprise, surprise! The menu drinks here are actually great! My wife loved one of the chocolate martini style drinks (I forgot the name), and she barely drinks ETOH. I started with the Porn-Star, expecting mediocrity with a catchy name - but it was great! I'm a huge fan of vodka mojitos, so the Twisted Mojito was next. HOLD YOUR TEXT MESSAGES; this is the best mojito I have had in a long time!! (and I drink a lot of Mojitos!). I quickly drank another; still perfect!! Great service from the friendly bartender, fair prices, and EXCELLENT drinks. We will be back before we leave London!

    Photos
    Be At One
    Be At One
    Be At One

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    Found - Front door next to Cantina

    Found

    4.8(5 reviews)
    0.1 miLiverpool Street / Broadgate
    ££

    Oh you know, one of those hidden gems that no one seems to know about, no big deal. JUST KIDDING IT…read moreIS A BIG DEAL. We were able to make reservations, which made me happy. And that meant we got to sit in this tiny tucked away little corner archway for just us 4 peeps and it was totally awesome. The cocktails were lovely and I really enjoyed our time here. Such a funky place. The cherry on top was the owner speaking to us after. It's really refreshing to have the actual owner come talk to you and show interest in how you heard of the place and how you Found (ha!) it. He was lovely, and so were the cocktails, and so was Found.

    This place must be new right or is it that hidden that no one FOUND it?…read more The bar staff are really cool and funny also happy for us to keep a tab going. The smell of fresh paint, with it's a lovely warm atmosphere, magnolia walls, dark wood, candles on each table and lots of cocktails to choose from makes it a great after work or pre-party venue. I got the cocktail which was the first on the menu and it was called Frothy Lady (I think). Very sweet and hardly tasted the alcohol. The espresso cocktail tasted great too but couldn't taste the alcohol. So it got me wondering if they were being stingy or were they just really good. The jalapeño pretzels were really nice and the olives had too much lemon on them for my liking but I was hungry so ate them all anyway. It's next to The Book Club and a short walk from Old Street so if you're around give it a try!

    Photos
    Found
    Found
    Found

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    Callooh Callay - cocktailbars - Updated May 2026

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