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    Reverend JW Simpson

    4.0 (17 reviews)
    ModerateCocktail Bars
    Closed 5:00 pm - 11:30 PM

    Reverend JW Simpson Photos

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    Quirky decor win!
    Daniel P.

    So my new-to-London friend tells me to introduce her to some cocktail bars that are near her work at Warren St. Now I also used to work by here so had to find a place neither of us had been to before (well I wanted to try something new too!!) and thought this the perfect opportunity to try out this place. I saw it in an article about hidden speakeasy bars and LOVE these places so already was excited. After a quick reservation (which we didn't need since it was a Wed!) 4 of us (we picked up some stragglers) rocked up outside. None of the others had been to a place like this so when they saw the scruffy sign outside and the corridor that descends into nowhere they thought I was leading them astray. But I wasn't - I led them down to a basement bar that resembled the epitome of shabby chic. Being quiet we got a great table and the waiters were really friendly and helpful - you could say this was because they were bored but here I actually believed that they were trying to help us pick cocktails we liked best. And it worked! Cocktails at 8 - 10 pounds and given the taste I was more than happy to pay (if you don't want a cocktail just don't come here tbh). Service was topped with nibbles and water without asking (which is always a nice touch), as well as a taster of new cocktail they were working on. If they put this cocktail on the menu I will be a regular here, it was perfect! The final touch came when my friends popped through a wall to beautifully laid out toilets as got really excited about the secret door. Deserves the full rating!

    1st page of menu
    Minnie M.

    If you miss the discreet entrance leading into the a bare hallway of Reverend JW Simpson, look for the slightly bored looking bouncer in front holding a clipboard. Slightly bored looking bouncer asked us if we had reservations, and fortunately I had made one earlier that day for 8 pm on Friday, because it was very busy down in the basement. Save yourself a wait and make a reservation. The basement itself was charming in the sense you really feel like you're hidden away from the bustling street of Goodge in an unfinished basement (bf had a slight asthma reaction) with a young and trendy crowd. We ordered the £9.5 Laird's Old Fashioned and the £8.5 Blackberry Smash, which were very delicious and easy to drink. Perhaps a bit lighter on the alcohol than drinks I've had at other similar speakeasies, but definitely worth checking out. The menu had pictures of the types of glasses used for the drinks, which helps if it impacts your decision when ordering (see images I loaded of the menu). Coming back for sure, this is going on my list of favorite watering holes in London.

    Original wall paper left from when the Reverend himself lived there!
    Rowann B.

    If you want good cocktails go here! My friend and I spontaneously decided to get cocktails after dinner and stumbled across this place! You would hardly notice it in the street because it's just a black door with the name Reverend JW in gold type above the door. The atmosphere is great. It has a speakeasy feel about it. If you read the beginning of the menu you'll read a bit of history about the place too! I had the Tiki Flip cocktail. A great rum cocktail with an infusion of spices - I could have had ten! It was Thursday and it was pretty busy so I guess at the weekends it gets packed. I would definitely go again!

    Katie W.

    Emailed them for a booking and got seated right away right in the back by an (unused) fireplace. Very fresh cocktails and old school decor! Again found this place through Thrillist and Minnie's review. It is an "untouched" flat that used to belong to a priest and still looks lived in. There is a secret door in the wall that goes to the bathroom which was cool. Would probably be "a fan" if I lived here but just "A-OK" for a tourist as it lacked the "wow" factor.

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    2 years ago

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    14 years ago

    Great little cocktail bar on goodge street fairly relaxed, good cocktails.

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    Review Highlights - Reverend JW Simpson

    I saw it in an article about hidden speakeasy bars and LOVE these places so already was excited.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Fifty Five Bar

    Fifty Five Bar

    4.0(70 reviews)
    1.5 miCamden Town
    ££

    Ahhhh!!! This place is really cool!!! And they have a book of yummy drinks that are two for one on…read moreSunday and they taste really good and they're amazing!!!! Can you tell I don't get out much? At least for drinks. Anyway. We came here with some friends and took advantage of their 2 for 1 offer (meaning you get two drinks for 10 pounds). It impressed me that they served really good drinks for such a good price. I personally loved The Last Word (super strong but great flavour) and the Elderflower Margarita (YUM!). They both packed a punch but weren't so overpowered with liquor that they didn't taste nice. The bar staff was fun as well. The one that wasn't popular was the honey one. I can't remember the name but none of us liked it. It's a cool bar!

    I was gonna give this place 3 stars, but on reflection of the whole experience it's a definite 2,…read more2.5 at an absolute push. And I don't give out 2 stars lightly. This was one of the few places the bf and I had booked to go to during a brief 3-day trip to London, due to the 2 for £10 cocktails and general good reviews it had. I kinda wish we hadn't! Upon arrival the place was practically empty (but it was like bang on 6pm on a Monday, so a lot of people hadn't arrived for happy hour yet) and staff showed us where our reserved booth was. All good to start off with, the place looks pretty cool inside and the tunes were good too. Here's where it starts to go downhill. I skipped up to the bar having decided with the bf which cocktails to get (at this point we didn't realise 2 for £10 meant two of the SAME cocktail, because they never mention it) and ordered a Strawberry Daiquiri for the bf, plus a Chocolate Martini for myself. Nope, couldn't get the one I wanted as they were out of chocolate liqueur, so it was back to my seat to try and decide on another. I was gutted but excited about my next choice, the Show Me The Honey. NOPE. They were out of honey vodka so I couldn't have that one either! I get that obviously it's a busy bar at weekends, but I thought that was an extremely poor show - the staff weren't hugely apologetic about it either which didn't exactly help. Finally deciding on a Russian Spring Punch (yay, they had all the ingredients for that one!) I ordered the drinks. The bartender said "you know it's 2 for £10 yeah?" but again didn't mention the fact that it's two of the same cocktail for £10. Once he started making up the drinks I of course caught on to what was happening, whereupon he looked at me like I was an idiot for not knowing something they never openly tell you. Great. I begrudgingly paid for our drinks (I wouldn't really have minded except the bf wasn't sure if he'd want more than one cocktail and we now possessed four, plus I was really wanting to try a couple of cocktails instead of two of the same one) and went back to the booth, more than a bit deflated by this point. The cocktails were...fine. The champagne in my cocktail wasn't the nicest but it did the job of course. The atmosphere in the bar was...also fine. But that was it. Fine. It stayed pretty quiet the whole time we were there and I guess just wasn't the whole cocktail bar experience I was expecting. We then made our way to Cahoots where we had an absolute belter of a time and it totally saved our night, goes to show that sometimes you really do get what you pay for!

    Photos
    Fifty Five Bar
    Fifty Five Bar
    Fifty Five Bar

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    Spiritual Caipirinha Bar

    Spiritual Caipirinha Bar

    4.5(14 reviews)
    1.8 miCamden Town
    ££

    In this bar ... No rules ! Write on the wall, speak to everyone, hear to random music or live…read moremusic, drink Mojitos you never drink before ! Their mojitos are made with brown sugar (really good) and are cheap ! I haven't tries the Caipirina but I've been told that this is their specialty so must be really good as their mojitos are ... Wow ! Tiny bar with often loooooots of people, there's a 2nd floor with a little room that is often less busy. Bartenders are really nice and cool ! Go there and experiment the spiritual experience !

    Brazilians are known for their love of life, passion, joy of movement, music and dance as well as…read moretheir wonderful lime laden cocktails. I'm not sure how close this bar is to Brazilian nightlife, but to me this bar feels typically Brazilian in cadence. I just love the atmosphere, the enthusiasm, the music, you feel transported to another place and I just don't understand how very few people, even those living in Camden, don't know about this bar! I was introduced by a lovely Yelp friend and try and get back whenever I'm in Camden as I really love this place. To me this is one of Camden's real hidden gems. So why do I love it? Let me count the ways: Live music: I'm not sure if there is someone on every night, but I'm always shocked by them hosting some fantastic, extremely talented musicians. Intimate setting: As a tiny little venue you huddle around small tables, it feels cozy, personable and warm. Art work: Walls, ceilings and tables are plastered with art, pictures, paintings collages drape all surfaces. It's like some hipster arty underground cavern... like so many bars in Shoreditch are trying to achieve, but this place isn't trying, it has charm and personality without having to try. Caipirinhas and mojitos: Using traditional Brazilian ingredients the cocktails here are just superb... and after a few you can't help but sink back into your seat and enjoy the ambiance. I'd also recommend the Cuba Libra, I'm usually not a fan, but would make an exception here. As a cocktail bar you need to expect to pay cocktail prices, but the live music, amazing atmosphere and art are free.

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    Spiritual Caipirinha Bar
    Spiritual Caipirinha Bar
    Spiritual Caipirinha Bar

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    Knowhere Special - Otto the bar pup

    Knowhere Special

    4.1(11 reviews)
    2.2 miKentish Town
    ££

    I have a couple of friends living in Kentish Town who happily researched and booked this charming…read morelittle basement bar which is a must-visit in the area. Apparently the owners want it to feel like someone's living room and it definitely has a relaxed and locals-come-here vibe, although our seating area was in what was once a VIctorian police cell, which was probably less cosy back in the day. The interesting concept here is to serve small bites of food tailored to each house cocktail which a beautifully presented and explained, as are the cocktails themselves. We sampled almost all of the house cocktail menu and generally everyone was very impressed. I think several people really liked the park bench, with its strong apple flavour, although I personally found it a bit one-note. In fact, I wouldn't say any of the cocktails here got it quite right for my palate, some of the balancing of flavours didn't quite work for me and none of them particularly blew me away. They were pretty good, but there weren't any I found incredibly delicious and "incredibly delicious" is really what I am looking for in a cocktail. I had the Get Me a Bourbon, I'm Hungry and Lost in Alaska. The first was a short drink which wasn't massively memorable, contra my favourite ever bourbon cocktail, the fantastic bourborini once on the specials at Pitt Cue Co. Lost in Alaska I thought was nice although others said they thought it tasted medicinal! Service was great - helpful, patient and attentive. It's expensive, especially now I live in Manchester and can get better cocktails at the Fitzgerald for £4 less, but I would still recommend Knowhere Special, especially if you're nearby having dinner. They have such an inventive and passionate approach, it's very impressive already and I'm sure will just get better with time.

    Reservations are needed on weekends…read more One of the most unique experiences we had while traveling in the UK, Knowhere Special is a specialty cocktail bar that focuses on private, small tables and outrageous, off-the-wall, hand-crafted cocktails. The interior is small, cramped, and homely like walking into a hippie's apartment. Our table was in its own private alcove with a low vaulted ceiling. We had one server who was outstanding - knowledgeable, excited, and outgoing. The house cocktail flavors were all over the place. Some were good and others were great. They are all super weird for sure, so you'll get a kick just reading off the descriptions. They are pricier, but not outrageous. Many also come with little snacks to pair with the cocktail. If you don't want something crazy, you can order regular cocktails as well. Neat experience and certainly recommended to try out for novelty's sake. One of the best experiences we had in London!

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    Knowhere Special - Duck A L'Orange

    Duck A L'Orange

    Knowhere Special - At the bottom of your garden

    At the bottom of your garden

    Knowhere Special

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    The Gallery - Fried chicken

    The Gallery

    4.3(27 reviews)
    3.0 miWest Hampstead
    ££

    Cute place in Hampstead! We had just gotten off of a 10 hour flight and was recommended this place…read moreby our friend. Got seated quickly and ordered. I got the fried chicken with buffalo sauce on the side. It was good! A bit small for the price but filling. Our waiter was nice. Cute spot.

    Was walking around with friends one of the days and spotted this place and had decided to come back…read moreto it another time. And come back we did for Sunday brunch. After being poorly for over 5 days, I had to skip the bottomless Sunday brunch which allows you to drink as much for just £18 (select drinks). The breakfast is supremely unhealthy, I mean I absolutely loved it but this will not be a regular place. I am more of a poached egg on granary roast sort of girl, which most of the times is a luxury. There options are plenty many however they do only waffles (both sweet and savoury) and no toast. I swapped the scrambled egg with poached egg and added an avocado as an extra. My breakfast was therefore, savoury waffles with smoked salmon, cream cheese, poached eggs and crispy capers with extra avocados. I complete devoured my brunch after being hungry for just over 3 hours. The food was great, something different from standard Sunday brunch. However, due to the healthiness quotient, I will not frequent this place and only treat myself maybe once in good few months. The staff were friendly and quick. The general vibe of the place was great. Would highly recommend for anyone to go at least once.

    Photos
    The Gallery
    The Gallery - Poached egg, cream cheese, smoked salmon on savoury waffle

    Poached egg, cream cheese, smoked salmon on savoury waffle

    The Gallery - Poached  egg, chorizo, pardón peppers on savoury waffle

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    Poached egg, chorizo, pardón peppers on savoury waffle

    Reverend JW Simpson - cocktailbars - Updated May 2026

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