Barts

The décor itself is fun so that certainly stands out. All of the drinks were rather tasty but lacking on the amount of alcohol, just really weak which is the reason i prob wont go back — effectively paying for fruit juices.

Our drinks were great but the service is awful. Confusingly described as a ‘dive bar,’ though it seems far more accurate to describe it as a ‘prohibition bar.’ The atmosphere is nice, great music, with a bit of a reading-​room theme to the décor. There is also a really nice little outdoor space, and he drinks are expertly blended from what we could see and taste. However, the hostesses are inattentive, disorganised and at times almost outright rude. Our order was half forgotten, we were over charged, moved around, and had to wait for them to finish chatting on multiple occasions so that we could order and pay. Nice as a novelty, but we certainly won’t be back.

One of my absolute favorite spots! Amazing bartenders and awesome cocktails! The atmosphere is always fun. You can’t beat that fancy dress box. Definitely a spot I visit every time I’m in town.

After wandering aimlessly through the apartment complex, we finally found Bart’s and were rewarded with stellar handcrafted cocktails and the utmost beautiful drink presentation. Our favorite drinks were the Park Avenue and Osbourne Sour. The drinks have such high quality ingredients and unique recipes you can’t go wrong with any choice. We had so much with the adventure of finding the bar and the night continued to exceed our expectations from there.

SO cool.
I will admit, I had my doubts based on reading the other reviews but I’m glad I was wrong. This place is awesome, if a little hard to find.
So the entrance, unlike the directions given by Citymapper or Unilocal,is inside the Cloisters, up the stairs to the left and the second door on the left. Bit confusing and annoying to have to walk around the entire building before figuring that out. Still, my fault.
Once you go through the black door, you find yourself inside a Mickey Mouse cartoon-​lined square foot of space, facing a door with one of those sliding panels in it. I knocked on the door nervously and was greeted by a pair of eyes. Once I’d given the code, the door was opened and I was ushered into a little piece of speakeasy heaven.
Low lighting, quirky paintings including a mashup of the Mona Lisa and the ‘Computer says Nooo’ woman on Little Britain, Charlie Chaplin playing behind the bar and even a totally cute little alcove outside with candles, fur covered chairs and blankets. The whole thing was effortlessly done and beautiful.
Obviously, we had to sample one of the famous vinegar cocktails. I know, it sounds disgusting, but trust me, it works. Cocktails usually have an element of acidity in them provided by a squirt of lime or a wedge of lemon, vinegar just replaces that. Sure, the cocktails look a bit murky and yes, you can taste the vinegar, but it’s only a hint and quickly dissipates, leaving a sweet smooth taste that will have you reaching for that second sip.
Drinks can be a bit pricey, with a Mad Hatter cocktail (a big hat filled with drink and shared between 4 — 6 people) costing £80 but for the most part, it’s priced at around £10 — £12 per cocktail which actually isn’t bad for Chelsea.
If you’re in the area, make sure you set aside half an hour of your day and go. Even if it’s just to try something you definitely won’t have had before. You won’t be disappointed.

Gimmicky cocktails that beneath it all are poorly made. Spend less time wrapping it in newspaper or filling it with smoke, and more time learning to mix.
Wannabe Shoreditch décor, but without requiring the Made in Chelsea crowd to stray too far from the King’s Road.
If you’ve ever been to any other cocktail bar, it will probably have been better…

This bar is an absolute gem. It did take me a while to find it, actually a bit longer than a while, me and my friends were walking up and down Sloane Avenue for a good 20 minutes. But in the end it was all worth it.
Being a massive Jazz and Blues fan, I thought the music was amazing. The drinks may seem pricey but they are yummylicious.

Taking a visiting friend out in London I needed somewhere around the South Ken area for a pre-​dinner drink, so having checked Unilocal (of course!), this place seemed ideal.
Being a Friday evening, I wasn’t sure whether I would need to book for an early slot but thought I had better try just to be on the safe side. Given its speakeasy style, it could have been one of those places that, you know, if your name’s not down…
The whole process of booking a table couldn’t have gone more smoothly. I initially phoned, but getting no answer decided to try dropping them an email, fully expecting that it might be somewhere that was too cool/​too busy to reply without a few chasers.
But I couldn’t have been more wrong and was very pleasantly surprised to get a prompt, helpful and accommodating response from the delightful Ariana. In no time I had the comfort of a 7.00pm reservation for two, and while there’s normally a minimum spend on tables at the weekend, was assured this wouldn’t apply as I was just looking for an hour early doors.
It was fun following the directions and discovering the black door in Chelsea Cloisters, and then waiting for the sliding window to be opened and our reservation checked. I must have walked past this place many times without even realising. As the British summer had finally crept above freezing we were able to venture outside into the cloistered outdoor space, an ideal secret drinking den, and enjoy the fresh air.
Great service, and super cocktails! I particularly loved the passionfruit Jazz Singer, which was beautifully presented and tasted delicious, and the Charleston Crumble followed a close second :) My friend, curious about the tobacco infused liqueur, was given a complementary taster to try alongside his Whiskey Sour.
While still fairly quiet when we arrived, it had begun to fill up a bit by the time we were obliged to leave for our dinner reservation, but the time had flown and I can imagine we would have quite happily lost another couple of hours there!

So while friends still rave about this place, it just really didn’t do it for me…
Had no trouble finding it as the directions were clearly laid out before by people I was meeting there… but when I asked for our reservation, it was lost. Ok, just asked for another table, no big deal, but still a bit annoying…
I really didn’t love the drinks we had, albeit I will forgive them for the dirty martini as I’ve since been told by bartenders here that the olive juice simply isn’t made the same way in the UK as the states (which makes sense), but the other cocktails we sampled really didn’t stick out as anything special to me either…
Then when they put them all on my card as I held the tab, and I had to get the bill refunded then split, that was a bit annoying… as was being booted from our (new) table pursuant to our lost reservation…
The ambiance struck me as a very small closet, so while empty at first, it was packed pretty quickly, but not in a good way, but a if we make the space really tiny, it will seem very packed and popular.
Can’t say I wouldn’t give it another go if others wanted to, but in no rush to return. Also the doormen were really friendly, so I guess I’d give them a 2.5 stars.

As others have pointed out, a visit to Barts is a «royal experience». Though the décor is kitschier then the tastefully discreet entrance would suggest, it nonetheless attracts a well-​pedigreed crowd. Don’t go for the drinks, don’t go for the ambiance, go to see and be seen. And go soon for that matter, because if a lowly American tourist can find this place, it’s surely already on its way out!

You don’t expect to find a bar when you walk into a portered block of flats in Chelsea, especially one where the residents seem to be a mix of young professionals and high class hookers.
Although when you think about it, it makes for the perfect environment in which to put a bar. Once you have found the entrance, you have to ring a door bell and if the barman likes the look of you then he’ll let you in (note to self, if you are in a big group, stick the hot chicks at the front to ensure admission).
The bar is full of street signs, stuffed animals, luggage, and a mix of things you might find in a Shoreditch antiques market. BarChick particularly loves the fancy dress box and one evening ended up dressed in the leather lederhosen. We drank shots from teacups, were served absinth served over sugar cubes, and even enjoyed the novelty of being able to smoke in their garden (although this closes at 8)
Perfect place for a date, great barsnacks, and if your into Sloaney guys/​girls, it’s a great place to pull too.

Absolutely love Barts as you can tell from my recent blog post. In fact you can bag yourself a free cocktail on certain nights between now and end of March if you tell them ‘Miss Immy sent you’. Check my site for more details.
Barts rocks, so see you down there!

My girlfriend, who is pretty much the Samantha Jones of London nightlife (she has the club owners’ #s on speed dial; no waits in line ever!) showed me a great time here. I mention this because I don’t know how easy it is to get in, though there did not seem to be a long line when we went in. For a fun night with friends, the thing to do is have a couple drinks at Barts then head off to Maggie’s for dancing.
Bart’s = Fantastic lounge/​bar. Music selection was great and volume not overbearing, so you could actually hear your friends and carry on conversations. This place is so unique… As if the speakeasy vibe were not enough, there is a chest of costumes for even more fun! Purple wig? Hula skirt? Check!

Awww, you guys tried so hard! As far as the speakeasy concept goes you have to give Barts some credit. The décor is solid and the feel, when not too crowded, is great. The staff is very kind and their outfits are perfect.
The drink menu is just off, it doesn’t fit the whole idea of a speakeasy. The point of a hidden bar (this one has a website) is to convey some sort of mischief; indeed, speakeasies were an illegal response to Prohibition in America. There’s nothing dangerous about the Barts cocktails. If I go to a secret bar I want my drinks to taste like they were brewed in a bathtub, be shaken like they were smuggled across state lines and be served in glasses that make you think of the Great Depression.
Instead you’re presented with a huge list of cocktails that, while excellently executed, just don’t fit the concept. The Moscow Mule had no bite, the Double Dutch didn’t kick me in the face like I hoped and our third round was a sugary concoction that made me want to brush my teeth. Their signature cocktail, the Park Avenue, made me think of Sex in the City… and that’s not a good thing when talking about a speakeasy. I ordered the secret ‘Cocktail of the Day’ expecting something that would adequately reflect the tenor of the bar and the skills of the bar tender. I got an apple martini. In a speakeasy. That’s not right.
Finally, the clientele was not for me. Obviously the location and cocktail menu bring out the Sloane Rangers and that’s not what I want in a bar. And it’s not what I want in a speakeasy.
I wish them all the success in the world because the concept is good and the staff was brilliant. The execution was lacking though.

This place is great, the only problem is that I’ll never find it again as it is hidden away in some faceless apartment building. The only clue to its existence in the building is the presence of a bouncer outside a black door, behind which is some odd wallpaper which reveals a speak easy style entrance.
The staff inside are dressed like it is the 1920’s in keeping with the speak easy style. The bar itself is small and intimate, it was also completely full by the end of the night.
Need I say more, need I say more

Inside the mind of Laura N:
«grumble grumble… where the heck is this place? I’ve been walking up and down Sloane Street looking for a black door, I mean I know it’s a speakeasy but, good lord! I can’t see anything that could even be…
oh wait. Chelsea Cloisters? Wasn’t that in the address? Is this? Umm, serviced apartments? Maybe I’ll just ask in here… why don’t people ever just ask? Bah… I don’t want to ask, that’s lame. If I call, doesn’t that just defeat the purpose? Stupid hidden bars. I’ll just go up the stairs on the left, hell, maybe I’ll move in! Back on topic Laura. Focus.
BLACK DOOR! Locked. Natch. Buzzer? YES! Is this one of those silly door slider bars? Are a tattooed man’s eyes going to appear through a… ahhh! Door slide action! ENTRY! SUCCESS! This better be worth it…
Wow. This was SO worth it! Glug glug glug…
—–
Sure it’s hard to find, but isn’t that all part of the charm? Once you’re inside this little cave coveting all things Americana, you’ll be spoiled with samples of house bottled sloe gin, black jack gin, mulled wine and the friendliest bar staff this side of London.
It’s nice to know that once the viewing door slides closed and you’re allowed in, all pretension is left behind. You can simply sit back and enjoy what you came for — fabulous cocktails from fabulous people.
Get there quick, this place won’t be hidden for long!

As an American visiting friends in London, I am sort of going with the flow when it comes to nightlife. Sunday night, our group decided to hit up Bart’s, and it did not disappoint.
After walking through a hotel lobby, any potential Barts-​goer must enter through a nondescript door and hold down a button to call the doorman. The doorman will give your group a look over and if he thinks you’re up for a night at the bar, he’ll let you in.
Given that it was a Sunday night, we had no trouble getting in. Once seated and through a game of Connect 4 (they have different board games scattered throughout the place), we decided to get the Purple Prohibition– a vodka based, cranberry infused, other alcohol-​including, overall delicious cocktail. The elixir came served in a teapot. Pretty cool. The teapot was generous for our four person group, although it did cost about 45 pounds.
On the whole, Bart’s is a great hole-​in-​the-​wall turned trendy lounge experience. I expect one in New York shortly.

«Anybody who is anybody will soon walk through that door,» chirps the music on Barts’ website… and they aren’t kidding. Expect royal company.
With the recession in full swing, people seem nostalgic for all things Depression-​era… and this is *the* speakeasy bar that other similar venues only wish that they could be…
The fun starts with the fact that it’s hidden away in a completely random apartment building — through a lobby that looks straight out of 1980’s Las Vegas. After exchanging a secret handshake with the doorman, you’re ushered into an incarnation of 1930’s America.
From the Mickey Mouse comic wallpaper plastering the entrance door, to the extremely nice barmen in newsboy caps, and the cocktails served in tea cups, not to mention shocking prices — as in, wow! we *must* be in a depression era — they are so low… Barts knows how to put together a proper prohibition bar.
Fun and eclectic décor, just dim enough lighting, and just loud enough music for you to carry on a proper conversation, swift and helpful service… overall, it’s completely endearing experience, in a «I will definitely be back» sort of way.
Only trouble is, you need a secret password/​key card to get in… but then again, if you’re anybody who’s anybody…