Reverend JW Simpson

Very kind staff, they know what good service is. And they know their cocktails too. We had a Vieux Carré and a Whisky Sour, Last Word and Tiki Flip. All impeccable. Served with complimentary water. Price about 10£ each, worth it.

Was there for their Cinco de Mayo Spirited Sermons. Packed house for a Tuesday night but still enough room for everyone. Event included a tequila tasting where we got to self-​pour our drinks which was great. Drinks were decent, service was efficient. Disappointed in their «margarita» which didn’t actually contain tequila, made with white wine instead. Made for an interesting, light cocktail but seemed to be misleading named.

Went here with my partner as we were cocktail-​bar-​hopping for his birthday. After finding out about this place on a Time Out list I had to check it out. It’s very discrete frontage of just a black doorway with the bar name above was very alluring, and the décor once inside fit perfectly with the speakeasy style, but in a much less pretentious way than other ‘Great Gatsby’-loving bars. The seating and lighting was good, though I was expecting a bit more vibe from this kind of bar on a Saturday night. It was getting to the end of the night but there was only one other group in there and the staff seemed ready to go home. That said, the cocktails were lovely and very classy so I will be revisiting.

Hidden speakeasy that isn’t pretentious with great cocktails and service. What more can you ask for? You can find slight twists in their drinks — espresso drink with rum instead of vodka for example. Great for a pre or post dinner drink.

Cute little place with hipster bartenders. Candles cast a dim glow, so a bit romantic as well. I got the fennel top daisy– a crisp mix of hendrick’s gin with fresh green apple and mint, citrus, a touch of fennel top liqueur — £9 and then the Blue leaf clover with a red rose petal– Rathbone new london dry gin with homemade blueberry syrup, lemon and egg white — £9. The second sounds amazing but it was surprisingly bland, save for the nice presentation.

Always surprised to find a great, but not pretentious, cocktail bar. This one is tucked away with an underground speakeasy vibe and a variety of creative and traditional cocktails. Staff was attentive and helpful. Will definitely return!

Cute cocktail bar. Needed a place to go with a medium-​sized group of people and we were able to rock up and get a nice cozy table. The place is lacking a bit of soul and I like my cocktail bars to be open late, but this is a nice little spot for good cocktails, popcorn, and conversation.

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!

Emailed them for a booking and got seated right away right in the back by an (unused) fireplace. Very fresh cocktails and old school décor! 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.

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

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.