Victorian Bath House

Anyone else know there were some huge Turkish baths lurking underground in the heart of the City?! Me either — which made for the most bizarre bar I’ve visited in ages!
Only the tip of the iceberg is visible above ground — an abandoned-​looking small stone building decorated in ornate gold and turquoise, which tips you off that it’s not part of the nearby church. Enter, check your coat, puzzle over the coffee machine on display, then head downstairs to the bar. It’s similarly ornately decorated, retaining ottoman style tiling and low hanging lamps I’ve seen in the markets of Istanbul, as a nod to its past as the baths. It’s impossible to judge its total size as each table area has its own plush banquette seating and is cordoned off by a thick red velvet curtain, which gives it all something of a naughty boudoir feel too!
My date and I arrived fashionably late to find the bday party we were attending was well underway (i.e. the bday boy had already consumed his body weight in champagne, as had some of the guests by the looks of things) so we joined in with the bubbles. The staff were very attentive though there seemed to be far more of them standing around than there needed to be, just sort of watching — it’s the kind of place you wonder what debauchery they’ve seen behind the curtains!!!
I’m probably not their target customer (Russian billionaires/​City boys/​celebs?) but it was a cool discovery and definitely something different. It lacked a bit of atmosphere last Saturday eve as the areas on either side of us were empty, but if you want that exclusive feel then this could be your bag. Just make sure to warn your guests about the non-​obvious entrance!