Last week, the girls and I got together for a bit of a catch up and headed to the newest addition to the Breakfast Club franchise. Not an obvious choice of venue given it was closer to dinner time than a spot of breakfast, but it was a calculated decision nonetheless; for this particular branch of Breakfast Club has a nice little secret…A SMEG fridge!

 

Open the door to this fridge, and you’ll find access to one of London’s ever growing number of underground, speakeasy-style cocktail bars. But shhhhh…

 

A neon sign beaming the word “Thrills” points you in the direction of the basement bar which screams ramshackle kitsch, decked with exposed brickwork, candles and taxidermy mounted on the walls. But “No Heavy Petting”, as per the Mayor’s instructions on the wall.  

 

The jugs of water with cucumber and mint were a nice touch as we got comfortable and browsed the small, but succinct cocktail menu. Between us, we attempted to cover our 5-a-day intake of fruit and veg and had concoctions containing all the healthy stuff like raspberries, olives, basil, and elderflower, with some belly lining snacks of (pop) corn and potato (chips) on the side. But by the end of the night, with some ingredients no longer available, we went off menu and ordered French Martinis all round…dangerously AMAZING.  

 

The staff were fun and attentive even for a Friday night, and the cocktails all very reasonably priced around the £7.50 mark. Shaken or stirred, all the drinks we tried were given a discreet nod and big thumbs up.

  

Like all secret drinking dens, there are some rules…Here at Scaredy Cat Town, the Mayor requests that you “only use the SMEG on your first entry of the night. Never depart via the Fridge. Act nonchalantly as if you’ve just had a pee. Gentlemen, you are advised to leave your fly down to add to the charade. Ladies, if you’d leave your skirt in your knickers, it would be greatly appreciated.”

 

I was torn about whether to share this London gem with you all, but thankfully us good folks here at Gourmet Belly are the sharing type, but come up close so I can whisper this in your ear…

Be quick before the word gets out and grab an appointment with the Mayor by contacting him direct on henri@themayorofscaredycattown.com or by calling 0207 078 9639.

  

But I quietly hope you don’t.