Item: Bermondsey Arts Club
Rating: 4
Author: Julianna Barnaby

Venture down into a former public lavatory in Bermondsey to discover one of London’s coolest drinking dens – the Bermondsey Arts Club.

Bermondsey Arts Club

It’s always a joy to discover a new spot that’s somehow been flying under my radar – turns out that’s precisely the case with the Bermondsey Arts Club. I swung by yesterday with Lins Drabwell of Boo & Maddie for a cheeky post-lockdown catch up.

Descend from the reality of the outside world into an art deco haven of dimmed lights, cosy chats and ever-so-drinkable cocktails. It’s small – the kind of neighbourhood bar most people wish they had just around the corner but mostly don’t.

This former public loo has been spruced up, with stylish monochrome tiles and leather banquettes. At the heart of it all, the bar – radiating a golden light into the gloom, the promise of your next great tipple hidden in the stacks of bottles that line the back wall.

Compact as the place itself, the drinks menu was relatively simple – five cocktails, each unique to the Arts Club, rounded off with homemade syrups and infusions.

They don’t disappoint on their promise either. Cocktails are well-balanced, interesting enough to keep your attention, not so brash they make you squirm. Little wonder that they’ve established quite the following with the local crowd.

In normal times, there’s live jazz on Wednesdays and Thursdays (they’re currently planning to resume these in October).

The Look

Pure art-deco from head to toe. Leather banquettes, a marble-topped bar, bronze accents.

Final Thoughts

A brilliant bar that pays homage to the classic speakeasy. Excellent cocktails, gorgeous art-deco setting and a relaxed ambience completes the effect.