Downstairs at The Dilly

Head down the stairs at The Dilly and you're stepping into proper old-school London nightlife — the kind of place where the bartenders actually know what they're doing and the décor doesn't try too hard. This basement bar channels 1920s sophistication without feeling like a theme park, all dark wood, low lighting, and the kind of clientele that includes both suited financiers and actual locals who've discovered it. The cocktails are the draw: classic recipes executed with precision, alongside house specials that feel inventive rather than gimmicky. It's the sort of place you'd take someone to impress them, or just slip into alone for a proper drink after work in Mayfair.