Soo I had no idea there was a secret entrance (which makes sense, since it's obviously a speakeasy type place) and I was still ready to give this place a solid 4 stars. The cocktails are interesting, slightly pricey but more than appropriately creative, strong but balanced by flavors that were not "too-" anything. Apple Crumble was warming and not-too-sweet, Salt and Vinegar Martini was delicately not-too-pungent (somehow this description makes sense). Overall loved the drinks and the atmosphere and the bartenders were attentive and friendly. I'd go back, even without the some amazing other feature that I completely overlooked. read more

This cocktail bar is dripping with cool, from the quirky menu (the time I was there, it was themed as a mixtape cover, tucked into an audio-cassete case) to the odd decor (most notably the mirrored wardrobe that's the door to the back). Aside from that, what's there to say but the obvious? They've got some really great, creative drinks. A bit pricey, but that's to be expected. If you're up for visiting top cocktail bars, this place is worth a visit. There was a short wait at the door when I dropped in with a friend, but it was well worth the wait. (If the wait is too long to stand around, there are lots of other options in that lively neighborhood.) read more

This place drew me in because of its quirk of stepping through a wardrobe to get into the bar, but I feel that they literally just rested on this quirk because once you spend that millisecond walking through the novelty entrance, it's just another bar - and not a particularly good one at that. The drinks menu itself was a bit kitsch and original in terms of the presentation, but once again, the content was just lacklustre and the cocktails themselves were average. This place has relied on gimmicks to draw the crowd in, but hasn't focused on what actually makes a bar, good atmosphere, good cocktails and good value for money and because of that, the bar is simply blah. read more

The five of us went bar crawling yesterday evening. We started at Brewdog in Shoreditch and slowly made our way to Callooh Callay. The decor is your typical quirk Shoreditch style. Step through the wardrobe and into the loo, where the walls are covered from head to toe in old cassette tapes. This place had some of the most inventive, delicious cocktails in Shoreditch. The staff and bouncers were very nice to us even though we appeared quite drunk from the previous bars. This is one of my favourite bars in Shoreditch now. read more

I love dimly lit bars especially when I've been rained on, and my hair is resembling that of an uncouth poodle. Wonderful, wonderful bar...mirrored walls, cavernous exterior with an ante room which I'm already gearing up for a Christmas function. The toilets are a plethora of cassette tapes, everything from Butch Cassidy to KLF, it's your challenge to spot them! I absolutely adore this bar. read more

Callooh Callay - Cocktail Bars Near Me - London, XGL

I might have to come back here more sober. But my first impressions aren't great, despite the things about it that I really really liked. I thoroughly enjoyed the Narnia feel to it, and liked the little touch of going through a makeshift wardrobe to get to the loos. I liked the rest of the bar, it's comfy and cosy, despite its fun theme. But I don't like bars that don't have rose. Not that they'd run out, they just don't serve it. Which is weird. Really really weird. So instead, I tested them a little and asked for a mimosa. I got a bucks fuzz. So they can't make the right cocktail and they don't have rose wine. The service was good, and the waitress was friendly, but I'm not going to rush back to a bar that can't make a mimosa. read more

This quirky cocktail is a great talking point and inspired by both CS Lewis and Lewis Caroll it's likely to get even more popular with the new Alice in Wonderland movie. I went with friends and we couldn't resist clubbing together and having one of the large cocktails served in gramophones. This only set us back £30, a bargain when compared to Mahikis £100 Treasure Chests! Normally cocktails are £8 which isn't a bad price for a London bar. However, it's the unique decor that really sets the place apart. Guests enter the toilet through a wardrobe and the toilet itself is decked out in numerous cassette tapes. Amazing! read more

I'm not gonna lie - I was massively disappointed that this wasn't more Alice in Wonderland-ish. The name! The name promises so much! There's so much room for creativity! Instead, there's a Narnia-esque wardrobe surrounding the door to the back room and a (very, very cool) wall by the Ladies' filled with compilation tapes. But it's still not deserving of the bar's awesome name. The cocktail menu is nicely imaginative - based around the London underground map, each 'line' refers to sweet, sour or confused etc - and the drinks we had were all delicious. Food was tapas style and we enjoyed picking at our boards of bits. Callooh Callay is a really fun bar, but it could be a lot more than it is which is, basically, another Shoreditch bar. And not much more than that. read more

If I'm honest with myself, 90% of my love for this place revolves entirely around the wardrobe door. It's like all of my childhood dreams and penchant for wanky interiors all squashed into one corner. I was recommended this place by quite a few customers when I was working at $ in Farringdon.. it definitely has a similar vibe, but CC is so much more magical. (the weekends get a bit gross, like most places in that area.. so get there early) read more

I have been living in London temporarily on work assignment and Shoreditch is just around the corner. We went out to Calloh Callay once for a work celebration and it became an immediate favorite. The cocktails are more than just drinks, they are works of art. Imaginative, beautiful and delicious. The one drawback, they are insanely expensive, but you almost don't mind and by two, you completely forget because they are strong as well. The environment is wonderful, lighting dim, music great. One word of advice - beware of the punch bowl served with garden gnomes. At 50 quid it probably won't be hard to decide to pass, but we didn't. And as fun as it was - we suffered for it! Great photo opp though! Callooh Callay is worth a visit for sure. Just make sure it's on payday! read more

'Twas Brillig ... and so it is, after CS Lewis the bar is inspired. The Jabberwocky in fact, though the wardrobe you have to climb through at the back to head to the private rooms and toilets is a sign they got a little confused with Lewis Carol of Narnia fame. Anyhow, that little assortment aside, the cocktails at this place are top notch and not to be snooted at. at 7.50 a flute, glass or tumbler they are also reasonably priced. Highly recommended, the the first stop of any suitably arrange Shoreditch cocktail bar crawl. read more

Full review is on http://thehappinessprojectlondon.wordpress.com Callooh Callay is a Shoreditch cocktail bar on my London wishlist and about which I'd heard great things. It's on Rivington Street which is home to my favourite club Cargo (sadly unvisited in a while) and just a hop, skip and a jump from Favela Chic, Great Eastern Dining Rooms and Cantaloupe. So far, so trendy. We got stuck into the comfy seats and the cocktail menu and the sushi (which was actually very good) and were well taken care of. The staff were lovely and knowledgeable about all things cocktail they've won awards for inventing them (see the ale of two cities) and hold regular drinks events. My knowledge of hard liquor is sadly lacking, highlighted by my response to what type of vodka I prefered (ersmirnoff? grey goose?). Inside its a cute and quirky Alice-through-the-looking-glass-bar where you go through the lion witch wardrobe to another comfy lounge and where the toilets are lined with mix tapes mix tapes! Cue nostalgic ranting about the art of the mix tape and admiration of some great old tunes being played - Morcheeba's Trigger Hippy, Mary J Blige's I'm Going Down. I'm typically a bottle-of-white-wine-with-the-girls kind of gal and to be honest, I've always had a love-hate relationship with cocktail bars. I hate the thought that I'm being ripped off (undoubtedly the Scot in me) but I love the taste and the kick you get. I love the fact that cocktails are for slow appreciation not glugging. I hate the pretension of some cocktails places but I love the sophistication of a beautiful looking drink in a nice glass it feels special. And whoever came up with putting olives in a martini should receive some sort of prize. I lived in Prague once and they have fantastic cocktail bars - cheap and delicious and fun. But why would you pay £9 for a cocktail - what is it about them thats so good? Well for the sake of experiment, we decided to try one, no two, no three, ok then last one four, cocktails hic. Everything from a recommended alejandro sour to a mai tai to my FAVOURITE cocktail ever, a vodka martini with a huge green olive and finally a peach prosecco. They were all uniformly delicious with a lovely kick, my favourite being the martini which either means I'm really boring or really cool in the manner of James Bond. Yes they aren't cheap but it got me thinking if a bottle of average plonk is like a cup of tea then a good cocktail is like a good coffee - special and a bit sexy and you only need one (or, er, four) to get a lovely warm buzz. And Callooh Callay is undoubtedly the perfect place to try cocktails. If you don't believe me, next week is London Cocktail Week - an open invitation to go try it for yourselves. read more

Great cocktails to be found here and great entertainment as you can get hypnotized watching the bartenders work from their witch's brew collection of ingredients. read more

This quirky bar is situated on rivington street in shoreditch, its tricky to find unless it very late as that is when the area comes alive. If you do stumble across it its well worth taking a peek inside. The decor is very unique, the wardrobe that links that main rooms is inspired but not as much of a statement piece as i had been led to believe. The bathroom walls are coated in old cassette tapes. Its a complete mix of ideas but it really works. The cocktails are good and an extensive menu is available, they are a little pricey as they are very moorish. This bar was voted number 1 bar by the independent im not its that good but it is worth adding to your pub crawl route. read more

This place smells like vomit. Seriously. The room behind the wardrobe door is a bit better but still couldn't stand it. Got there at 10 PM, place was half full with suits having drinks after work, we tried to sit down on a couch and got told off that is reserved. Which is fine. In 20 min The room got empty completely. Same happened with another company of 4, they couldn't sit down in an empty room so left Creative coctails and interesting beers. Waiters are casual, quite friendly read more

This will be my first review on Qype. Loved the trendy laid back style, the vibrant music, the cosy sofas and chairs, creative cocktails, refreshingly friendly bartenders. Definitely coming back with more friends. read more

Fun place -though very expensive! great selection of cocktails- and all served by friendly staff. The snacks are good too... There is even a fun wardrobe door to walk through to get to different areas of the bar! We booked an area in the back for a birthday- worked well. read more

I've graced Callooh Callay with my presence twice, and each time was equally disappointing. As other reviewers have mentioned, it is best to book a table as it fills up pretty quickly. Why, is beyond me. I do love the idea of the speakeasy, and Callooh Callay's one redeeming feature is the hidden entrance to the hidden bar. From there though, its all downhill. Given the name, I was expecting some kind of through the rabbit hole, Alice in Wonderland theme (they take their name from a Lewis Carroll poem), but the secret bar looked decidedly unfinished, and far too shiny and tacky to be in any way cosy. The menus are pretty cool, but I found the cocktails to be weak and overpriced, with some fairly typical hipster cocktails consisting of strange ingredients that only serve to make you order them out of curiousity. I would not recommend this place, there's nothing amazing about it - the cocktails are poor, prices too high, atmosphere is non existent and it's not exactly a cosy place you could hang out for the night. My advice - save yourself the bother, go somewhere else. read more

This is how service should be- Friendly, knowledgeable, quality. And it was. Well, a very nice little cocktail bar that left my wife and I happy upon departure. 4 excellent cocktails and some small nibbles cost £63, which I think given the quality, experience and location of CC is great value. I would recommend this place, don't let the hype fool you so you will not be disappointed. read more

Absolutely great bar. The cocktails are something special, we only managed to have two but I'd like to go back and work my way through their list. A couple of other reviews have mentioned rude staff, but the two girls serving us in the back room were extremely lovely and friendly. Plus the decor is super stylish, you'll find yourself staring room the room a lot at the retro mirrored walls. read more

this wonderful little closet of a bar is spectacularly fantastique. one might argue that i am prone to gushing at the moment, having just drank a gramophone full of alcohol at said establishment, but i firmly believe this only serves to reinforce the excellence of the aforementioned location. perhaps this makes no sense. that is understandable. after all, i just drank a gramophone full of fruity yet tart, strong but well balanced beverage complete with sprigs of fresh mint and slices of passionfruit.. it's called the mad hatter, and it costs 30 pounds, and it is very large. callooh callay serves a number of delightful and thoughtful cocktails in their boudoir/cool kids hang/your sexy aunt's wardrobe, including the very manly and whiskey based 'smoking president' with a number of ingredients i can't pronounce and your incredibly girly and bubbly 'little lady' with prosecco, white peach, creme de peche and basil. i love that they care about their drinks to take the time to prepare them and serve fresh and unusual ingredients. i also love the decor, including a massive hanging lamp, mirrored etched walls, a variety of exciting chairs, walls of cassette tapes, and best of all, a massive wooden wardrobe. a WARDROBE, like in narnia, that you actually walk into to go to the restroom, and perhaps if you consume enough gramophones, to encounter little goat-footed men serving turkish delight and proud lion rulers and evil witches and eternal winters. (it's been a long time since i read any c.s. lewis, but this place almost makes me believe in magic). read more

I love Callooh Callay! I think it helps I was on a brilliant date! We sat in a bath! Like actually! We had about 5 or 6 cocktails each, they were all tasty!!!! What a night!!!!! read more

A great place to visit, a part of me wished I didn't know about the bar behind the wardrobe as it would have been a complete surprise as it was for my friends who right down thrilled - this is not to say that I didn't feel a bit like lion, witch and wardrobe :) The service was excellent, I was really surprised by the friendly, helpful and positive attitude from the lady who looked after us. I really liked the decor but I got the feeling that it is a bit tired and it such potential to be AMAZING (hence the 4 stars and not 5). I would come here again (I have my sticker book to fill).. read more

After reading a very positive review in a local magazine, I went to Callooh Callay with high expectations, so slight disappointment was probably to be expected. But even if I take that into account, they could have done much better. + Let me start with a few positives: The online booking system is very convenient and their response time is amazingly fast. The same goes for their follow-up. The online team are clearly great at what they do. As are the decorators. The interior is quite magical. ~ Then we'll slide down to the average: Food and drinks. The menu and the cocktail list sounded very exciting, but the execution of both my chocolate inspired cocktail and our mini burgers were average at best. They both lacked punch and made me wonder what warranted the upmarket price tag. - Which leads me to the negatives: The music was so ridiculously loud, we really couldn't have a chat at all. If I wanted to shout over bad disco music, I would do so in a spot where I can at last do a bad dance while doing so. But if you supply me with a sofa, give me a chance to sit back and relax. And, biggest no-no in my book, don't kick me out after 2 hours. I can understand that they were busy, but if you confirm my booking for 4 hours and only deliver 2, I leave with a bad taste in my mouth. There are plenty of better places around the area, so I really see no reason to put up with the downsides of Callooh Callay for the sake of booking convenience and the chance of walking into a wardrobe. read more

ive been meaning to go here for ages, so before Steak Club i arranged us to go there first for a pre-drink. even at 7:30 on a wednesday it was pretty full, but i think thats also due to the fact that the back room was being used for a private party. expensive, sure. but well worth it. the bartenders know their trade. the menu was made to look like a comic book, which made me smile. the music was a bit whatever, but... i guess i'll let it slide for now. i sense i'll be there quite a bit. read more

I had my birthday there on a saturday night, great funky furniture, walls of toilets are made of real tapes, the front was packed but I had booked a table at the back so we did not have to queue at the door. The staff was very welcoming and smiling, we could hang our coats in the cloakroom for free and smoke at an open space at the back, so we didnt have to stand in the street at the front. Cocktails are a bit expensive and my friends complained about the wait, but overall I had a lot of compliments on the choice of venu for my party. read more

Other than the squeezed-to-order fruit juices in cocktails and its location, I have no love for this place. The doormen remind me of the (very few) things I don't miss about nyc, the manager runs around making a show of things all night and is constantly shuffling groups around, and the space is truly nothing special. read more

This fun and quirky bar is always a great place to meet up with friends for a drink or two. The bartenders are friendly and dang talented at pouring me a cup of whatever I fancy, the clientele is a mish mash of the expected Shoreditch's elite interesting and attractive and the atmosphere is always electric (especially on a Friday or Saturday night when the DJs spin awesome tunes). read more

Walking through the wardrobe is kinda fun, but you need to book in advance to get a table in that area. We enjoyed our cocktails, the doorstaff are not welcoming but i guess that is what some people like. read more

I like this place a lot. I see there are a few reviews complaining about queues and seats etc but I operate on the assumption that, if a bar is well known and good, you should always avoid it on a Friday/Saturday night. It will be full of knobs who don't understand how cockails are priced and the staff will be really pushed. I went on a Tuesday night I think and had a lovely cocktail and a chat with my friend. Chilled, quality, civilised. I liked the decor, the back bar and the staff were decent. Maybe I'm just getting old? read more

I have been to this colourful cocktail bar before but I decided to re-visit with some friends a few weeks ago. The interior is fun, glittery and lavish. If you have the foresight to reserve seats, there are a number of comfy sofas around the edges of the bar. The menu is designed like a comic book. I dont really understand why the menu is presented like this but the design makes it difficult to see what cocktails are on offer. I wanted a vodka based cocktail but it took me 10 minutes to find one and this was before I even had a drink! The waitress was attentive and polite, and I did enjoy getting table service and not having to tackle the busy bar. I loved the Alice In Wondrerland inspired wardrobe door which guests need to go through to visit the toilet and the secret bar in the back. I think the the oask wardrobe is my favourite detail, I dont think skpping through a wardrobe could ever lose it's novelty. The drinks (yes I know they are cocktails) are just a bit too expensive for what they are, with the average cocktail costing £9.50. If you are looking for a unique cocktail bar in Shoreditch, I would recommend however this place just doesn't stand out. It's busy, pricey and self aware which for me doesnt make a great atmosphere. read more

Nice bar, shame that they've started operating a weird door policy! Not very Shoreditch! They really do know their cocktails though... Think they got in the top 10 cocktail bars in the world a few yrs ago.... read more

Nice and dark atmosphere, very creative cocktails. And you get to start your own collection! The menu will come without pictures, and when you order your cocktail they will bring the image you can stick on your menu! read more

Spot on for decor! I love this East London Bar for it's fantastic atmosphere and class. The front room feels like a 70's lounge, with a well stocked bar, textured fittings and comfy seating, but venture to the back through the secret wardrobe and you'll find a eclectic, room with two hexagonal mirrored walls, 70's themed black line booth, palm tree, glitter ball and completed with mismatched furniture. Low lighting and candles, add a magical feel to this room, where at busy times, you'll need to make a reservation to ensure that you are seated. Although, it is important to note that the back room is table service and they will a service charge to your tab. Do also check out the ladies bathroom, which is lined with old cassette tapes with cubicles made of solid wood and quality fixtures. This perhaps mirrors the menu design (or was the menu retro-designed) which comes folded inside a cassette case. Whilst taking a trip down memory lane, it is also good to see these obsolete articles getting a final lease of life! The only downside to this lovely cocktail bar is that actually the cocktails aren't that good! They have a good range of usual cocktails, but the ones that I had (a ale of 2 cities, hell in a high ball and the black forest), were lack lustre and nothing particularly special. These are served in standard glasses and lack interesting garnishes. When it's busy you won't get a seat so bear that in mind when deciding to visit this bar. The decor and atmosphere are the main sell here, so if you're just visiting to drink, don't. We also sampled the burger trio and beer battered chip. Very tasty. However whist the chips were not unreasonable, so 3 mini burgers £9.50 is just extortionate (especially if you are also paying a service charge on top of this cost). This said, this venue will always have a special place in my heart. I know that they a members only room upstairs which is frequented by guest bartenders. I just need to figure out how to get up there, in order to get at the good cocktails! Highly recommended, but just don't expect a high grade cocktail bang for your buck! read more

I like the quirky little things this bar has to offer, like their oyster style cocktail menus. The cocktails are good and reasonably priced, the venue itself is well designed with good decor with lots to explore. The only downside were the snobby staff who were quite annoyed we ordered a drink! How unreasonable for a group of girls to order drinks at a cocktail bar... read more

Is review is a bit old so not sure it still relevant but here goes any way. V cute lounge thru wardrobe at back of bar. Not quite a good entrance as PDT but pretty cool. 50s style lounge eclectic furniture and decor. Good selection of cocktails, reasonable service. My blood and sand was excellent with a good discussion about the best scotch to use (the key ingredient) . So fun cool with nice cocktails will go again. read more

Great cocktails - We originally went because it won best bar at Tales in NOLA... we couldn't get a seat behind the bookshelf so we were a little disappointed - 4 stars for their amazing cocktail menus! Worth a stop to drop in for an artisinal cocktail and enjoy the people watching read more

Great cocktails and great interior design. Love their secret room in the back that you have to pass a wardrobe/door to get into. Try and go there when it's not too busy and where you can sit down... it's a lot more enjoyable that way! read more

Great little place. Trendy and well mixed drinks. Their mixed drinks are very unique (tasty). The "secret lounge" in the back is cozy. Simon the manager is a good guy as well as the two gentleman guarding the door. Elly was a good host. They were nothing but kind to us. We really want to stop here one more time on the way out of London. read more

I kinda liked it. Yup, it's a little pretentious and the drinks are eye-wateringly expensive but they WERE delicious, the decor was inspiring and the staff were extremely friendly and attentive. The wardrobe door was enough to get my juices going, and the cocktails are very well devised. As bars in Shoreditch go, at least this one bothers to make you feel welcome, comfy and looked-after! read more