Back Room Bar

Bar in Mayfair
Back Room Bar image
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9 / 10 from 3 reviews
Address
148B Old Park Lane
Mayfair
London
W1K 1QZ
Map
Telephone
020 7514 1700
Region
Mayfair
Nearest Station
Hyde Park Corner
0.25 miles
Category
Bars

Known as Mayfair's best kept secret, this venue is one of a kind in London.

The venue is famed for its Thursdays‚ Blues nights, classic cocktails and charismatic staff; there is also a large TV screen showing live sports.

All In London Review

Rock and roll memorabilia... and lots of it

Imagine a Mayfair bar and you’ll automatically picture a place with marble floors, punters enjoying buckets of champagne and a guest list as long as your arm. Well, Back Room boasts none of the above – instead, hidden away on Old Park Lane, this is a Mayfair bar actually oozes real character, a whole host of cocktails and the most appetising pizza you could ask for – in fact, it’s a bit like accidentally strolling into 1970s New York.

The first thing you notice as you wander through the rickety door is the rock and roll memorabilia. Lining the walls are vintage covers of Melody Maker and original band posters of The Who, Beatles and other famous types. You immediately feel warm and welcome and the dimly lit room provides a successfully intimate ambience for a few drinks. The classic rock playing in the background adds the perfect soundtrack to a cosy night out. Then your eyes adjust and you realise there’s a soulful feel to the place too, dark wooden chairs and benches sit amongst the tables and there’s an actual confession booth which has been transformed into a seating area – it looks beautiful.

Looking at the menu, the first things that stand out are the long, flamboyant line of cocktails. From the old classics like Mojito Daiquiris and Moscow Mules to the lesser tried and tested Ether Bunny and Yellowbird (a personal favourite) – let’s just say there are plenty for spirit lovers.

Then you flip your eyes over to the food page and choose from big favourites like BBQ Chicken, classic Margherita, or a spicy beef. There’s no chance of going hungry with the brimming pizza menu and just to tide you over, the barman is quick to bring you over some sugar-roasted nuts. The perfect complement to the cocktails.

The clientele seem trendy but not too trendy – you certainly wouldn’t feel out of place is jeans and a sweater. And the atmosphere is warm – and gives the feeling that you’ve stumbled upon an eclectic little bar that no one else has heard of - although that does change during a big sport days when the big flat screen to the left of the room takes centre stage for a few hours.

Thursdays are live music nights, and this is the evening where music fans can sit back and enjoy some live jazz and blues courtesy of the Back Room bookings team. In fact, Madonna’s musicians and a few of the Stones’ old band-boys have been known to pop in for a jam.

Our personal highlight had to be the great find on the way to the restrooms. Leading you out of the bar area is a door donated by the famous Apple Studios, which has the recognisable scrawlings of The Beatles across it. And as a salute to them, the friendly bar boys welcome their punters to add their own messages and thoughts to the walls and doors too. If that isn’t rock and roll, then I don’t know what is.

Reviewed by Karen Edwards
Published on Nov 17, 2011


User Reviews

T.A.O

Feb 4, 2014

Being connected - not physically - to the Hard Rock Cafe I thought this might be a little touristy. However, it's not. Cosy and compact, an unusual place for watching football and the pizza is as good as they say it is!

We'll be back.
SusieHuges

Nov 1, 2012

What a find!! I work just around the corner from this bar and it's a go-to for an after work drink! Very cozy and always busy - love the cocktails! And the cute Irish barman! Highly recommend
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