3 Blind Mice Bar

When you talk about secret bars or hidden gems, the first bar on everyone’s lips is Three Blind Mice Bar. Somehow this intimate cellar bar remains immune to Shoreditch’s homogenization and stays one step ahead of the hip crowd on the down-low.

Located below the unassuming calm of Ravey Street, Three Blind Mice is everything you’d expect of a place whose reputation is built on its music. An intimate bare-bricked space below ground is hardly big enough to comfortably seat a group of six, but that’s what its all about. Shoulder to shoulder, ear to ear – shouting over the music is a pastime you have to tolerate. Happy vibes beam around to the music - a mixture of jazzy grooves, reggae, hip-hop and anything else that’s got a little soul its heart. The crowd is filled with head nodders and although the space leaves little room for dancing, serious DJs have been known to grace the bar with their presence.

Frankly, there aren’t enough bars like this left in London and as much as it should stay (relatively) secret, everybody should pay a visit. They’re still serving Red Stripe in the can and rum by the bucket load and gentrification seems a long way off. Come for the best-established and up-and-coming DJs and leave happy alongside the hip undercover crowd.