How this bar has flown under the radar for so long is anyone’s guess as it’s quite possibly the coolest spot in London. Seriously.

The Venue
Firstly, this is not an easy place to find, mainly because it’s not signposted and you have to instead seek out 5 Ravey Street and hope for the best. When you DO find it, you’ll discover a tiny, secreted away basement bar that is quite possibly the best use of a basement space, like, ever. This is one gorgeous little bar. The red walls are cosy and the bar itself is proper old school with rows of quality spirits lined up behind, just crying out to be drunk. The walls are roughshod and the few tables and chairs are simple and look unfinished. Candles are stuck randomly into Jack Daniels and spirit bottles, and candelabras and granny lamps do the rest. Sparkling fairy lights lift the gloom further and highlight all of the funky posters and flyers that cover the walls and even splurge out onto the ceiling, and a DJ booth sits in one corner ready to get the night started. All of this looks to have been done in a haphazard fashion without too much in the way of a contrived design process.

The Atmosphere
Make no mistake, the crowd at Three Blind Mice are very, very cool. Think proper locals who haven’t paid out £100 at the hairdresser to make it look like they don’t care about their hair. And the bar staff actually manage to be both trendy and friendly – take note other Shoreditch bars, you don’t have to be rude to be cool. ‘nuff said. And they crank up the music with regular DJ nights and unplugged live music events, playing everything from Latin and jazz to hip hop. They’ve also been known to play host to MOBO-nominated DJs and even DJ Format's a fan as he recently recommended it in his Guide to London.

The Drink
Given that Three Blind Mice has such a small bar, it’s surprising that they’ve managed to cram so much in. They often tie-in drinks promotions with certain events, such as the Pisco Night when they mix together pisco sours with Latin beats. The Old Jamaica ginger beer has a strong presence behind the bar and is used in some of the simple cocktail recipes - this is definitely a place that worships at the alter of rum, whisky and vodka, with an excellent choice of spirits. Although they don’t do draught, you can get Guinness in a can as well as canned Red Stripe for really getting into the festival mood. Otherwise, there’s a good choice of world beers including Corona and Peroni in bottles. And the prices aren’t hiked up like they are in many pubs and bars in this neck of the woods these days.

The Last Word
Even if you consider yourself to be pretty ‘in the know’, Three Blind Mice has probably flown under your radar. Go check it out – just don’t tell all of your mates.

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