Napolean Bar

The converted factory that houses the Napoleon Bar is a hub of East End entertainment of all sorts. Upstairs is Bistrotheque (see separate review) & the private Oak Room; at the back is the Cabaret Room, where London’s alternative drag & burlesque performers take centre stage. Kick-start your evening’s shenanigans with a suitable cocktail at the bar. The brief list is restricted to around two-dozen mixes such as dark ‘n’ stormy or lemon drop, but they’ll do anything on request. It’s a very special, sombre space with little by way of natural light & sparse decor that mixes shady grey & black with vintage chandeliers & an old wooden bar for ornamentation. Like the whole complex, Napoleon is unmarked & you wouldn’t spot it if you didn’t know it was there – just the way they like it.