Callooh Callay

Made by Piero Picariello at Callooh Callay Chelsea, London. A perfect American breakfast combination of chocolate, berries, bacon and Bourbon to start the day.

The Shoreditch stops for April include Del Maguey Mezcal at Callooh Callay

The award-winning bar’s pop up has gone...

No passwords, freemason-esque handshakes or fumbling around the houses required here. Just enter the main, Alice in Wonderland-themed bar before popping through the innocent looking wardrobe to discover the back bar (and, importantly, the loos). In keeping with a bar that’s routinely voted among the best in the world, it serves up some truly amazing drinks, from a constantly overhauled menu. Upstairs, hidden behind some velvet curtains in the corner, is Jubjub — another ‘bar within a bar’.

mood Alice in Wonderland-themed; features an innocent looking wardrobe to discover the back bar; includes 'Jubjub' hidden behind velvet curtains.

One of the coolest bars in Shoreditch, Callooh Callay fronts some seriously intriguing cocktails, not to mention delicious plates from the kitchen and outstanding service from the friendly bar team. They’ve been named in Drinks International’s list of the World’s 50 Best Bars multiple times, and it really shows.

mood one of the coolest bars in Shoreditch; friendly bar team

Eccentric doesn’t seem to quite cover it: enter the surreal world of Callooh Callay through an old Victorian wardrobe, catch sight of a throne and order punch out of a gramophone from a menu that’s more of a sticker book. It sounds a bit ridiculous, but the bartenders really know their stuff, so for all its quirks, drinks are fundamentally pretty excellent. On the weekends, it’s a party bar, and DJs spin music to match: you’re here for a good time. Any detectives in your gang will find there are two extra rooms in Callooh Callay to explore – they’re hidden away, too, naturally. If you’re good, you might even get an invite upstairs to the Jub Jub Room, where the 10-long cocktail list changes every three weeks. Fans should also head to their new offering in Angel, Little Bat.

mood Eccentric and surreal; enter through an old Victorian wardrobe. Features a throne and hidden rooms. Weekend party bar with DJs.

We booked the room upstairs for our engagement party and it was an amazing vibe. Service was super professional, loved having our own room, bartender and music too! We will definitely come come back!

mood Amazing vibe

Slip into Callooh Callay, and you’ll swear you’ve tumbled straight into a Lewis Carroll fever dream. Named after the nonsensical poem “Jabberwocky,” this whimsical wonderland blends Victorian charm with modern mixology magic. Behind an unassuming facade lies a playground of creative cocktails served in everything from teapogs to tiki mugs garnished with edible flowers. But the real magic? Push through a vintage Narnia-esque wardrobe (yes, really), and you’ll discover JubJub, their secret bar-within-a-bar, where the drinks get even more experimental and the vibes more intimate.

mood Lewis Carroll fever dream, whimsical wonderland, Victorian charm; features a secret bar-within-a-bar called JubJub accessible through a wardrobe.

A cocktail institution if ever there was one, Callooh Callay has been showing other bars how drinking is done since 200://8. Its playful tone and first-rate drinks help keep it relevant despite the changing times. We’ve never had a dull moment at this bar.

mood playful tone.

Eccentric in every sense of the word, Callooh Callay is one of those bars that you just need to see for yourself. Sporting sultry interiors and even a secret hangout found behind a wardrobe door, this is the booze-fuelled Narnia you need to discover.

mood Eccentric with sultry interiors and a secret hangout found behind a wardrobe door.

Hired the room for a 50th birthday party. Perfect size and location. Hostess was amazing, drinks were ordered and prompty. Liese was brilliant helping with arrangements. Drinks and food were great. All guest loved it!

Some say Callooh Callay kickstarted the cocktail bar trend in Shoreditch, others just get lost through that wardrobe. Made up of three bars, including the back lounge where you have to walk through a Narnia-style wardrobe and rock & roll Palace of Humbug bar, it all sounds pretty exclusive. But at the end of the day, this place is just damn eccentric and even has a sticker book for a cocktail menu.

mood three bars, Narnia-style wardrobe, rock & roll Palace of Humbug bar, exclusive feel, eccentric, sticker book menu

well and truly in the festival spirit, with its upstairs bar converted to Callooh-Stock until the end of July. The menu here changes daily, but Tequila-based slushies are always an option. Fruits will vary in order to keep things interesting, but expect the likes of watermelon, mango and pineapple.

mood well and truly in the festival spirit

With the creation of Callooh Callay’s Candy Shop pop-up with edible menus, came the Whisky and chocolate pairing session ‘Johnnie Walker and the Chocolate Factory’ taken by the great Colin Dunn. He led us through Black, Platinum and Gold Reserve labels with a wonderful chocolate match for each.

mood pop-up with edible menus

With the creation of Callooh Callay’s Candy Shop pop-up with edible menus, came the Whisky and chocolate pairing session ‘Johnnie Walker and the Chocolate Factory’ taken by the great Colin Dunn. He led us through Black, Platinum and Gold Reserve labels with a wonderful chocolate match for each. At the end we were presented with flip cocktail that unfortunately wasn’t up my street (I prefer spirit heavy drinks or sours), but still an excellent evening.

Callooh Callay, named after the nonsense poem in Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass,” is a whimsical cocktail bar that embraces the eccentric. In 2025, this Shoreditch favourite will be continuing to surprise and delight with its playful approach to mixology. Expect a menu that’s filled with unexpected ingredients, quirky presentations, and a sense of fun that’s infectious.

mood Whimsical cocktail bar, embraces the eccentric, playful approach to mixology, sense of fun that’s infectious, imaginative decor.

celebrated London bars such as... Callooh Callay, where [the founders] previously worked together.

the team who brought us Callooh Callay

Callooh Callay is an eccentric and beautifully quirky cocktail bar in Shoreditch, tended to by some of London’s best bar staff. Step away from the busy Old Street bars and go discover something a bit different. Flick through the Bar Manual cocktail menu, explore this Shoreditch bar and find the secret JubJub bar, hidden behind a wardrobe and party to classics and party tunes at the weekends where Callooh Callay becomes a lively and good times bar.

mood eccentric and beautifully quirky; lively and good times bar with a secret JubJub bar hidden behind a wardrobe.