Below — Restaurant in London

It is well known that one Michelin star HIDE offers some of Mayfair’s best dining, but on the basement floor down the flowing oak stairs is also a gem of a cocktail bar, the aptly named The Bar Below. The bar is an oasis from the hustle and bustle of Mayfair, with a cozy atmosphere provided by dim lighting, dark wood and a charismatic bar team. Even compared to the always-packed restaurant one floor up at Ground, and the exclusive tasting menu only-space at Above on the first floor, things are more laidback at The Bar Below.

The Bar Below is dominated by a long, craggy wooden bar top which makes you feel for a moment that you are in one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels. From the sculptured counter, you can glimpse the majestic backlit back bar and yearn for the pricey bottles within the locked cabinet.

Working in collaboration with the founding chef Ollie Dabbous and head chef Martin Carabott, the bar team includes group executive bar manager Oskar Kinberg, bar manager Rui Costa, assistant bar manager Ambra Lombardo and head bartender Jeanne Mathieu. There are 15 signature cocktails at The Bar Below, with Kinberg’s list striking a perfect balance between originality and smashability. It's hard to beat Erik Lorincz's twist on the Bloody Mary at Kwant, but The Bar Below's Cross-Eyed Mary (16 GBP) gives it a good run for the money. With vodka fat-washed olive oil, Fino sherry, and clarified tomato water with spices this savory, yet sessionable Mediterranean rendition of the Bloody Mary is a divine way to start your drinking adventure at HIDE.

Although there is a bias towards lighter and fresher cocktails to complement the food at HIDE, there are also boozier options for the seasoned drinkers out there. If you aren’t tempted to unlock the liquor cabinet to enjoy one of the fine dark spirits at The Bar Below, consider the stiff Holy Water to finish your evening. With Macallan 12yo sherry oak Scotch malt whisky, Companero rum, Amontillado sherry and Palo Santo, this rich meditation cocktail is the quintessential night...

Everything was fine, except for the terrible and arrogant customer service provided by the manager. When we were ordering food and asked about the Burrata dish, one of my other friends was describing Burrata to us as being in the cheese category, and the manager got very defensive because she is Italian and kept aggressively telling us it's not a cheese. When we asked whether they had truffle fries, she forcefully continued repeating, "We are a Michelin Star restaurant, we don't serve fries, if we did, I wouldn’t be working here," in a harsh tone. We ordered a bread selection and were given a flat bread that had pork without even mentioning it to us because we don't eat pork; when we told her we ordered a bread selection, she gave us an awful look. This is unacceptable; we are paying customers, and this is a terrible way to portray the organisation. She made us feel like we were low-status and shouldn't be here, like the ugly ducklings. It was so bad that I will never return; as the manager of a well-known bar in Mayfair ,this is not how you treat paying customers. We didn't pay £2 or £3 for our bill; we paid about £200....

I recently visited Hide Below with my sister and had an absolutely amazing time. From the moment we walked in, the team made us feel incredibly welcome. Clark was fantastic — friendly, attentive, and full of brilliant recommendations. Every drink he served was beautifully crafted and bursting with flavour.

We also had the pleasure of chatting with Ruiz and Davide, who brought such good energy to the evening. They were engaging, thoughtful, and genuinely made us feel at home. It felt more like being hosted by good friends than just going out for drinks.

We tried a selection of nibbles and desserts as well — everything was delicious. The attention to detail in both presentation and flavour was spot on. You can really tell the team here take pride in what they do.

Hide Below is a real hidden gem in London. Perfect for a special evening out or just a night of quality cocktails and great company. Highly recommend — we’ll...