Cahoots underground bar and 1940s party onboard the HMS.

In the heart of Soho hidden in an old disused tube station is the best little retro cocktail bar you can find. Cahoots underground bar is a real gem and i get so excited when we go. So when we found out they were hosting a Grand Birthday party on the HMS Belfast we just had to join in.

I love finding quirky places in London and the original Cahoots cocktail bar is no exception. The Cahoots bar can only be found by small sign in kingly court that simply says “To the trains”. When you arrive you are told to ask for “The Captain” who greets you and takes your name.

Reservations must be made in advance and you are given a set two hour slot for your booking.

Inside you will find old train seats, part of a carriage to sit in and old luggage cases lying around. The walls are adorned with vintage posters and tube signs, there are old fashioned lampshades hanging and memorabilia in every corner. The Cocktail menu is printed on an old newspaper and the drinks are made with unusual and quirky mixes with 1940’s names. You will find ingredients such as Rhubarb-rose peppercorn and egg whites served in anything from Tin cups to milk bottles.

Be sure to order your Vera Lynn cocktail, a ploughing the fields or even an Alright treacle!

Get your rations of sausage sandwiches served in a camping tin, or even cocktails to share served in a tea flask with teacups!

The music is a mix of vintage jazz and in the Khazi they  play you a pod cast of all the  British rhyming slang. .

We had visited Cahoots on a couple of occasion prior to their 1st Birthday celebrations and thoroughly enjoyed it.

So Getting rather excited about a jolly good knees up and armed with our finest 1940’s attire, We headed of to board the HMS Belfast! with the password “loose lips sink ships”.

First off I had no idea you could even hire the HMS, It really  was a fantastic venue and Cahoots did it up really well. With Clothes hanging from washing lines, piles of luggage and newspapers lying around, It really looked a treat. You can find out to hire this amazing venue here.

Upon arrival we were greeted with a glass of Verve clique champagne and watched as people danced to jazz on deck, before heading up the apples and pears to a barbecue served in ration cans and washed down with Bombay gin cocktails.

There were photographers on board to take your mug shot and the entertainment was rip roaring fun.

I can’t even go in to detail about the amount of work it took to get the outfits for our night out! visits to vintage stores in London and plenty of charity shop searching. As for our barnets well! that was interesting. It was so good to see everyone had made a real effort. All the ladies in their tea dresses and the gents in their whistle and flutes.

The Grub was amazing and they  even had a bombay sapphire cocktail booth, So it wasn’t long before we were all Brahms and liszt.

Before long it was Below deck for some entertainment in the form of the Hotsie Totsies a 1940 harmony trio. Followed by the Shirt Tail stompers who were an glorious Jazz band  who had everyone rocking!

Later on we were joined by the very funny Tom Carradine with his Carradines cockney sing along.

Last but not least we had a butchers downstairs and ended up with a good old knees up in the ballroom with the roustabouts playing some tunes, Before it was time to leave and catch a sherbet dab.

All in all it was a jolly good night! So next time your in London head off to Cahoots underground bar for a tipple and don’t forget to keep it under your hat!.