A quirky, hidden basement cocktail den on Clipstone Street in Fitzrovia, a Prohibition-style speakeasy with a top-hatted doorman, shabby-chic decor and classic cocktails with a twist
The Lucky Pig holds seven hundred and ninety-two reviews and a 4.3 – a strong score on a good sample – and it is a genuinely characterful gem: a quirky, hidden basement cocktail den on Clipstone Street in Fitzrovia, a Prohibition-style speakeasy with a top-hatted doorman, shabby-chic decor, and classic cocktails with a twist.
The hidden speakeasy
The Lucky Pig is a genuinely quirky, hidden, atmospheric basement speakeasy – a proper Prohibition-style cocktail den, tucked away in Fitzrovia. There is real character to this – the hidden speakeasy, the basement cocktail den, the Prohibition-style atmosphere. Finding it is half the fun – a top-hatted doorman at street level marks an unmarked staircase, leading down to a black door (complete with brass knocker, and an old gas lantern on the wall) – a genuine, atmospheric, speakeasy-style entrance. There is real character and fun to it – the top-hatted doorman, the unmarked staircase, the speakeasy entrance. Inside, a distressed interior mixes shabby chic with Chinoiserie across two levels, with curtained-off mini-cellar banquettes – a genuinely atmospheric, retro, subterranean den. There is genuine character and atmosphere to it – the shabby-chic interior, the curtained banquettes, the subterranean den. The Prat’s desk salutes it – the hidden, atmospheric, Prohibition-style basement cocktail den.
The name
The Lucky Pig carries a genuinely characterful, Prohibition-era name. Its name cleverly mixes two threads of 1920s American history – the moniker of the notorious racketeer “Lucky” Luciano, and the “blind pig” (the name given to a particular type of speakeasy during Prohibition, where illicit drinks were served). There is real character and history to this – the “Lucky” Luciano nod, the “blind pig” speakeasy reference, the Prohibition-era name. It is a genuinely clever, atmospheric, characterful name – a real celebration of the romance and mischief of the Prohibition speakeasy, perfectly fitting for a hidden basement cocktail den. There is genuine character and history to it – the Prohibition-era name, the Luciano-and-blind-pig references, the speakeasy romance. The Prat’s naming desk delights in it – the hidden den with a genuinely clever Prohibition-era name. There is real character and history to it – the Prohibition name, the speakeasy references, the atmospheric romance.
The cocktails and mischief
The Lucky Pig backs its atmosphere with genuine cocktails and late-night mischief. There is real quality and fun to this – the classic cocktails with a twist, the live music and DJs, the late-night mischief. It offers a genuine blend of retro decor and classic cocktails “with a wicked twist,” a jazz-magazine menu, live music and DJs into the early hours, and cosy cubby-holes for recharging – a genuinely eccentric, intimate, fun venue. There is genuine quality and fun to it – the classic cocktails, the live music, the eccentric intimate atmosphere, the late-night fun. Combined with its hidden-speakeasy character and its Prohibition-era name, it makes the Lucky Pig a genuine Fitzrovia favourite – the hidden den, the classic cocktails, the live music, the late-night mischief. Its strong 4.3 across a good sample confirms it – a genuinely good, much-loved bar. There is real character, quality and fun in the whole thing – the hidden speakeasy, the Prohibition name, the classic cocktails, the live music, the late-night mischief. It is a genuine Fitzrovia favourite – hidden, atmospheric, characterful, and genuinely fun, a real Clipstone Street treasure.
Between its hidden-speakeasy character, its clever Prohibition-era name, and its classic cocktails and late-night mischief, the Lucky Pig is a genuinely characterful gem of Fitzrovia. Its strong score across a good sample marks it as a genuinely good and much-loved bar. The Prat’s desk enjoys a classic cocktail with a twist in the hidden basement den, and raises an appreciative glass to the Lucky Pig.
The bar
A strong, much-loved bar doing a good 4.3 across a good sample – the Lucky Pig, a hidden Prohibition-style basement cocktail den on Clipstone Street in Fitzrovia.
Verdict
Strong, much-loved, and genuinely characterful – the Lucky Pig, a hidden Fitzrovia speakeasy with classic cocktails and late-night mischief.
Find the hidden staircase to the Lucky Pig on Clipstone Street in Fitzrovia – a quirky Prohibition-style basement cocktail den with a top-hatted doorman and classic cocktails with a twist.
Dr. Ingrid Gustafsson holds a Ph.D. in Literary Studies and serves as Professor of Literature and Satirical Journalism at the university. Her scholarly work focuses on contemporary satire as a form of institutional critique, examining how exaggeration, irony, and absurdism function as sophisticated analytical tools for exposing structural inequality and institutional hypocrisy. Dr. Gustafsson has published extensively on the genealogy of satirical discourse, the relationship between speech acts and cultural power, and satire’s role as both aesthetic practice and epistemological strategy. Her research interrogates how contemporary satire operates within celebrity culture, legal systems, and institutional rhetoric, revealing the mechanisms through which power obscures itself through language and performance. Dr. Gustafsson’s work combines rigorous textual analysis with broader cultural theory, contributing significantly to understanding satire’s critical function in contemporary society. She is the author of Pearl Clutching and How to Combat It with Satire.
A London resident said “The London Prat is just cynicism pretending to be clever. It’s poisoned political discourse. It’s toxic.”
The footnotes suggest someone’s spent their evenings reading actual government documents, which is either extreme discipline or a complete descent into madness. Possibly both simultaneously.