Secret Bars We Love: The Spy Bar
The Spy Bar Raffles London at The OWO
Location
Raffles London at The OWO
57 Whitehall, London SW1A 2BX, United Kingdom
This lavish speakeasy is hidden in the subterranean tunnels of London’s Old War Office, now the exclusive Raffles London hotel. Once used by British secret agents during WWII, the aptly named Spy Bar serves classified cocktails reserved only for hotel guests.
Inside The Spy Bar
Open door at The Spy Bar Raffles London at The OWO
Hidden down a hallway full of indistinct wooden doors, patrons need to keep their eyes peeled for the one marked “007.” Consisting of two small rooms that once housed the false identity papers of MI5 and MI6 agents during the Second World War, they’ve removed the cobwebs and replaced them with wine-red interiors, moody lighting and some of the city’s best drinks. Besides a mean martini, the bar’s showstopper is James Bond’s iconic Aston Martin DB, mounted above the bar.
The Drinks
Sotirios Konomi, Bar Manager The Spy Bar
Led by Sotirios Konomi and his ten years of experience at some of the city’s swankiest restaurants and bars, each of the menu’s 16 cocktails is an ode to the OWO. “Spy Bar is a labor of love, and we could not be more privileged to be surrounded by the incredible histories that are hiding within the walls of our building,” says Konomi.
The bow-tied team here expertly executes plays off classic cocktails named after the building’s notable occupants and its history. From heroic female spies to James Bond-inspired drinks, you can bet they’ve mastered a martini—shaken, not stirred.
And just like the spy the cocktails are inspired by, the bartenders here use all the latest gadgets to craft the perfect tipple. “The beverage program and the cocktail offering consist of innovative techniques, using equipment such as the Rotary Evaporator, centrifuge, etc.,” says Konomi. “Our main focus is to keep the drink’s DNA original so guests can have an incredible experience with innovative techniques but still have the memories of the classics they were drinking back in the day.”
Konomi and his team also work with area British farmers and foragers to stock the bar with hyper-fresh ingredients and herbs to create an array of seasonal cocktails in addition to their signature menu.
Drinks here are stiff, so it's best to snack on the green olives and nuts dished out with them. If you’re looking for something heavier to nosh on, try the selection of luxurious bites, like chicken liver parfait and a trio of pork cheeks, Scottish lobster with squid ink, lobster emulsion and Exmoor caviar.
Popular Cocktails
Signature Vesper
Signature Vesper The Spy Bar Raffles London at The OWO
James Bond’s iconic martini has been perfected in the place where the character was invented. Said to have been created inside the OWO while author Ian Fleming was writing in the military library, the drink was named after Bond’s femme fatal Vesper Lynd. But this play on the classic uses local honey distilled at the bar, giving it a sweet note that balances out the bitter hit of the bar’s vermouth blend and No.3 Gin.
Double O Seven
Double O Seven The Spy Bar Raffles London at The OWO
Another of the bar’s most popular cocktails, the Double O Seven, combines the classic spy go-tos, a martini and a gimlet but with a global twist. Made with Grey Goose vodka, coconut oil, rhubarb and absinthe, this concoction gives off a golden hue and is garnished with a sophisticated rose swirl.
Stinger
Stinger The Spy Bar Raffles London at The OWO
Fleming superfans may know this cocktail comes from “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold.” A clarified play off a Grasshopper and the beloved After Eight desserts, its name refers to the covert pen-like weapons used by British spies during WWII. Made with Courvoisier VSOP Cognac, After Eight Chocolate, Amaro and mint oil, it’s a sugary sweet pick-me-up that rivals any espresso martini, and no, it’s not green.