London pubs: Historic, typical and with live music

Not everyone knows that there is another "drinking" London, secret and hidden from prying eyes. There is in fact a dense network of bars and pubs to be found, hidden behind unmarked premises or, even, accessed through other bars.

Such is the case with Call Me Mr Lucky, one of London's strangest pubs: quirky, bustling and a little bit crazy, it is a must-see! To gain access, you have to enter the world-famous The Breakfast Club in London Bridge. Once inside, right at the entrance you find a team member to say the password to. Yes, to gain access to the secret pub you have to utter a code phrase!

"I'm here to get lucky" - that's all it takes to be escorted downstairs and get the party started.

If you want my advice, head here for happy hour from 5-7 p.m. (daily) to catch the livelier spirit of this place, whose ideal atmosphere between chill and extravagance will amaze you.

If you want to experience an evening out of the ordinary, Evans & Peel Detective Agency is certainly the location to go. It is located at 310C Courts Road, not too far from the Natural History Museum, and is a place that can give you a real experience.

Not just a pub, but (also) a detective agency where you undergo an interrogation to solve a case. Basically when you enter it is a detective who welcomes you, asking why you are visiting and asking you pressing questions. The unwritten rule is to play along by making up a case and experience an engaging and memorable evening!

When you are then given permission to sit at the table, you have the opportunity to order the most original and iconic cocktails, named after the most internationally famous gangsters. You can also let the bartenders advise you and rely on their creativity, of which they are notoriously rich.

It is one of the strangest pubs in London, but for the same reason also among the most coveted. This makes it essential to arrive with a reservation already made. And be careful, because the reservation is valid for a maximum time of 2 hours, at the end of which you will be politely invited to leave the pub to give up your seat to the next customers.

One of the most iconic neighborhoods in London is certainly Camden Town, with its punk and transgressive soul and its vintage notes. It is impossible not to fall in love with it, especially if you decide to enter The Hawley Arms, one of the best pubs in London and one of the most historic in the neighborhood.

Perhaps from the outside it does not give the idea of the world to itself that it hides inside: it just looks like a classic pub, a bit eccentric because of the red it is painted with. Upon entering, however, you can sense the grit, tenacity, and hope of all the aspiring musicians who have made it a gathering place.

Among them all, one in particular has made history here: Amy Winehouse. She frequented it as a young girl, when she was not yet famous, and continued to do so naturally and humbly despite her international fame. Entering here is a bit like entering her home, and in fact the pub is plastered with photos of the unforgettable British singer.

Of course, the music at The Hawley Arms is a certainty: like other London pubs with live music, there is often a local artist present to accompany the evening with his or her songs.

The pub consists of two floors (above is the dehors), and it is always very crowded, so it is recommended to make a reservation, at least in case you want to have lunch there. In fact, the restaurant reserves the right not to reserve all available seats, so that even those who happen to be passing by can linger and say "okay, I'll stop here and have a drink." Again, the choice is very wide, both in terms of beers and drinks and food.

In short, you will have realized that London is much more than red telephone booths, museums of history and art, or royal palaces. It is a city to be experienced at night, in the less central and somewhat more hidden streets, where you will find London's strangest pubs as well as its most iconic and memorable ones. Only then can you get to know its true essence, among English beers and traditional dishes. And to end your evenings on a high note, under the banner of fun and the wildest music, don't miss London's most famous nightclubs as well: making the sunrise has never been so... British!