Soho has more bars than any half mile in London, most of them competing for your attention at street level. This is about the one that isn't: a candlelit basement behind a red door on Broadwick Street.
Most bars in Soho get louder as the night goes on, until talking stops being worth the effort. A basement works differently. Low ceilings, candlelight, and you can hear the person opposite without leaning in. That, and the drinks. More on the quiet bar in Soho.
A first date in a loud bar is an interview with background noise. Downstairs it's dark enough to relax and quiet enough to talk, and the cocktail list gives you something to decide together. More on date night.
Tables for four to fifteen book online in seconds, with no minimum spend. Bigger than that, the bar area is yours by enquiry. Details on group bookings.
Ten alcohol-free cocktails at £11, built on 0% spirits rather than juice and hope, and they arrive looking identical to the boozy ones. Looking for mocktails near Oxford Circus? The red door is three minutes' walk.
The pubs are rammed from six until eight, then the crowd thins out as people peel off to dinner. Most bars call last orders somewhere around midnight, and after that the choice narrows fast to clubs and kebabs. We pour until 1:30am Tuesday to Saturday, which is why the last hour down here is often the best one.
Sunday to Wednesday you can usually walk in, here included. Fridays and Saturdays, book. Soho rooms are small, ours included, and the difference between a table and a doorway is a two-minute reservation made that afternoon.
A cocktail in Soho runs £13 to £16 anywhere that makes them properly. Ours are £13 to £15, the 0% list is £11, and there's no ticket, minimum spend or cloakroom fee between you and a seat.
Old Compton Street is the loud, happy centre of it all. Dean and Frith lean towards restaurants and members' clubs. Broadwick and Berwick, our end, go quieter after dark, which suits a cocktail bar in Soho that never bothered with a sign.
8 Broadwick Street, W1F 8HN. An unmarked red door, three minutes from Oxford Circus. Head down the stairs.
Sun & Mon until midnight, Tue to Sat until 1:30am. When the street-level bars are full, the basement usually has room.
We're biased. 4.4 from 838 Google reviews is a fairer answer, and a few of them are further down this page.
Most call last orders between 11pm and midnight. Genuinely late licences are rarer than people expect. Basement Sate serves until 1:30am Tuesday to Saturday, and until midnight on Sunday and Monday.
On Fridays and Saturdays, yes, almost anywhere worth sitting down in. Earlier in the week you can usually walk in. Our tables book online in seconds, and walk-ins are welcome whenever the room allows.
£13 to £16 at most bars that take the drinks seriously. Ours are £13 to £15, with ten 0% cocktails at £11. There's no ticket or minimum spend to come downstairs.
Below street level, mostly. A basement soaks up the noise the street can't. The Broadwick Street end is also calmer after dark than the Old Compton end, which is exactly where our red door is.
Dark, small, and quiet enough to talk. That's the whole checklist. We'd say a candlelit basement with table service beats a bar you have to shout across, but then we would.
It's better. The same rooms with a fraction of the crowd, and you can decide to go out at 9pm and still get a good table. Tuesday and Wednesday down here feel like a secret.
Planning a date? Date night in Soho, done properly →
"For the love of God, don't tell your friends about this place. Keep it a secret, and long may it remain a dark, classy, quiet place to enjoy great cocktails brought to you by staff who genuinely want you to have a good time."
Google Review"Basement Sate is a hidden gem, nestled underground, offering a cozy and intimate atmosphere for indulging in delightful desserts and handcrafted cocktails… an escape from the city's hustle and bustle."
Google Review"Absolute favourite place for cocktails in London. Great for date night or catching up with friends, the leather seats, low lighting, and exotic drinks make for a sophisticated and perfectly schmooz-y vibe."
Google Review"We booked our team night out here, and the staff are super accommodating. The cocktails are top-notch, and the prices are really reasonable for London, Soho. We'll definitely be coming back!"
Google ReviewBook online in seconds, or get in touch for private hire and we'll come back to you.