Soho’s underground train station-themed speakeasy Cahoots has launched its new sister venue: a 1940s cocktail bar set in an overground railway station.
Unlike the original Cahoots, which opened in 2015 and is solely subterranean, the new venue, located on Kingly Street in Carnaby, Soho spans two-storeys and has been converted into two distinct spaces.
The team knocked through the shell of a neighbouring damaged railway station and commandeered the old overground Ticket Hall and disused Control Room, turning it into an immersive cocktail bar.
The ground floor vintage Ticket Hall sets out to transport guests back to the 1940s by way of an old-school ticket window and repurposed station kiosk bar. Period train schedules, phone booths and ticket machines add authentic nods to the iconic era, alongside the smoke-stained ceiling and the tobacconist and grocery store at the rear.
During the day, the space serves a selection of crowd-pleasing period dishes, including British favourites like pie, mash & liquor and fish finger sandwiches, as well as American chicken & waffles and a Sloppy Joe bun.
From 5pm, the Ticket Hall becomes a buzzing drinking destination, offering inventive cocktails served in tin cans, playful snacks and a host of 1940s entertainment, from swing dances to live music and vintage fancy dress.
Hidden below The Ticket Hall lies the old station Control Room, which has been repurposed to provide an immersive underground experience. The “hide out” space features live cogs, gages and switchboards, a flashing station map and a long bar made out of old suitcases.
The cocktail menu in the Control Room is “highly experimental”, incorporating fermentation, preservation, and long forgotten ration ingredients.
Notable highlights include Suspicious Activity, a lethal mix of Woodford Reserve Rye, Scoundrels’ Falernum and Crème de Menthe, topped with an edible mint ice ball and served out of a discrete waiter’s trench coat, and the Knob Twiddler, a tongue-in-cheek tipple consisting of Dewars, Amontillado and rhubarb sherbet, which comes smuggled within a closed radio box and must be tuned to pop open.
The Control Room also plays host to live entertainment and experiences such as immersive movie evenings, musical quiz nights, and ‘Cahooch’ cocktail masterclasses.
Charlie Gilkes, co-founder of Inception Group, the company behind Cahoots, said: “Building on the great success of the original Cahoots, we are so excited to be opening the Ticket Hall & Control Room next door, and look forward to welcoming guests into this 1940s-inspired train station-themed cocktail bar with lots of new immersive experiences and surprises in store.”
