New Bloomsbury Set

Opened in August 2010 in the neighbourhood defined in the first decades of the last century by its creative and inspired residents Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes, EM Forster, Vanessa Bell, Lytton Strachey etc (the so-called Bloomsbury Group or Set), this relaxed, lounge-like basement bar for over-21s and lovers of drinks acts as a foil to Soho in that it's tucked away and relatively quiet, though its chesterfield sofas, leather chairs and off-white walls recall Soho's Friendly Society and Green Carnation. The bar draws a decidedly mixed crowd — with gay men outnumbering all others about three to one — and features two low-ceiling sit-down-only bunker-like areas equipped with cushions, TVs and DVD players for bring-your-own-movie evenings. Plus weekly cabaret, quizzes and a daily Features include Wednesday Happy Hour, Thursday DJ sets and Friday cabaret. Easy-to-miss entrance to the bar is in Tavistock Place, just near the intersection with Marchmont St and about a 30-second walk from Gay's the Word bookshop [see entry].