If there’s one thing about London, we love a gimmick. From pubs in fridges to restaurants in denim factories, the capital is awash with weird and wonderful ventures – and Cahoots: Postal Office is no different. Speakeasy is the latest addition to the uber-cool Borough Yards development in some way turned the eponymous market into an even bigger hotspot. It’s USP, you ask? Well, it’s 1940s mail room theme, of course!
As I approach Stoney Street, there is no doubt that I am in the right place. The starry sign above the railway arch entrance gives off a hint of old-school glamour, as if Cahoots is a star with its name in lights. But soon the disappointment comes when I see that the door is not “hidden behind a mailbox”, but rather next to it. Not only that, it’s completely transparent so any attempt at “privacy” is nullified from the start.
Scums have allegedly taken over the post office and are using it to make moonshine that you can feast on if you get past the man at the front desk. It’s all very theatrical, with staff dressed in period costumes and talking in code about needing to pick up a package (wink, wink). The two-story bar is definitely immersive, with moving parts and flashing lights ensuring your eyes jump to every nook and cranny. There are also many well-crafted details to take in, from the vintage letters, newspapers and advertisements on every wall to the small TVs playing black and white movies above the comfortable if limited booths.
At the bar I’m greeted by a menu of standard beers and wines, but the main attraction are the cocktails, which average around £15. While some are presented in Toby Jug-like Vera Lynn or Queen Elizabeth II heads, others are locked behind an interactive and incredibly smoky potion cabinet that you need to win a special coin to access. I highly recommend the vodka-heavy Theory of the Break, which is topped with something reminiscent of a giant Coco Pop, and the delightfully bubbly This Way Up, which boasts tequila, Brazilian rum AND blue curacao liqueur.
But, Cahoots: The Postal Office’s biggest draw is the maze of pneumatic tubes in the bar’s ceiling and walls that – in a UK first – deliver drinks to your table at breakneck speed. They create an incredibly fun guessing game as you watch your chosen alcohol whiz above your head and land on one of the various deposit points. Just prepare to be suddenly transported back to modern times when you open the airmail can as the drinks are served in what can only be described as a reusable coffee cup. I know it’s a matter of logistics but I can’t pretend it wasn’t a shame given how carefully designed the rest of the bar is.
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After a quick chinwag with special guest Winston Churchill and scoring a five shilling chain from a self-described “real bastard” (an actor or a punter who got really into it, who knows?), I decide I’ve had a pretty successful evening in 1946. Before heading for the exit, I make sure to check out the Tea Corner. Here you can listen to scandalous gossip and top-secret dispatches via the repurposed switchboard – a fun extra touch to the mezzanine level.
You can find Cahoots: Postal Office at 18 Stoney St, SE1 9AD. Check out their Instagram here.
