Hidden in the basement of Brighton’s coolest hotel I recently discovered another Brighton treasure – a secret cocktail bar I didn’t know was there. The speakeasy concept might be a little overdone in other cities, but in Brighton there aren’t many options, so for our latest date night, Dan and I had to check it out…
You’ll find The Sneaky Panda cocktail bar in the Artist Residence Hotel on Regency Square. Once inside, walk through the snug room, down the stairs and you’ll see a bookshelf. Give it a gentle push, and….
… you’ll find yourself inside a dark and cosy cocktail bar!
There’s space for 14 people, but we had the place all to ourselves. There’s no menu, instead you describe your favourite drinks, ingredients and flavours to the barman or lady, and what you’re in the mood for and like a mindreader, she mixes up your favourite drink.
My cocktail’s a winner. I love vodka drinks so ordered a twist on the traditional Cosmopolitan with blackberry syrup instead of cranberry. It was incredible – the bar lady totally read my mind. Dan’s Coca Cola Old F Fashioned was also a winner. Verdict? This cosy hidden cocktail bar is a great little find, and the perfect jumping off point before dinner at this cool Japanese restaurant around the corner.
Update: This place is currently only open for private hire, but is set to reopen to the public very soon. Stay tuned.
Find Brighton’s secret cocktail bar, The Sneaky Panda at the Artist Residence Hotel, 33 Regency Square, Brighton BN1 2GG.
6 Comments
What a fantastic date! We tried two beautiful art deco bars, the Loos American Bar and the Bristol bar here in Vienna but they were both so smoky we couldn't leave fast enough:( You can still smoke inside here, and it seems the smaller the space the better the smoking experience. Yuck!
That Rum Old Fashioned with reduced Coca Cola was delicious.
I'm having dinner at Bincho tonight and I'm going to see if we can get in here after… what a great discovery! Thanks for sharing XX
Hope you had a great time! Whoever you are…!
The bars you mention sound stunning – shame about the smoke. I can't imagine people smoking inside now anymore! I had no idea you could still do it over there… You'll need to come here for date night! 🙂
😉