The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town has been a bit of a recent phenomenon with a lot of tweets and emails going around about it. The rumours were that this was one of the best new bars in Shoreditch, not simply the bar but the elaborate and secret entrance. There is a new Shoreditch bar opening every 5 minutes so I was really excited to see someone do something different. I therefore had to cancel all my plans and head to The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town as soon as possible!
To guarantee a place at this dinky new Shoreditch basement bar you have to give them a call to get your name on the list. You are then told to turn up at The Breakfast Club restaurant at your alloted time. On arrival at The Breakfast Club, I looked around for the possible entrance to The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town but couldn't spy anything out. When our whole group had arrived, our "escort" had arrived and to the groups huge excitement, our host opened up a custom-made SMEG fridge door and inside was not a fridge but a staircase down to the bar, with a bright neon sign pointing down towards the fun...absolute genius! I was already sold! Probably the best entrance to a London bar, I have ever been to.
The "secret" entrance to The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town
Downstairs the bar is small but perfectly formed. There are high wooden tables, high stools and benches littered about this cosy basement. The lights are low, the brickwork is exposed and wood-clad and the ceileing is industrial. It is impossible to think you were in a restaurant on street-level just 1 minute ago. You really feel you are in an underground bunker, where only the "in the know" hibernate. The bar must only hold about 40ish people and it was full, which made for a really buzzy atmosphere. As the night moved on, the music got louder and we heard every type of music possible. As the drinks flowed more and more people started to dance in between the tables too, which added to the fun ambience.
The rustic interior of The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town
The drinks list is eclectic with a selection of great spirits behind the bar and a small but interesting cocktail list (£7.50). The beer, cider and pale ale were also unique world-wide ones; no standard Corona or Becks here! Prices are reasonable and happily affordable for such a cool place. There is also a small food menu with hot nibbles to keep your stomach satisifed.
I'm not sure why it is called The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town; perhaps it has FourSquare sentiments or perhaps it wants Alice in Wonderland or Narnia connotations?! All I know is that you shouldn't be a Scaredy Cat and head down to The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town as soon as possible and it's not often I'll say this, but open up the SMEG and have a memorable night out in Shoreditch! One of the most enjoyable nights out I've had in a long while!
