Satan’s Whiskers: Your neighbourhood cocktail bar is as devilishly good as ever

Satan’s Whiskers has just been rated among the World’s 50 Best Bars – again. The Slice revisits an old fave in Bethnal Green to see if it’s still as great as we remember.

However many times you’ve been to Satan’s Whiskers, walking in past the nondescript facade denoted only by a subtle neon sign, through the unmarked door, still feels like you’ve just stumbled upon the world’s best speakeasy.

Ok. Maybe not the world’s best. After all, 11 years after opening, it’s just dropped one entire place from 28th to 29th in the World’s 50 Best Bars List. But that means there are still entire countries – lots of them – without a bar as fabulous as Satan’s Whiskers. 

Greeted by an achingly cool playlist of old-school hip-hop, candle-accented low lighting and the raucous hubbub of people having a great time makes it feel a million miles from the humdrum stretch of Cambridge Heath Road on the other side of that door. 

It’s certainly not the most impressive building in the vicinity. Whether you’re approaching from Bethnal Green tube or Cambridge Heath overground, the impressive York Hall Leisure Centre, or the Victorian splendour of the Young V&A (2024 Museum of the Year!) is more likely to grab your eye. 

But Satan’s Whiskers is no less deserving of your attention.

The decor at first appears minimalist – exposed brick and a few tasteful vintage French posters of different booze brands. But once you notice the albino peacock hanging from the ceiling, the stuffed badger with a cocktail shaker and the decorative unicorn skeleton, you remember this is a special place. 

From the hot young things to the first daters to the friends catching up to the after-work drinkers, no one has their phone out here. Everyone is simply having too much fun. 

Whether it’s your first visit or your 100th, you’ll be greeted like an old friend by the wonderful staff, who will endeavour to find you a seat even if you haven’t booked (you should) and the place is rammed (it will be, even on a Tuesday).  

Once seated you’re immediately given water – which will be attentively topped up throughout the night – and a menu, setting the tone for the impeccable level of knowledgeable, amicable yet hands-off service that feels increasingly rare in London post-Brexit. 

Next time you go out somewhere and wonder where the competent front-of-house staff have gone, know that they are probably working at Satan’s Whiskers.

The short, punchy cocktail menu contains some important details. Like today’s date, because it changes every day. And the name of your staff that evening, because this is a place that clearly cares for its staff, who in turn care for their customers. And the fact that every juice is freshly squeezed on the day, explaining why the drinks are – like all great cocktails – refreshing, not overly sweet, and far stronger than their flavour dares reveal. 

It’s not a convoluted menu, one side of A4 breaking down into four sections: Fizzy, Short, Long and Cocktails. It focuses on the classics with a few lively twists, curated by that night’s bar staff. 

The quality of those we sampled – an East 8 Hold Up, and several variations of Margarita – suggests that whatever you order is likely to be a delight. We got lucky, visiting on the penultimate Taco Tuesday, meaning any tequila cocktail arrived with an excellent free taco, so keep an eye out for future weekly events.

Otherwise, the regular food menu is fairly straightforward – scotch egg, charcuterie, a cheese toastie – but still flawlessly executed and well partnered with the drinks.

11 years on Satan’s Whiskers isn’t resting on its laurels. It’s still doing everything that made us fall in love with it in the first place. 

It would be easy to wax lyrical about the quality of each drink, the charm of each staff member, and the perfectly pitched nature of the vibe. Instead, just remember this: you have one of the world’s best bars on your doorstep. 

It’s not for tourists tucked away in a 5* hotel, or rich city types in a new build around Canary Wharf. It’s by a petrol station in E2 and calls itself ‘your neighbourhood cocktail bar’.

And if that’s not worth celebrating with a couple of cocktails on a weeknight, what is?

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