If you went back three or four decades, showed someone a photo of Below Stone Nest, and told them that it had “just been refurbished”, they’d say “By who, a wrecking ball?”
Here in 2024 though, this is probably one of the most effortlessly cool bars in the city, with its gritty, understated industrial vibe. The rough, worn-out walls give it an intentionally unfinished look—but every chunk of missing plaster somehow adds something by its absence.
The place first cut the ribbon back in ’21, and it’s just reopened after a fresh lick of peeling paint, with a new bar, new furnishings, and a new menu. It’s still walk-in only, and on any given night it’s got an absolutely buzzing atmosphere, with enough candlelit tables, chairs, and random perches for pretty much anyone who wanders in. If you’re after a couple of quick drinks in Soho, it’s honestly hard to beat.
The folks in charge are brothers Jackson & Frank Boxer who, true to their name, can’t seem to stop producing the hits, including places like Orasay, Frank’s Cafe, Henri and Brunswick House. And the venue itself is called Below Stone Nest because it’s situated, well, below Stone Nest – that’s the performing arts outfit currently residing inside Soho’s hauntingly beautiful Welsh-style chapel. The space was first built in 1888, and now hosts all manner of plays, dance performances, and concerts right in the centre of town.
The new bar menu is packed with simple highball cocktails (the tequila-fuelled Ranch Water comes with a zippy rim of tajin spice), but you can also get a couple of pints, some reasonably priced wines, and even some mate. But it’s dive bar stuff, easy to make and easy to drink.
Frozen White Russian, yes please
Jackson Boxer has added a bar food menu for the first time too now, with standouts like the octopus gilda, and the grilled padron peppers buried under a pile of straw-fries & salted egg yolk. But the real winner here is definitely the frozen White Russian, which comes in a silver ice cream coupe, and is every bit as good as it sounds.
Oh, and no dive bar would be complete without the occasional live band…
…so that’s precisely what they have, every night from 10pm.
NOTE: Below Stone Nest is open now, Wed-Sat, 6pm-2am, walk-in only. You can take a look at the Below Stone Nest website.
Below Stone Nest | 136 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 5EZ
Want dinner first? Take a look at our guide to the best restaurants in Soho