Found

Contrary to its name, Found is a tricky spot to find.

It’s tucked away from the main drag of Shoreditch’s Great Eastern Street, hidden behind a black door. The only thing giving it away is a Victorian lamp-post marked with the letter ‘F’.

Even once you’ve found Found, you still haven’t quite reached your final destination – head downstairs, pull back the velvet curtain and step into the low-lit bar space.

It’s moody, intimate and smells not unlike an expensive cedarwood candle. There are hanging lights giving off a warm glow and the backbar is filled with bottles of all shapes and sizes, glinting in the dim light like they’re cast in amber. Pull up a bar stool and soak up the action or cosy up in a nook – there’s even a kissing corner.

Old Shoreditch hands might recognise the spot as Casita, where mixologist Oskar Klimaszewski kept bar for the best part of a decade. In 2015, he reinvented the spot as Found, with the goal of creating an approachable environment where people can be wowed by meticulous mixology. Fair to say, it’s delivered on all fronts; the music isn’t too loud, the space is inviting and he keeps a keen eye on who needs their glass topping up.

Here, the attitude is quality not quantity, so you’ll find a concise menu of 12, masterfully mixed options, alongside a handful of wines by the glass and beers. Try the ‘Old Nichol’ – named for a friend of the bar who used to live on Old Nichol Street – made with gin, Antica, orange bitters, maraschino and fernet. Or how about the ‘Manifest Destiny’, that somehow puts Jaegermeister into a cocktail with actually pleasant results.

There are snacks too, but after a few rounds, it’s likely you’ll be hungry for something more substantial than a few olives and jalapeño pretzels – so order a pizza to the bar and soak up the booze before you head home…

…and get lost.

NOTE: Found is open Tues – Sun evenings. You can find out more, and book, HERE.

Found | 5 Ravey St, London EC2A 4QW

Like finding hidden bars? Take a look at our Ultimate London Speakeasy Guide (but don’t say we sent you).