Keep Schtum! Slightly Secret Venues
We might be getting ourselves banned from all sorts of really cool places by telling you... about ALL these really cool places.
Sometimes, on a random day or night out, you find one of those places that you really want to tell all your mates about, but at the same time you don’t want those bloody idiots to go there and ruin it.
Come on, you know the feeling… the desire to holler from the rooftops, Instagram the sh*z out of it, stake your claim as the great discoverer… but also keep it all to yourself. Yeah, well, we found a few of them in Kent and we thought we’d tell you about them, so, sorry everyone.
It always feels illicit going to a bar where you have to use a secret doorway.
Even more seemingly naughty – and unusual – is when that entrance is so well hidden, in this case in a shed in an antiques shop.
And you can only go through it once you’ve given the password.
But this isn’t 1920s Prohibition America, a time when alcohol was banned and secret bars were the only way to get your hands on a snifter – this is The Potting Shed in Folkestone.
Opened by David Holden in 2019, by day it’s a stunning antiques and homewares shop and by night a cool speakeasy, serving classic Prohibition cocktails (Gimlet, Tom Collins, Old Fashioned, Manhattan etc) and playing jazz music.
Photo: @luke_fenech – lukefenech.studio
Admittedly, something feels a bit wrong even talking about it, like we’re giving up its secret.
But Holden, who spent 12 years living in London working in men’s fashion, is happy to divulge.
“I had some friends who lived in Dover and they said if they moved again it would be to Folkestone – I saw the town and fell in love,” he explains.
“But I wasn’t going to make enough money to survive – I needed a second string to it.”
Inspired by a contact in Birmingham who had set up a speakeasy accessed by a doorway that opened by pulling on a coat hook, he got thinking.
“I thought it was a genius idea. I started researching the Prohibition – it was a really interesting period of time.
“They were making their own alcohol, which tasted disgusting, so they would mix it with other things and that was the birth of the cocktail.”
His shop, which he named The Potting Shed, leant itself to his plan, with enough space at the front for the retail element and at the back a sizable spot for his cocktail bar.
“It’s the theatre of it that people love, it makes them feel special and like they’re doing something a little bit naughty.”
But before gaining access, there’s that password to give, and it changes daily.
“You book a table and I will text or email it to you. People love it, it’s fun and something a bit different.”
In the shop window is the quote: “Those who seek beauty will find it”. Never a truer word said.
THE DO NOTHING CLUB, FOLKESTONE
INSTA: @fellahair WEB: fellahair.com
Not more than a stone’s throw from The Potting Shed lies trendy barbers Fella. While this neat little chop shop might seem like it has all its assets on display, we can assure you there’s much more to it. Down the stairs and through the pretend bookcase, you will find the Do Nothing Club, where they only have one rule that must be obeyed at all times: “You must do nothing, not a thing”.
Bobby Gordon and his team will tailor-make a package for either yourself or a group booking, from haircuts to hot-towel shaves and facials, all from the privacy of the underground club.
Complimentary drinks are served from the hand-built bar throughout your stay and it is ideal for a wedding party or birthday treat as well as being a great way to start your weekend.
Hung over? They’ve got a package for that – and, trust us, it’s the perfect way to get over the night before. It includes the Acumen facial, which is the Fella take on a traditional barber facial.
THE GENTS LODGE, BROADSTAIRS
INSTA: @thegentslodge WEB: thegentslodge.co.uk
Open for just five months, The Gents Lodge is arguably the biggest surprise of the lot. Set at the far end of Copperleaf Business Park in Broadstairs, the transformation of industrial space to sleek but cosy gentlemen’s lounge is unreal.
Filled with surprising curiosities, like historic newspapers, leather chesterfields and even a vintage computer console to play Space Invaders, the Lodge is the total embodiment of what’s inside counting the most.
The Den offers a trip to the barbers as well as a comfy seat at the bourbon bar for you to have a sip, play chess or perhaps enjoy a relaxing facial.
Continuing upstairs, guests can visit the Cryo Lounge, with the sauna and large wet room for hot and cold treatments, before moving on to the calm of The Getaway room for a variety of treatments and massages performed by a team of experienced professionals.
The pièce de résistance is tucked away in a dark corner upstairs. Cut into the wall is a small secret door that opens out into a light and airy lounge large enough to cater for groups, with its own treatment facilities and drinks station.
Owner Brad Page has created The Gents Lodge with the modern man in mind.
“Men are now rightfully encouraged to talk about all aspects of themselves, from their inner feelings to outer appearances. With conversations about men’s mental health more relevant than ever, we want to offer the space to take some time out for yourself.”
THREE TO THINK ABOUT…
The Privy, Canterbury
The Prohibition-themed underground cocktail bar, created from the ruins of the old public toilets (hence the name) at the Burgate end of the city, has just reopened after lockdown. We are looking forward to trying it out.
The Vale Vault, Tunbridge Wells
A hidden gem located in the basement at the Bedford pub in Tunbridge Wells, Vale Vault is a premium cocktail and wine bar specialising in a high-end range of spirits, supplied by Master of Malt (@masterofmalt) in High Brooms.
The main entrance is down the alleyway off Vale Road, hence the name, and there will also be a ‘secret’ access door from the pub upstairs. It reopens in September 2021 to over-21s with a smart dress code.
The Really Secret One, Margate
There’s one more club that we’d love to tell you about, but we were asked not to… and because we want to continue to be able to visit it we are going to respect that wish. All we can say is, it is in Margate and it will be well worth doing your research to find it.
