5cc Old Street

Ever been in a pub cellar? Probably not. And you aren’t missing much. There’s the sour tang of spilled beer, the glow of strip lights, lots of things to bump your head on and a crusty old mop in the corner.

Mini-chain 5cc has a better use for cellars – turning them into atmospheric cocktail bars. Each 5cc specialises in a different spirit, but all combine a superior level of service with excellent cocktails and a stay-all-night atmosphere.

This Old Street branch is hidden below the Singer Tavern, in a building that once housed the sewing machine company’s HQ.

The Singer’s not bad (lots of craft beers), but the 5cc below it is the real treat – vaulted, lots of secret corners and some great gin-based cocktails (that’s the speciality here). Bartenders use such rarely seen distillations as Dictador Colombian aged gin. Non-gin-based drinks are inventive but restrained.

So if this space is still the pub’s cellar, where have the beer kegs and the dried-up old mop gone? Who cares. It would be great if more pubs did this with their downstairs bits. The Singer has got this one sewn up nicely