I didn’t want to write about this place in summer. It just felt wrong to go somewhere dark and decadent when it was all shiny and bright outside – but now that autumn is rearing its chilly little head, the time feels right.

The Bootlegger is a 1920s Prohibition-inspired bar near Leadenhall market – the perfect spot for city folk that want to go underground, get mischievous and spend their bars of gold. There’s something about this place that just makes you feel naughty – must be the dim lighting –which comes in use when you’re gorging on their signature hotdogs, dripping in crispy onions, gooey cheese and other terribly bad things. Extremely unattractive. But very delicious.

It’s all good though – you can wash away the grease with a kooky hoochy cocktail afterwards and sway away to the cool sounds of blues, jazz and Motown.

Ok, that’s enough naughty adjectives for one review. Please note – this place is hard to find. But then again, that’s a good thing. The riff-raff don’t bother.

The Bootlegger
Basement Bar,
25-26 Lime Street,
Monument, London