The basement bar takes walk ins and runs a DJ from Wednesday to Saturday evenings. Book ahead if you want the Thai dining room upstairs or a group table down in the bar.
Crazy Bear sits on Whitfield Street in Fitzrovia, a few minutes from Goodge Street station. Above ground it is a Thai dining room. Below, down a flight of stairs, hides a dark, leather lined cocktail bar that has been a byword for London glamour since the venue opened in 2004. The descent is the whole point.
This is a bar for a dressed up night rather than a casual pint. The room rewards anyone who likes their drinking theatrical, with low light, deep booths and a long list. If you want bright and low key, stay upstairs or go elsewhere in Fitzrovia. If you want a glossy basement with a DJ, this is the address.
The basement is finished in leather floors and walls, art deco lamps, ostrich skin chairs and padded booth tunnels. Difford's Guide notes the bar itself is sunken, so seated guests meet the bartenders at eye level, with five fireplaces salvaged from the old Royal Automobile Club lined up behind. The effect is part speakeasy, part private members club.
The Fitzrovia setting keeps it central, close to the restaurants of Charlotte Street and an easy walk from Soho. That makes it a strong late stop when the surrounding kitchens are winding down.
The list runs long, with more than 70 cocktails spanning the classics and a deep bench of house signatures. The kitchen upstairs is Thai, so the drinks pair naturally with bold, spiced small plates if you want to eat. A DJ plays in the basement from Wednesday through Saturday, which nudges the later hours toward a party.
The basement draws a dressed up Fitzrovia crowd of dates, groups and after work drinkers who stay on into the night. The energy lifts once the DJ starts midweek and peaks Thursday through Saturday. Early evening is calmer and better for conversation in a booth.
Early evening for a quiet booth, or after 9pm on a DJ night for the full basement atmosphere.
What to order
- 01
A house signature
- 02
A classic martini
- 03
Something with Thai spice
- 04
A nightcap on a DJ night
