No monkeying around, The Owl and Monkey Cocktail Bar in Harrington Gardens, South Kensington, has one of the best Happy Hours in London—if not the best for those who know their way round London. Not in a gimmicky, cocktail-in-a-jam-jar way—but proper value in an elegant setting.
To catch this one, you’ll need to set an alert and plan your evening. The magic happens between 5 pm and 7 pm on Mondays and Tuesdays only. Not 7.05 pm. Not Wednesday. Just those two nights.
Address: The Other Place, 14 Harrington Gardens, London SW7 4LT
Website: www.theotherplaceclub.com/owl-and-monkey
It’s a Monday, so why not take advantage of some amazing cinema deals before rounding your day off at the Owl and Monkey? Check out our post on Luxury London Cinemas on the Cheap.
A Hidden Gem: The Owl and Monkey Cocktail Bar at The Other Place
Behind a discreet, stucco-fronted townhouse lies The Other Place—a stylish private members’ club. But be brave. Saunter in confidently through the main entrance, glide past the elegant library, and tucked away at the back you’ll find the vibrantly wallpapered and delightfully decadent Owl and Monkey Cocktail Bar, With its moody lighting, velvet seating, and walls covered in the kind of bold wallpaper that says someone’s been to Milan recently, it’s got charm without trying too hard. And surprisingly, it is open to the public.
Happy Hour at The Owl and Monkey Cocktail Bar: What You’re Really Getting
This isn’t your bog-standard “£1 off” or “buy one get one and a bowl of stale popcorn” affair. This is Luxe for Less London territory. Here’s why:
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Cocktails are £10 during Happy Hour – including a Cosmopolitan, Negroni, or Rose Gimlet. Stylish, strong, and served in proper Art Deco glassware.
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Prosecco, house wine, or IPA – just £5. That’s less than a ginger beer in most Soho pubs.
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Mocktails – also £5, for those feeling saintly.
The Cosmopolitan comes in an Art Deco glass and tastes how it should. It has enough vodka in it to justify the name. None of your watered-down nonsense. It was strong, sour, and utterly grown-up.
The seating is relaxed, low-lit, and comfortable enough to stay a while. Ideal if you’re decompressing after the V&A or killing time before dinner. We perched on a chic sofa in the lounge area with a view of the atrium.
Are you keen to try other splendid London cocktail bars? Check out our post on Affordable Luxury: The Best Cocktail Bars in London for Under £15.
Happy Hour Food Specials at the Owl and Monkey Cocktail Bar
You’re not going to leave hungry. The Happy Hour menu includes two sharing plates for £10, and these aren’t just tossed salad leaves and reheated wedges.
Expect elevated bar bites like:
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Pulled BBQ Short-Rib Beef Sliders with horseradish mayo
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Salmon Fillet Charcoal Sliders with tartar sauce
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Broad Bean, Pea & Spinach Arancini with red pepper hummus
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Classic Sausage Roll with apple, ale and chilli chutney
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Halloumi Bites with harissa mayo
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Warm Focaccia with balsamic and olive oil
Each dish normally costs £9.50—so it’s BOGOF with attitude.
More about the Other Place, Harrington Gardens
If you’re sipping a Cosmopolitan at the Owl and Monkey Cocktail Bar and wondering about the building, let me tell you more. It’s not your average bar. You’re in one of eleven interlinked Victorian townhouses that make up The Other House South Kensington. This is a cleverly reimagined hybrid of hotel, private club, and long-stay residence. The architecture still wears its 19th-century bones proudly—stucco-fronted, high-ceilinged, faintly grand—but the interiors have been thoroughly modernised. Think velvet sofas, maximalist decoration, and a theatrical sense of British eccentricity, courtesy of interior designers Bergman Design House. It’s both opulent and knowing. The whole building now functions as a self-contained ecosystem: wellness suite downstairs, cocktail bar out back, and pied-à-terre-style flats upstairs for those staying the week or the year.
If you want to immerse yourself in London’s glamorous social scene, we have some tips on how to do it in our post on How to Tap Into London’s Luxury Social Scene on a Budget.
When to Go to the Owl and Monkey Cocktail Bar
Here’s when this hidden gem really comes into its own:
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After a day at the nearby V&A or Natural History Museum – reward your cultured self
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On a second date—more panache than a Pret, less pressure than an expensive tasting menu
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For a solo early-evening treat—book in hand, sofa staked out
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When you live locally and can’t face cooking
Final Thoughts
The Owl and Monkey Cocktail Bar is an absolute Luxe on Less London find: half-price drinks and food in a glamorous, grown-up hideaway in the heart of South Kensington. Don’t be surprised if prices rise—or the Happy Hour disappears altogether once the secret’s out.
