Mr Fogg's Society of Exploration in City of London, Westminster

Ambiance top Service sometimes not good

Average cocktail bar, too noisy and too much lighting. No vibes

Had a great time at this cocktail bar. For a Monday night, it still had a fantastic atmosphere and the decor was awesome. Cocktails were delicious and we were spoilt for choice. Service was also brilliant and we were never left waiting.

Was there for a private function. Excellent food, excellent drinks, excellent service. It's an interesting venue too; intimate, cosy. Worth a visit. UPDATE: That was 5 years ago. Sadly the service has deteriorated. Now, if you wanted a glass of wine, it would be quicker to grow a vinyard.

Fabulous! Jess provided some excellent info to help make a decision on which cocktails to go for based on our usual tastes… she was spot on! Great drinks, great atmosphere! The concierge was great too, convinced us to book online and hang around for 40 mins. She was chatty and very friendly!

Amazing service at the cocktail bar, super friendly staff, prompt service and a fun environment! Love the host Agnes, especially, took no time to acknowledge us, got us seated in no time which is a big issue as the Christmas approaches, but she put on a smile and kept us engaged till we were seated, such a pleasure to talk to! Amazing service, keep up the good work.

We had an amazing time at this location! The attention to detail is beyond incredible. All of our drinks were delicious but the standout was Grape Sack on the Camel; it’s a perfect drink. Ruchi, our server, was very nice and the other service staff were friendly as well. We went for my partner’s birthday and they made it such a memorable night! 17/11/2024 Update - Returned to this location and it was just as good as I remembered! We enjoyed some nibbles and a wide variety of drinks. Unfortunately, they have removed Grapesack on a Camel’s Back (my favorite!) but The Four Corners is expertly crafted and left me more than satisfied. There was a live jazz singer on Sunday evening which was charming albeit made conversation a bit difficult. Overall Mr. Fogg’s continues to impress

An extraordinary and timeless experience! Reserve your place and immerse yourself in the world of Mr Fogg. The cocktails are as beautiful as they are good, the decor is simply incredible. The menu deserves a little more something to nibble on but for everything else it’s a magical moment to share

Fantastic find & fantastic cocktails! We walked past looking for another cocktail bar and saw Mr Foggs on the way and had to try it. We're so glad we did. Gil served us and explained the cocktails after we told him our preferences, and Paulo prepared our cocktails. All 4 cocktails were excellent.

Amazing experience!!! Gil was a great waiter, and there was even a live performance on Sunday 🤩 Must visit when in London.

Lovely cocktails and wonderful service

Gil was amazing as our server and offered his mixology advice on the perfect drinks to enjoy! and the entire experience fantastic! Highly recommend.

Disfrutamos de las bebidas especiales, el ambiente y la eclecticidad general del Sr. Fogg. Los mordiscos son buenos, pero pocas opciones. Una tabla de charcutería habría ganado la experiencia una estrella más. Aún así, con gusto volvería a explorar y recomendaría que lo pruebes también.

A lovely place. Play with the adventurer's fantasy

definitely a beautiful place with a lot of choice

A Very quaint place with very unique alcoholic drinks by mixologists.

Another exceptional experience at Mr Fogg’s! Have tried different locations in the past but this one is definitely one of my favourites - amazing interior, wide selection of themed cocktails and lovely staff (Gil was assisting us and shared some of his recommendations, much appreciated!). Will definitely be back!

Pretty cool place, more on the expensive side.

Fabulous bar, visited in Sunday evening and the jazz singer was amazing

Great atmosphere and really outstanding service

Great cocktail bar! cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, an eye for detail and most importantly, perfectly made cocktails!

lovely selection of cocktails with a great theme, which delivers authentic atmosphere. Prices range from £14.5 to £18.5. We were a party of five, all had amazing cocktails. Friendly service too!

This is a little hidden gem with interesting drinks and a great vibe.

First time at Mr Fogg's and I chose this branch as it looked the most chilled. Well it didn't disappoint on the look front everything was exquisitely designed and fantastical. We booked a table for two which we had for 2 hours. The lady at the front desk was ok and we were seated inside the 'train carriage' which wasn't the most comfortable as the seats were a tad low as was the table top which was loose and wobbly which definitely needs replacing/repairing. The waitress that served us was efficient, but lacked warmth in her manner. It seemed the concern here was more the turn around of the booked tables then warm and friendly customer service. The table of 4 ladies adjacent to us was reminded three times about how much time they had left on the table 40 mins left, 20 mins left, 5 mins left. We were asked about 30 mins after we got our first cocktails if we decided on the next ones. We felt abit rushed so asked for more time. So the turnaround of drinks is also high on their agenda it seems. Now onto their cocktails...the menu was very long and extensive. We had 4 between us which were presented nicely. A couple were slightly better than others, but all we found to be too sweet and a bit gimmicky. For instance the one served in a teacup had inexplicably a tiny slice of bread topped with some chopped up dehydrated apple on the side which I tried a tiny bit of, but deemed too weird to eat with the cocktail. The other was a coffee one which was served in a dessert dish with a spoon. I found out it had a scoop of vanilla ice cream in it which made it more a dessert than a cocktail drink very strange! The place deserves good quality cocktails which is sadly lacking. It's a gorgeous place to to spend time in. I will come back again for drinks and to soak up the atmosphere, but not for the cocktails! I suggest if you want decent cocktails to visit the nearby American bar at The Savoy instead. I hope this review will be taken by the establishment as a honest and constructive.

We arrived without reservation but they told us if we wait 6 minutes we would have a table. We ended up waiting for half an hour or more and they told us we can have it. Very disappointed

Unique atmosphere and great cocktails and service. I recommend going when there is a live singer!

Fun atmosphere, different to usual bars. Went on Fri night and had a 60min seating limit, which was new to me. Felt a little rushed since was told they will need the table back soon after like 30-40min in, so not super relaxing tbh. My friend had a Halloween special drink but taste was a bit weird for her she said. Fun entrance thought, will likely come back but likely only for a short stay.

All of Fogg's cocktail bars are amazing with so much to take in. The staff are committed and extremely knowledgeable about their cocktails! This particular location is one of my favourites because there is a live lounge singer every Sunday night who clearly just loves what she does and gives it her all. Creates a truly phenomenal atmosphere!

A wonderful experience. Visitors are invited into a Victorian explorers club, complete with artefacts, antiquities and plush furnishings - taking a look around is a real treat. Cocktails are selected from a themed menu, with each one presented as a discovery from a foreign land. Although the prices are somewhat high, they’re standard for cocktails in London and many have a real theatricality to the way they’re presented. The food on offer is standard bar nibbles, but quite nice. The staff were lovely and were totally unfazed by the fact that we arrived at 3pm on a Sunday, when the bar had just opened and was still half-empty. They were also very happy to offer recommendations. The Sohm Plain is my new favourite - a little taste of Christmas. Like a Disney restaurant but a little more grown up. Would absolutely recommend to visitors from outside London looking for a respite from the cold.

edit : In response to a review from management. I did send an email over a month ago and you said you would be looking into it. I haven’t heard back from you ever since. Do better. As a regular at Mr Fogg's, I was disappointed by my recent experience at the Society of Exploration. My party of four arrived without a reservation on a rainy evening and expected to wait for a table. When my girlfriend urgently needed to use the bathroom, the receptionist denied her request, and the manager, Manuel, refused to help as well. This lack of empathy and flexibility for potential paying customers was shocking and not what I expect from a venue that prides itself on hospitality.

Had a fun evening for our birthday. Cocktails were delicious and Ben, our gloriously bearded server treated us to some complementary shots to celebrate. It's a shame Mr Fogg couldn't make it but was thoughtful of him to send us a telegram. Highly recommend.

Sorry for being 8 mins early and waiting until 10 mins late to get in. Also, check out the ice cube… the drink is a shot at best. Avoid

Very quirky and cool place and yet cosy. Good live music. The staff was polite, little bit pricy tho, but what probably is normal in London. I didn’t had any food, just drinks.

We used to love spending our evenings here, but our recent visit was disappointing. The service was lacking, the cocktails were just average, and the once vibrant atmosphere now feels dull. It’s disheartening to see this place decline.

Very good cocktails and lush ambience. Very theatrical decor. It was a great place to meet at the start of an evening for a cocktail.

Fabulous cocktail bar, great atmosphere and not overcrowded.

Found the best place last night

This bar is now my favourite place in London. The atmosphere is amazing, the place is breathtaking and the staff is absolutely lovely. The cocktails are delicious and the nibbles are also very nice. I can't wait to go back!

A fabulous bar, wonderful surroundings and great cocktails. Be sure to book in advance as it does get busy. Highly recommended!

Nice place, great drinks! recomendable

Had a great evening here. Our server was Ben and he was amazing! Very attentive and charasmatic. We throughly enjoyed our time at Mr Fogg's.

Absolutely fantastic bar in a beautiful area of ​​London, where you can escape from everyday life and enter a world of your own. Everything is harmonious here and you can't help but be amazed.

Extremely disappointed. I use to loved this place. The first time I had been there was enough to make me want to bring any person who came to visit me in London and unfortunately, this time was a terrible experience, just because of the mood of the security at the door. My friend (a rewarded bartender) came to London for the first time (this weekend), and the first place I thought to bring him to experience the cocktail in London was Mr. Fogg. He wanted to go to Bubala (btw a great restaurant), so I booked Bubala on Saturday; there was just availability from 10 pm until 11:30 pm, so I thought to do a nice walk after dinner toward Mr Fogg, which I had booked for 00:15. At the restaurant, we shared ONE bottle of white wine; trust me, it was not enough to start getting drunk, even because that wasn’t our intention. However, when we got to the bar, there was a group behind us (a little bit louder), and they were not allowed to go in the bar, but we weren’t with them and just stayed there for the reception to confirm our reservation, which they did. Suddenly, the security turned up to us and said we were not allowed to go in. I asked why, and he said he could see that we were drunk. SHOCKED. I was impressed (in a very negative way) with his behaviour (so rude, unpolite and very angry person) who came to us and said that he would not allow us to come in – with no reason, not even one reason. I said that we had just one bottle of wine to share, and I would like him to explain what made him think we could be drunk as we were standing there waiting to go in in a very passive and waiting way. After that, we went to the gin bar (which was the same brand). The guy was very kind, but they were closing, so he suggested we go to Mr Fogg, and I explained the situation, which also surprised him. Anyway, I felt very disappointed, and my friend probably more than I, so I really expect that the management will care more about the people they put at the door, as this will be the image you will be selling of your brand/place. And that guy definitely does not give you a good impression or good experience. Sadly, he was rude and negative just for the sake of being. Sad. I totally agree with the policy about not having drunk people inside (extremely important), but using that as an excuse to say no to sober people is not acceptable. Rude and unnecessary lousy experience. Feel sorry for the responsibility for the bar's success, as they could lose the excellent impression/name because of their untrained/rude staff who do not care for the company and can damage their image very easily. Consider who you are hiring to be in the front of your business, as this could be the image your consumer will build in their minds and perceptions. Now, my family is visiting me, and I do not feel safe to book this place again. SHAME.

A total shame....do not go to this place

Excellent cocktails with extensive choice. Brilliant and quirky atmosphere.

Go now! All travelers, adventurers and romantics. Themed decor and unique drinks that are pieces of art. Check out my photos. We sat in the vintage train car. Andre, the manager and a Jason Mamoa look-alike, was as excited to help me explore their drink menu to figure out what adventure I wanted to drink. SERIOUSLY, the experience was that cool. I don’t think I can adequately explain the drink that is in my pictures. The giant logo’d ice cube was a tease, it made me take the tiniest sip at the beginning. The chocolate is made in house. I put it in the side of my cheek and as I took a sip of the stiff old fashioned-esque, the chocolate mixed and created an unexpected elixir as I slowly swallowed it. It was that damn sensual. As the ice cube slowly melted and watered down I was in a state of total relaxation. I felt like I could have been scooted along to some pirate ship. We’ll be coming back tomorrow. It’s right across the street from our wonderful accommodations at Resident at Covent Garden. It’s right off The Strand in the heart of city center Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square.

Was looking forward to coming here, but it didn't deliver. The entrance was underwhelming with the lady saying just follow the ball like she was fed up of saying this. There is no explanation and no real greeting. We were seated, and the venue does look good. Some servers were dressed great and took time talking through the menu with people. Our server dressed plainly in black just turned up and said, "Are you ready? Didn't even get water! Our drinks tuned up, and mine was ok, but my wife's tasted of fruit juice and washing up liquid! I did mention it to our server, and she just said oh I have never had that one, so I don't know. After coming from Cahoots postal office this place just didn't not make the mark. Hey, maybe we were unlucky, but we won't come back, and I can't recommend this venue.

Most excellent venue and staff. The theme and cocktails were exquisite.

The ambience is very unique, the cocktail selection is vast so you'll definitely find something you'll like. The staff recommendations are great. The cocktails are slightly pricing but the bartenders don't skimp out on alcohol.

Such a cool spot tucked away in London. Immediately we were greeted with a smile and the staff were incredibly friendly. Highly recommend trying their vast variety of cocktails, it’s a really cool place. Gets a bit warm inside, especially in the standing train car bit - would go back!!

Fun and interesting place to go. Busy and enjoyable.

This is an interesting place, but not always in a good way. It’s a little bit like a cosplay bar mashup. The drinks were fine, probably about the right price for London. The costumes of the staff were either way too much or ok. The decor was very nice but the music took you right out of the scene they were setting. The cocktail menu is overwhelming and not arranged by liquor type so you have to hunt a bit for a whiskey drink or other type. A lot of these bars have a lot of vodka on the menu almost as a crutch. The food was another story, we got the salami and the speck. The speck was inedible, too tough to chew. I canceled a follow up at another Mr. Foggs the following night based on my experience here. This place would fit well in an amusement park but is not a fine saloon or cocktail lounge.

One word: exceptional! The decor, the cocktails 🍸 everything. The price is just as high, especially for the quantity which still deserves an extra dose, too bad. But it’s a real experience!

Had a fantastic time here when I visited few weeks ago while in London. And so fortunate to have been able to get in with out having booked. From the moment of entering everything just felt amazing. Lovely lady greeted me and then my waitress Jessica f was so warm and friendly. Giving me the information when I asked about their most popular cocktails. The mechanical negroni being one of them, which obviously I had to try when told "that's what we are most known for." I loved the fact I was asked if I'd like to go up to the bar to watch it being prepared. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Food on offer is just light nibbles tho a good size portion and easily shared between two people. There are several Mr foggs/ philleas foggs in London each with there own theme and choice of drinks. But make sure you check this one out.

This bar was in my list for a long time. Highly recommend. The service was excellent and Mark was very friendly, extremely helpful and very welcoming. We will be back.

Great fun place, expectantly expensive

Very quirky bar with a victorian traveller theme. Was very quiet when I visited but worth a look for the decor and feeling alone.

Unique (and many) cocktails in a very atmospheric filmnoire environment. Experience it for yourself, recommending it!

A very cool and quirky bar that you will not forget. The cocktails are great, too.

This place really is an experience in itself, from the entrance all the way to the last sip. Attention to detail is incredbile and each cocktail on the menu seems unique, interesting and innovative.

Really bad service experience of mah life. Dont bother for anything even if you request for something. Not coming back.

Great selection of cocktails and fantastic knowledge by one of the waiters (Polish guy with long hair) who helped take us through the menu then told us about the other Mr Foggs branches around London! We will be back

This review should have been written earlier, when we were there end July. We were an international corporate group of 30, and we booked for our group to enjoy a late night drink surprise. We paid a significant amount of money to secure a private area - like a ridiculous amount! During our group’s visit, the manager and bar staff treated the CEO and a few others of our group with disrespect and arrogance (witnessed by all the staff). We were not even there for 15 minutes and the CEO requested the entire group to leave! We managed to get our group a place down the road and they were welcomed with open arms. I have read the reviews from others about the same issue. Knowing that there was a problem on the night and knowing how much deposit we paid - nobody attempted to rectify the situation on the night nor did anyone contact us afterwards. It’s obviously too late now but all we can do is warn others! Nicer, more respectful and more fun places exist in London.

Great cocktails, lovely loos and great service and atmosphere

Truly fantastic spot for a date or a classy hang out. The theming is superb and the staff (especially Ben) are amazingly attentive and bring it to life. The cocktails I’ve tried are very fun, well balanced and not bad value considering the location and ambience

Only got nibbles for food, but atmosphere, drinks and service is great! Get your fillings elsewhere first and then come to Foggs for drinks and conversation. Really a nice place. Will come back.

Amazing teeming both with the decor and the cocktails. And great service from our server, Gil. Would highly recommend for a fun, different night out

Jess our server was amazing! Knowledgable & charismatic. Made our daughter’s MA graduation celebration special. Highly recommend. Thx Jess!

Amazing experience! Seriously the best bar in London. Mark was our server and recommended drinks tailored for each person in our party. Each drink was superb! I will come back again when I visit for sure!

Did I spend $60 CAD on two drinks? Yes. Was it worth it? Also yes.

Intimate atmosphere great for cocktails. Service was exceptional particularly from our waitress Jess who took very good care of us and knew the menu by heart. Provided very specific recommendations eventhough we were a big group. Highly rate her professionalism and vibe.

Perfect cocktails with perfect service! The manager especially gets a good start from me! She knew her cocktails and gave the best recommendations!

Perfect place to have a drink or two. Their cocktails are amazing and atmosphere is cozy and relaxing.

Place has interesting theme behind this it has a story to follow from entry to making cocktails… must visit this place but drinks are not that great I had this drink the mechanical it honestly tastes like cough syrup that sweet & thick liquid with ice init… other drink MONGOL was still okay but pls check this place outttttt

We were looked after very well by knowledgeable and friendly staff including a birthday treat for my sister. Loved the atmosphere and the decor. Great to try different cocktails. Really enjoyed our visit.

Excellent service in the Mr Fogg's that completes our round the world travels with the man himself. Friendly staff in a mid sized location with cocktails split across the continents and locations visited by the illustrious Mr Fogg. Not so many theatrical cocktails as some of the others but up to the standard in quality as prepared by their talented mixologists. Few nibbles had including a generous portion of salami that was tasty but lacked any real depth of flavour and some rather lack lustre mushrooms. Little disappointed with the nibbles compared to the other locations but the setting, atmosphere, excellent staff and tasty drinks made up for it. Will be back very soon as we embark on a second tour.

Yeah! Blew a ton on great cocktails. Drinks, service, atmosphere really good. Tip - book a drinks table in advance. Great start to the evening and will return for more....

The atmosphere is great, and the drinks are delicious.

One of the coolest themed bars in the world. The decoration is on point with plenty of exploration-themed gadgets and postcards. The cocktails are inspired by different places of "Mr Fogg's" travels.

An amazing place to eat and drink a real discovery

Amazing drinks and excellent theming. A bit pricey but absolutely worth it!

Whenever I visit London, I always try a new Mr. Foggs location and decided to give Society of Exploration a try this time. This spot really blew me away. I loved the vibe, decor, and aesthetic of everything at the Society of Exploration. There were so many small little details to look at and take in. It truly has one of the best aesthetics out of all the Mr. Foggs locations that I've been to so far. My favorite section of their menu has to definitely be Across the Channel. In particular, Of Paper & Milk and Up In The Clouds were my two favorite cocktails. Can't wait to come back and try more drinks off of the menu.

Incredible cocktail and magical place, we enter another universe. The service is very good and the cocktails are original.

Lovely cocktails and fantastic service - will definitely come back ❤️

Great atmosphere, wonderful cocktails, knowledgeable staff that stay in character for the place. Not cheap but definitely worth the visit!

Friendly staff but not particularly attentive, lovely atmosphere with the live music. Amazing decor. Definitely worth a visit

Absolutely stunning place! You would not believe this was on a busy street in covent Garden. It was like stepping into a different world. The decoration, atmosphere and setting was gorgeous and so relaxing! The staff were lovely. We had mushrooms and stuffed peppers for nibbles (hadn't realised they would be cold but they were still lovely) and the cocktails......well they were gorgeous with lots of variety. I definitely will be returning!!

The atmosphere of the bar is amazing. There is a lot of attention to detail in terms of the decor and the menu itself. The staff are attentive and friendly. We made a reservation for 2 for 9:30 on a Saturday night but don't think that we necessarily needed one to get a table. There are many unique cocktail options but the cocktails themselves are fairly small and do not contain that much alcohol for the price. Most cocktails average about 16 pounds.

Pretentious with backwards business logic. Booked a table for 5 and ended up being a party of 6. We were denied entry on the basis there was no space, whilst at least half the tables were empty. We were forced to leave and relocate. Trying to hard to be something more than it is.

Incredible pub set in a secret society in old industrial London, with Steampunk touches and a wide variety of drinks. We ordered almost the entire menu of non-alcoholic drinks and they were delicious. If you come to London and have a place to have a drink, don't hesitate.

We knew to expect something unique, but Society of Exploration was more fun than we anticipated. The greeters and wait staff really played their roles enthusiastically, the atmosphere was engaging, the drinks were appealing, and we were even served complimentary vegan pies. We were surprised the place wasn't completely full on a Friday night. Would totally go back!

A huge selection of unique and well thought out drinks, exquisitely crafted. The speakeasy decor whisks you away to the 1800s. Drinks are expensive but worth it

Lovely place for a drink and a snack. Do a reservation if you are more then two people.

Amazing Amazing Amazing. Whoever loves fantasy worlds will love this one. From the entry to the toilet, everything is themed and will blow your mind. We happened to have LiveMusic the day we went which was amazing aswell. Drinks were fabulous aswell and prices amazing for what you get!

We were drawn in by the blue plaque outside and decided to stop for cocktails, which were delicious. However, what really won us over were the interiors. It's perfect for fans of the steampunk genre, filled with paraphernalia and interesting objects. The attention to detail is evident in the competent and entertaining waiting and bartending staff. Once I can afford it, I'll definitely come back! 🥲

It was an amazing experience that can only be appreciated by visiting the place and enjoying yourself. Give it a try. You'll be glad you did.

Came here for a drink before getting the train home. Would recommend booking - I'm pleased we did. Drinks and service were amazing - such a nice treat - and atmosphere is so lovely. Will be coming back!!

Great themed cocktail bar, with great attention to detail. The eccentric greet at the top of the stairs down to the mixologists and the top hat host to welcome you at your seat. Huge selection to choose and something for everyone. It's the drinks and decor that make this place so great. We dropped in early evening without a booking so got lucky. It's a very popular spot. Very recommended. Thank you

Just so good. The atmosphere, the music, the service. It’s all 5 star. And the drinks are amazing. They ought to create their own martini though.

We had an amazing time here. We did not have a reservation and were not yet 21 coming on a busy Friday night. They were incredibly sweet and accommodating. The ambience is beautiful and the service was absolutely splendid. The drinks are themed to the bar and it was a genuinely enjoyable experience and a must do for the area!