A Westminster Licensing Sub-Committee has yet to announce its decision on an application by the London Cocktail Club, now rebranded as Hidden Society,
to extend its operating hours. The venue, located in the basement of 61 Goodge Street, sought to extend late-night refreshment hours until 1:00 AM on weekdays and 2:00 AM on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The applicant also requested to extend alcohol sales until 1:30 AM on Thursdays and Fridays, and 2:00 AM on Saturdays.
During a hearing on March 26, 2026, representations were heard from local residents and associations who raised concerns about potential public nuisance, noise, and disruption associated with the extended hours. They highlighted issues with customers congregating outside the premises and blocking access to residential buildings. Specific concerns included noise from the stairwell in adjacent residential buildings, vibration from music, littering, and smokers concentrating outside residential doors.
The applicant argued that Hidden Society
is a premium cocktail bar focused on a relaxed atmosphere and quality products, not a high-volume establishment. The venue aims to attract a clientele seeking a very relaxed speakeasy style cocktail process but it is premium level products,
with a target demographic of professionals and tourists interested in art and culture. The concept emphasizes quality over quantity
and an experience rather than you're coming in to heavily drink cause nuisance.
The venue has a capacity of 80 persons, an agreement made with Environmental Health.
To address resident concerns, Hidden Society detailed significant investment in refurbishment and implemented several new operational policies. These include a comprehensive dispersal plan to manage customer movement away from the premises, a dedicated phone line for residents to report issues in real-time, and SIA door supervision with hourly checks of external areas. A smoking policy and capped external area occupancy of five persons were also proposed. Furthermore, the venue has fitted a noise limiter to its sound system, set by an Environmental Health Officer, and will conduct frequent maintenance of external areas. Staff will receive training on the dispersal plan and proactive communication with patrons to minimise noise upon exiting. Visible signage will remind patrons to keep noise to a minimum, and internal noise levels will be reduced and lighting increased during the last 30 minutes of trading to ensure a gradual exit. All noise complaints will be logged and discussed in senior weekly meetings. The bar also promotes a Safer Together
campaign, which includes measures for guest safety and well-being.
Regarding past issues, the Environmental Health Service representative stated that there were no recent complaints on their system, with the last one being in 2021. The applicant also noted that some residents they are in contact with have reported no noise or disturbance. However, representations from residents did raise concerns about customer congregation outside and noise from the stairwell.
The current license details show Late Night Refreshment hours from Monday to Thursday: 23:00 to 23:30 and Friday to Saturday: 23:00 to 00:00. Alcohol sales are permitted Monday to Thursday: 10:00 to 23:30 and Friday to Saturday: 10:00 to 00:00.
After hearing submissions from all parties, the committee deliberated on the proposed extended hours and the mitigation measures offered. The decision was not announced at the meeting and will be communicated to the parties at a later date. The committee stated, The committee will not announce the decision today. The state will now upload the members from the staff in the private session. A summary of the decision will be sent to the party by the essential services.
Further details on the application and the committee's proceedings can be found in the Public reports pack 26th March 2026 and the London Cocktail Club Report Public.
