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All the United Kingdom England Nottingham The Lost Caves
Gastro Obscura

The Lost Caves

Hidden in a grotto 26 feet below Nottingham's oldest hotel, this stylish subterranean drinking den is notoriously hard to find.

Nottingham, England

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The Lost Caves.   Capemarsh / Atlas Obscura User
Going underground.   Capemarsh / Atlas Obscura User
Ladder is out of order.   Capemarsh / Atlas Obscura User
The Lost Caves.   Capemarsh / Atlas Obscura User
The Lost Caves.   Capemarsh / Atlas Obscura User
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The Lost Caves.   Capemarsh / Atlas Obscura User
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Finding them is tricky.   Capemarsh / Atlas Obscura User
Drinking den.   Capemarsh / Atlas Obscura User
The Lost Caves.   Capemarsh / Atlas Obscura User
Pull the skull to enter.   Capemarsh / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Damp, dimly lit, and decorated with skulls, chandeliers, and stuffed animals, this quirky drinking establishment is part of the extensive cave system cut into the soft sandstone upon which Nottingham is built.

Accessed via a dark and uninviting alley, through a heavily disguised door with a polished brass skull as a handle, a staircase leads into a basement beneath a 200-year-old building. Along a corridor in this basement, a further series of rock-cut steps lead into the cavernous void beneath the city.

The final descent into the Lost Caves is by escort, as they have a strict maximum occupancy. Here, 26 feet below the venerable old George Hotel, which has accommodated guests as diverse as Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Taylor, is a most unlikely gin palace.

When, why, and by whom these deep grottoes were excavated is unknown, however, they do appear to have been adapted for the purpose of storing and brewing ale on rock-cut ledges. Instead of holding barrels of beer, these rock ledges now make a cosy cushion-strewn perch upon which gin and cocktail aficionados can sample the bar's latest below-ground beverage creations.

It is also worth remembering that it’s just as difficult to find the way out of the Lost Caves as it is to find the way in, so visitors are advised to moderate their cave cocktail consumption with escape in mind!

Related Tags

Bars Unique Restaurants & Bars Caves Subterranean Sites Subterranean Hidden Underground Ecosystems

Know Before You Go

The access to the Lost Caves is somewhere in the vicinity of the George Hotel and The Lost Property Bar. Dress warmly. Any more information would spoil the fun.

Community Contributors

Added By

Capemarsh

Edited By

erjeffery, SEANETTA

  • erjeffery
  • SEANETTA

Published

July 2, 2018

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Sources
  • https://www.nottinghampost.com/whats-on/food-drink/sneak-peek-nottinghams-new-lost-707388
  • http://www.dressingdanishly.co.uk/bar-review-the-lost-caves-nottingham/
  • https://ellabowersblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/10/nottinghams-hidden-bars/
  • https://www.visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk/whats-on/the-lost-caves-at-cave-city-nottingham-underground-festival-p738991
  • https://whatpub.com/pubs/NOT/629/curious-tavern-nottingham
The Lost Caves
George St
Nottingham, England
United Kingdom
52.953686, -1.144447
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Nearby Places

Watson Fothergill's Office

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Nottingham

Nottingham

England

Places 15

Nearby Places

Watson Fothergill's Office

Nottingham, England

miles away

The Exchange Murals

Nottingham, England

miles away

The Caves of Nottingham

Nottingham, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Nottingham

Nottingham

England

Places 15

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