A hidden cocktail bar in the vaults under the National Portrait Gallery: live jazz, cocktails, wine and bar snacks, surrounded by portraits from the gallery’s archive.

Do I need a gallery ticket?

No. Larry’s has its own discreet entrance and opens independently of the gallery, into the evening.

Live jazz Wednesday to Saturday from 5pm until late. Kitty LaRoar and Nick Shankland lead; the rest of the line-up changes week by week.

What is the afternoon tea?

Breakfast at Tiffany’s: finger sandwiches, pastries and fine teas, Wednesday to Sunday from 12pm to 3.30pm. It is for two to share, so book for at least two.

Recommended in the evening; walk-ins when there is room.

What is Audrey Green?

The café one floor up, in the gallery’s Weston Wing. Coffee and brunch by day; Larry’s takes the evening.

No. We are cashless: card and phone payments only.

Larry’s: the brick vaults under the National Portrait Gallery

Larry's, National Portrait Gallery

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London after dark at Larry’s, beneath the National Portrait Gallery

A red carpet night at Larry’s, beneath the National Portrait Gallery

One year at the National Portrait Gallery: a night at Larry’s

Hidden behind a secret entrance on Charing Cross Road, Larry’s is our underground cocktail bar located in the historic vaults of the National Portrait Gallery.

About Larry’s

Originally built as coal storage in 1896,the spectacular exposed brick space has been transformed offering a slice of elegance deep into the evening, just a short stroll from Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square. Sip on classic cocktails and dine amidst over 100 portraits of the famous faces of London’s West End.

The nameSir Laurence Olivier, West End star.

Opening hours

Opens at 11amSunday · until 5.30pm

Monday11am–9pm

Tuesday11am–11pm

Wednesday11am–midnight

Thursday11am–midnight

Friday11am–midnight

Saturday11am–midnight

Sunday11am–5.30pm

Find us

National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place
London WC2H 0HE

The National Portrait Gallery on St Martin’s Place, off Trafalgar Square. Larry’s has its own entrance, so you do not need a gallery ticket.

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Book online, walk in, or call our reservations team on 020 3597 9908.

The Art

Terry O’Neill · Faye Dunaway, 1977The morning after her Oscar, poolside at the Beverly Hills Hotel with the reviews spread around her. The hero image of the pink room.

Chris Levine · Lightness of BeingThe Queen with her eyes closed, glowing violet at the far end of the bar.

Charles Moriarty · Amy WinehouseApplying lipstick, mid-2000s, photographed by her close friend. She grew up a few miles north and learned her trade in Soho’s bars.

The RotundaVivien Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor, Merle Oberon and a triptych of Laurence Olivier, the bar’s namesake, from the National Portrait Gallery archive.

Good To Know

What is Larry’s?
A hidden cocktail bar in the vaults under the National Portrait Gallery: live jazz, cocktails, wine and bar snacks, surrounded by portraits from the gallery’s archive.
Do I need a gallery ticket?
No. Larry’s has its own discreet entrance and opens independently of the gallery, into the evening.
Is there live music?
Live jazz Wednesday to Saturday from 5pm until late. Kitty LaRoar and Nick Shankland lead; the rest of the line-up changes week by week.
What is the afternoon tea?
Breakfast at Tiffany’s: finger sandwiches, pastries and fine teas, Wednesday to Sunday from 12pm to 3.30pm. It is for two to share, so book for at least two.

Do I need to book?
Recommended in the evening; walk-ins when there is room.
What is Audrey Green?
The café one floor up, in the gallery’s Weston Wing. Coffee and brunch by day; Larry’s takes the evening.
Do you take cash?
No. We are cashless: card and phone payments only.