After more than 17 years of service, The Hide Bar on London’s Bermondsey Street will close its doors at the end of March 2024.
The bar was opened in 2007, with landlord the WSET leasing the site to part-time bartender Paul Mathew and friend Rufus Grantham, self-described as an “enthusiastic vintage cocktail book collector and craft cocktail drinker”.
Paolo Tonellotto joined the opening team and rose through the ranks to become co-owner.
On closing, Mathew, said: “The challenging reality is that footfall has declined since the pandemic, and costs have escalated. This is a tough situation for an industry already operating on thin margins.
“The bar just managed to survive the summer of 2023, but with the next off-peak season nearing, we were worried about maintaining operations. As a result, we have decided to close in an orderly manner. This allows us to compensate our staff with a little extra, and ensure that all suppliers are paid on time – going out as we’ve always tried to operate.
The Hide’s sister bars, Demon, Wise & Partners and The Arbitrager, both on London’s Throgmorton Street between Bank and Liverpool Street, will remain open, overseen by Giorgia di Stefano and her team.