Halloween at Gothic Midtown

With a Victorian gothic bar serving spooky cocktails and ghost walks with Derek Acorah, Gothic Midtown is the Halloween event of the year!

Sometimes there are opportunities hat are just so amazing that when they fall into your lap, you can’t help but think they were created especially for you.

This is one of those times.

When Gothic Midtown gave me a follow on Twitter and acted very mysteriously, I was very intrigued. When I learned more about the pop-up bar and ghost walks that Gothic Midtown offers, I was sold.

I love Halloween. And I love London. I love spooky stuff. So when I was invited down to the launch of Gothic Midtown on Wednesday, I knew I was in for a good evening.

About Gothic Midtown

Gothic Midtown offers scare walks around London in the run-up to Halloween. The walks are hosted by none other than the legendary medium Derek Acorah. Each walk culminates in a visit to a Victorian-themed pop-up bar, where attendees are offered a free Halloween cocktail to celebrate surviving the walk.

Alternatively, the bar in the old Central St Martin’s building (perfect location, by the way) can be visited without taking the tour first. There’s a menu of delicious horror-themed cocktails by Ladies & Gentlemen. And half-price cocktails are available between the witching hour of 6-7pm. The dress code is Victorian Gothic Chic!

On Wednesday I donned a fitted black dress with a Victorian chic collar, perfected my makeup with a Halloween twist (a deep red lipstick and a hint of red eyeshadow between my eyes) and headed down for a night full of scares.

Upon arrival, I was greeted immediately by doormen already in character. I was quickly ushered inside to grab a drink and mingle. My first choice of poison was Coffin Lining, This was a delicious blend of vodka, homemade blackberry, honey and lavender syrup with a squeeze of lemon juice and served with fresh berries. The deep red drink emitted smoke upon serving and I immediately fell in love with the Halloween-themed drinks menu.

Read more: A Guide to Halloween 2016 in London

My Experience at Gothic Midtown

I quickly got chatting to some others and together we explored the rest of the beautiful building. With tall looming rooms, darkened and candlelit social areas and a basement with rooms that looked like caves yet tiled toilets, you’d be forgiven for thinking that perhaps the building was once used for something like a mental hospital! 

When visiting the basement, I definitely got that vibe from my surroundings. But perhaps it was the creepy lady who waited in one of the smaller rooms, screaming about her dead baby which deemed the building as definitely curiously creepy.

Inside one of the more social rooms, there was plenty of spooky fun to be had. A tarot reader insisted that I had a lot in store for 2017. A new love who would take care of me and, in July, the success of a project. I already know what my big project for next year is going to be, so this revelation sat well with me.

Using the Ouija Board

A curious character played the piano in this beautiful room, which really set the scene. A few drinks in, my friends and I decided we had enough courage to approach the Ouija board. This is something I’ve always had an interest in trying but I’ve always been too scared!

Now this was an interesting experience. Being that we were at a launch night for spooky but fun ghost walks and a pop-up bar, I didn’t expect much from the board. I suppose when you think about using an Ouija board, you think more about sitting in a quiet darkened room with an expert. Here, I just expected it to be a bit of a laugh.

However, it soon seemed like we were contacting some spirits. In turn, each of us lifted our fingers off the palette, which continued to move regardless. So we knew right away neither of us were doing it. There was definitely a tense atmosphere around the board too. When the palette began to slowly spin and rotate, I felt a little creeped out!

Final Thoughts

You could experience the scares as you pleased. Likewise, there were also some fab DJs playing some great music in the main area.

There was definitely a spooky atmosphere throughout. But it’s nice that no matter what your scare factor is, the bar caters to everyone.

I did not have the chance to experience the ghost walk myself but heard it was fun but creepy, too.

So if you’re still stuck wondering what to do for Halloween this year, I would suggest Gothic Midtown. Whether it’s for their ghost walks with Derek Acorah, their Victorian pop-up bar – or both. The bar is perfect to wind down after an evening of scares. Even if you are doing something else that’s Halloween-related in London, I’d definitely suggest popping along to Gothic Midtown afterwards.

You can check Gothic Midtown for dates on the Ghost Walk and the pop-up bar, as dates vary.

I’d also like to say thank you to Gothic Midtown for putting on such an exciting and spooky event. I had a lot of fun.