Alice Cheongdam

When Lewis Carroll’s Alice fell down the rabbithole into Wonderland all she passed were pictures, maps, cupboards and bookshelves. But you’ll have more than a jar of orange marmalade to show after a session at this well-disguised Cheongdam speakeasy, hidden down the warren (sorry!) of alleyways behind Louis Vuitton et al. First, follow the white rabbit sign deep, deep down into a flowershop. Open the door, and all is revealed: a playground for the urban sophisticat (or even sophistirabbit) with a range of booze and food so insanely creative you’ll be falling down a rabbithole of your own making. Owner Terry Kim is quite the bar magician, and he’s packed the sleek, English retro space chock full of surprises – from disappearing bar glasses to clocks that mysteriously don’t tick. As you’d expect, he deploys true sleight of hand when it comes to cocktails, with smokes, airs, foams and a myriad ways with liquid nitrogen – although it’s a humble glass of Cava that comes with the 10,000-won cover charge, not a vainglorious feat of molecular mixology. Panelled ceilings and squashy sofas offer rest to the weary shopper, while the regulation swing jazz adds to the speakeasy feel. If you’ve ever wanted to drink a cocktail through an elephant’s trunk, or can’t look at a Tiki mug without thinking it needs a cloud of liquid nitrogen and possibly a fountain pen or two, then Alice’s spectaular-looking drinks and equally eye-catching snacks – Battenberg cake fruit salad, anyone? – will have you tumbling into Wonderland.