Alcotraz London: Cell Block Two-One-Two in Hackney

This is the second time I've come and it's getting better and better.

Alcatraz London amazed me for the second time, and it definitely won’t be my last! From the engaging actors and immersive setup to the expertly crafted drinks, every moment felt like a thrilling performance. An absolute must-visit for anyone craving a unique night out!

Great fun experience, highly trained actors, really good cocktails (4 each, no food, if you smuggle alcohol be prepared...). Highly recommended!

Incredible experience, even though I didn't speak English this wasn't a problem. We were well received and the drinks were great. You can go without fear, if you understand a little English that's great, you don't need to be fluent.

Great mocktails and the actors were good fun! Would have been just that bit more fun of there were more parts of the building we could explore

Unfortunately, despite the great advertisement, this event for me was a huge disappointment. Credit to the staff/actors, as they were all good at their roles. But the actual experience was not good. Firstly, it advertises that you "smuggle" the alcohol in, whereas, they simply hand you something to take it in with, no actual smuggling attempts occur - you may as well just bring it in like normal for all that it added to the experience. Also, I went as a two, and we were just put into a small cramped "cell" with two other people we didn't know, literally knocking knees for the entire experience. Luckily we are fairly social, but considering we paid £40 we expected to be sitting somewhere comfortably. Also, we looked around and noticed other couples had "cells" to themselves, and considering we were looking forward to a fun night where we weren't having to force socialising with a couple we did not know, this was very frustrating. On the website, they also advertise that they have mixologists that make drinks using the alcohol you bring in. The reality is, they make a range of the same cocktails, bring them to you without talking about what you like. They said they return what they don't use, we had nothing returned, and literally saw our bottle of alcohol being used as a prop in one of the 'interactive' moments. The interactive side of it was there, but it wasn't all inclusive, and generally just not a huge amount of content and just pretty underwhelming. Also, they advertise a 2 hour slot, ours was from 19:05 to 21:05. At 20:55, we were told, right you have to take your jumpsuits off and leave, and were being hurried out of the venue early before I had even finished the last cocktail they had bought. I needed to go to the bathroom, and when I came back they had taken my half full cocktail away and just told me I needed to leave - at this point it was only just 21:00. I had been really looking forward to the experience, as it has been on my list for ages, but honestly it was very overpriced, and very underwhelming, and I will not be recommending it to anyone.

This is such an amazing emersive performance which is completely unique. We had such amazing time! Thank you!

Amazing experience- Really funny! Great afternoon!

Nothing I can say apart from it was absolutely brilliant! Had the best time!

I disliked the venue and event. But specific points: - No access to toilets upon arrival. Confusing instructions on how to go to the toilet - had to wait 30 minutes for toilet access. - Lack of understandable story, seemed just characters (actors) shouting at each other. - Playground level "banter" that is just not funny & attempts to get-by essentially by just being rude to your clients. Made way over the top jokes about guests appearance, clothing - just not funny and was basically just rude / playground level humour. - Asked four times for a non-alcohlic beverage, but the person in character serving the drinks just repeated the fake name of the drink (chicken soup?) and implied I must have that and nothing else was available. Gave up trying to get a non-alcoholic drink. They didn't want to accommodate non-alcoholic options. - Uncomfortable small seating area, very cramped seating area in cells with uncomfortable benchs. - Rude staff upon arrival and worse in the downstairs bar. - Rude event, the characters didn't have good humour, just took the p1ss out of guests appearance. - Poor acting skills. Just shouting and using recycled piss-taking jokes out of the customers attending. - 1/10 experience overall.

This was the most fun interactive experience. The drinks were good and the actors were wonderful. You must do this!!!

Super cool experience. We bought tickets to celebrate my friend’s birthday. Shame we brought an opened bottle of gin that was not allowed in, so we ended up not having much to drink.

A great place to go in a group for immersive fun.

Don't bother bringing your own preferred alcohol as you won't get to drink it yourself and it will all be served to other guests while you are served something tasting of dish soap, which will then be knocked over due to the cramped conditions of the cell and lack of space to put drinks or move arms to consume them. You will then have to sit with your feet in a puddle of the cocktail you never wanted for the rest of the experience after asking 3 times for paper towels to clean up the spill. The actors tried their best bless them but the bar staff require training and the bar needs some kind of organisation. I asked to be served my own drink that I brought for the event but I was told it was all gone. It seemed my company paid for the privilege of stocking their bar. Pretty ingenious business idea, charging people to drink their own booze and then giving it to other people.

Not an immersive experience and you are basically paying £40/50 per person for juice, garnish and ice. You have to buy your alcohol before you go in and “smuggle” your drink in which the actors just put ours drink in a box and we carried it in. We had 6 people in our group and you are literally squeezed into the small jail cell which is not comfortable at all. The actors were okay but it wasn’t very immersive, just watch some people argue and discuss a strange storyline. The storyline was bizarre and explicit. We went for a 50th birthday and the birthday boy made a very tame comment to the “warden” as it was obviously impart of the role play and was then “told off” (for real, not part of the role play) and made to feel very uncomfortable. Whoever thought of this is laughing as you are paying £40/50 per person for a bit of fruit juice and garnish to sit in an uncomfortable seat, listen to a rubbish storyline. Don’t waste your money or time !

Incredible experience, inlove with Cassidy - she was great! Cocktails were strong and yummy! Thank you for experience (first cell on the left with 3 girls, the session started at 4pm ish). Would like to compliment Cassidy personally if she wants to contact me!😊 The warden and the guard was pretty great too! Highly recommend experience.

A must do experience if you are looking for something different! Beware that you’re drinking 4 cocktails in just 2h.

Hi I just felt down outside the property and when I ask for help the owner he was so rude to me and shout the door infront my nouse I have to call ambulance

Great fun! Actors were brilliant! 🤩

It was a fun couple of hours, the cast are excellent and great cocktails

Acting - was entertaining and well performed. Nobody seemed nervous or unsure. Clear character roles with some better done than others. Cassidy (main inmate actor) was great. Cocktails - tasty but could have been a bit more hefty. Good pacing of the alcohol delivery Atmosphere - a good attempt with the limited space, but did allow for free roaming and people to chat if you were interested in visiting other guests. Story - a little dull but they did look to get everyone up and doing something which was very good. Overall had a great time. Really nice conversation with my cell mates and something I would recommend if your looking for a interesting night out.

What a fun evening! My work colleagues and I spent our sentence in Alcotraz in fits of giggles. The actors were amazing and so engaging, my colleagues had never been to an immersive event such as this and loved every second! 70cl of spirits per 4 people would have been sufficient, we went overboard 😂

Amazing atmosphere i definitely recommend it with the group of naughty ones 😉

Wow, had such a great time from start to finish, totally recommend, such a laugh, the chicken soup was extra good.

Such a fun experience! Really enjoyed the acting, very funny and great chicken soup! I would highly recommend. The only complaint i have is that two hours goes too fast. If you want to wind up a friend pay an extra £10 for one of the add ons, definitely worth it. I plan to do Moonshine Saloon next.

Super fun experience, would definitely recommend!

great time at Alcotraz so funny great cocktails

What a great experience – really didn’t know what to expect, but definitely recommend if you have a special celebration like we did! Also quite close to all the usual Shoreditch pops and restaurants, which made it a great afternoon/early evening out. Happy 40th birthday Lauren!

Great experience. Something different for a date night. Highly recommend!

Alcotraz was brilliant, better than what I had expected. You could really immerse yourself into the experience and take on a character without trying. I think this is due to the excellent acting skills of the team running the experience, you get drawn in! I loved the story line that was running throughout the session. The drinks served using our own alcohol were delicious and varied, served in metal cups but with creative decoration. The bottle was returned to us after and we couldn’t believe how much was still left… we thought we drank the whole bottle🤣 Overall, I’d definitely recommend, it’s a unique, funny & thrilling experience.

A clever, well-delivered experience! Great characters and beautiful cocktails!

really great experience, great actors. a different kind of team building. everybody loved it. recommended!

Fantastic evening celebrating my birthday with friends. Great atmosphere, so funny, things going on all the time. Would highly recommend.

Absolutely brilliant experience...highly recommend

I attended the experience last night and even thought once inside the event the experience was fantastic, I was a little disappointed at the start. Tha advertisement states sneaking your own liquor and to be creative has you want. Only for the security guard to ask if any bottle were open and then just to hand them over and put them in a box. I think that part needs to be improved as that was a bit of a let down and there was plenty of time before entering the experience also I purchased the escape artist package for my friends birthday but all it consisted of was a belt which didn’t fit and was little interaction. I also never received the mugs which were included in the ultimate boss ticket.

Amazing experience, all the staff are outstanding in the roll they play

Everyone was super funny and they created an amazing vibe! Definitely I would come back for a special occasion!

Had a really great time. Drinks were fantastic and the who event was really well planned and put together. Highly recommend

Great experience at Alcotraz. Nice to do something different and the drinks and actors were really good. Only thing that could be improved for me was the sneaking in of drinks. There weren’t any real checks. Would have been better if we were frisked or something and alcohol we couldn’t get past the guards was taken away. I would recommend to anyone looking for a different immersive experience which great fun and will definitely get you laughing.

From the storytelling to the location to the drinks, it's a TOP experience! I would do it again at any time, even if it is a bit expensive!

Food in the form of drinks. They are absolutely amazing the guys making them are fantastic delicious. A lot of laughs very interactive they get everyone involved. Perfect night out.

Absolutely amazing time here, the actors were brilliant. Never laughed so much. The cocktails were lovely and it was all well worth the money.

We had a great time at Alcotraz as a group of 4. The actors were great and really helped create a fun atmosphere. They were able to riff off audience members and as someone who works in immersive theatre (murder mystery events) they handled themselves well with audience members. It would have been good to get a few more tasks/activities for audience members, there was quite a bit of time sat drinking and whilst some groups would probably be okay with this, we were really keen for more participation. We did have one issue where the bar staff insisted we had 4 drinks (as per the rules) but we had only had 3. They did give as an extra drink but it wasn't very nice and I think this was because we had mentioned it. It might be an idea to use different cups for every cocktail served, that way they would be able to keep track. We did see some different cups coming out and thought this was what they were doing, but maybe this wasn't the case. Our first 3 cocktails were incredible and given the alcohol we supplied this was a challenge. Overall a great experience and would definitely recommend, but would also recommend a better way of tracking the drinks given as this is ultimately what is being paid for as no food or anything is part of the cost.

A great immersive experience that our group of 4 enjoyed.

It was so fun! The actors and mixologists were fabulous. Great experience.

Absolutely brilliant. Celebrated a friend's birthday here and laughed for the whole 90 minutes. Such a fun night out.

Loved it. Loads of extra details secretly woven in

I have to say this place was AWESOME!!! The whole experience was brilliant from the arrival right through. Cocktails were delicious and the brilliant staff held our attention throughout the evening with various sub-plots to keep us amused. The decor was really well done and it was great to be able to interact with other groups as well as staying in our own. The actors involved hit a perfect tone in both playing their prison roles and ensuring we had a great. The warden was hilarious with his put downs 😂. A masterful concept and executed in a first class fashion! You really have to check this place out! It's one of the most fun and funniest experiences I've had in London for a long time!!!!! Do eat before though as there's no food...

This was so good us as a group really enjoyed it, staff were friendly and the whole set up was so good and really made our trip doing something like this Haven't laughed that much in a while everyone in my group really enjoyed it cocktails came out quickly and dressing up in the orange prison suits was a massive hit Definatly recommend and will go again

Great experience with the other inmates. Didn’t manage to get parole thanks to the warden.

An exhilarating, immersive experience at Alcotraz with tasty cocktails with our own liqueur. Definitely worth a visit with a group of friends!

Great experience, so much fun and laughter.

Can't recommend this experience enough! A definite highlight during our weekend in London

Had lots of laughs. Cocktails were delicious. Staff went above and beyond.

The immersive experience is fantastic😍 the actors perform very well, and the prison setting feels incredibly realistic. They mix three cocktails 🍹, making it an unforgettable experience 😎

This made my wife’s birthday! Loads of laughter. Great staff from the door to the cell rooms😂 How we’d loved the acting! Incredible guys. Definitely bringing friends. Ah yeah, couldn’t even finish our mocktail as was much but nice!

Top 👍 was really great. Time flies by again :)

It was an okay experience, you should go if you like sweet cocktail drinks 😬. Better to go in groups than for a date

The experience was so cool! The cocktails were nice. I would have enjoyed if we could personalize the cocktails according to our tastes because it's a shame when you don't like one of the cocktails offered, but I understand that it could be difficult to do logistically speaking. To me, it's mandatory that you speak English to enjoy the experience, otherwise, you'd be missing out on soooo much. Cassidy and I became besties, she was sooo good and friendly. We had so much fun playing our characters and interacting with the actors. I would definitely suggest to immerse yourself completely and volunteer if they look for people to do certain tasks, it's worth it and you'll have even more fun, feeling like you're part of the storyline! Would 10/10 recommend :)

Fantastic, would recommend anyone to go. Staff are very friendly and helpful. They really get the theatrical experience going.

Soso fun really great experience, The chicken soup was amazing

Amazing,1000% would definitely go back, the cocktails & mocktails are amazing aswell

Absolutely fantastic. Would highly recommend to any one.

Looking for a night out that's truly unforgettable? Want to smuggle some contraband past prison guards and become part of an underground cocktail operation? Welcome to Alcotraz, London's most innovative immersive theatrical experience that perfectly blends crafted cocktails with interactive drama. ## The Concept: More Than Just Another Bar Alcotraz isn't your typical themed bar – it's a fully immersive experience where you become part of the story. From the moment you don your orange prison jumpsuit, you're no longer just a customer; you're an inmate in one of the most notorious "establishments" around. The twist? You're tasked with smuggling in your own spirits, which the talented "inmates" transform into bespoke cocktails throughout your sentence. ## The Experience: From Booking to Release Your journey starts before you even arrive, with the option to enhance your experience through special character assignments. Want to play the jail janitor or the crafty escape artist? These additional roles add an extra layer of immersion and can make your night even more memorable. Upon arrival, you're processed into the system and given your prison uniform. The attention to detail is impressive, from the authentic-looking cells to the stern-faced guards who stay in character throughout. But don't worry – while the setting might be intimidating, the staff expertly walks the line between maintaining the atmosphere and ensuring everyone feels comfortable and included. ## The Cocktails: Contraband Never Tasted So Good Over the course of your two-hour "sentence," your smuggled spirits are transformed into four expertly crafted cocktails. The mixology team (disguised as fellow inmates) shows impressive creativity, producing drinks that would be at home in any high-end cocktail bar. Each creation is unique and perfectly balanced, proving that great cocktails can come from anywhere – even behind bars. What's particularly impressive is how they integrate the drink-making into the overall narrative. Your cocktails aren't just served; they're part of an elaborate underground operation that you're now complicit in. And yes, any remaining spirits from your bottle are returned to you upon release – assuming the guards don't confiscate them, of course. ## The Performance: Method Acting Meets Mixology The real star of Alcotraz is the incredible immersive performance by the staff. As the evening progresses and the cocktails flow, you'll find yourself being drawn deeper into the experience. The actors maintain their characters flawlessly while ensuring everyone is having a good time. It's this balance that makes the experience so special – professional enough to be convincing, but fun enough to be thoroughly entertaining. ## Value for Money: Crime Pays (For the Visitor) At just under £45 for the basic entry ticket (plus your smuggled spirits), Alcotraz offers exceptional value for money. Consider what you're getting: - A two-hour immersive theatrical experience - Four expertly crafted cocktails - Professional actors dedicated to your entertainment - A unique story you'll be telling for weeks to come ## The Verdict: Should You Do Time at Alcotraz? Absolutely. This is one of those rare experiences that actually exceeds expectations. The combination of interactive theater, quality cocktails, and attention to detail creates something truly special. If anything, my only complaint is that I wanted it to last longer – which is perhaps the best criticism any entertainment venue can receive. ### Tips for Future Inmates: - Book character enhancements if you want to maximize the immersion - Bring a spirit you genuinely enjoy – it'll be the base for all your cocktails - Get into the spirit of the experience – the more you play along, the more fun you'll have - Consider going with a group to enhance the interactive elements Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or just looking for a unique night out.

We did the Alcotraz experience 6 of us really enjoyed our time in the cells. Great fun would totally recommend.

Great atmosphere and realistic setting. The whole experience is very well played out . The staff really make you believe, that you are in prison. Would definitely recommend to family and friends

Great time spent here. Actors are fab and will definitely be recommending to others! 👌🏽

A Hilarious day at Alcatraz – So Much Fun! I went to Alcatraz with my sisters, and we had such a laugh from start to finish! As soon as we got there, they gave us orange prison outfits and locked us in a cell. The place is totally decked out like a real prison, with actors playing guards and prisoners who keep you on your toes the whole night. Even though you're supposed to be in "prison," the drinks still come to your cell – no sneaking around needed, but there's definitely a cheeky feel to it all. At one point, we even got taken for prison photos, which was a fun little surprise. There are a few other things that happen too, but I don’t want to spoil it – part of the fun is not knowing what’s coming next! The actors were great and really got into character, making it feel like we were part of the show. They joke around with you, keep the energy high, and make sure everyone’s having a good time. The drinks were awesome, and the whole experience felt really unique. If you’re looking for a different kind of day out with friends or family, I’d 100% recommend Alcatraz. It’s interactive, funny, and just something a bit special. We had such a great time and I’d definitely go back! There is no food however just down the road is the Bike Shed which had great food.

I loved the experience, it was so fun and entertaining, and a bit scary to be honest :). The actors made everything seem... I wouldn't say so real, but very close to reality. I would recommend it to everyone who wants a one-of-a-kind-experience in London.

A fun and well organised theatrical experience with lots of laughs.

Would recommended to anyone! Really reasonable as you bring your own alcohol and the cocktails were incredible. Also, the actors were amazing and had us laughing and captivated the entire time! Great hen party activity! The story of the travelling pregnancy will forever live with me 😂

Delicious "chicken soup" and a great atmosphere. Highly recommend

We were visiting from out of state and looking for things to do and found this gem. I'm not sure if it's a pop up but if it is, there is such a high level of detail that it was very impressive. From the moment you step in you are completely immersed, and if you're into role play I would encourage you to grab a group of like minded individuals and go. The story was great and you are transported into a different time when you step in. The actors were fantastic, nothing felt like 'cheap' theatre and they all played their roles wonderfully. You're a part of the way the story unfolds and there are moments to interact with different groups that are in on the experience. The drinks were absolutely delicious and my husband who doesn't drink alcohol enjoyed his mocktails thoroughly. There is the option for alcohol free and you still feel included even without the 'proper' drinking experience. The drink bases may have been pre batched but even if so they were not 'basic cocktails' or boring, and the garnishes were fresh and tasty too. They were presented true to the theme too, and were a lot of fun. If a group of one or two I would suggest using the added price at the attraction to purchase your cocktails as I spent what I thought was a bit too much on small bottles to take in, even if still cheaper than a few cocktails if this calibre would set you back in a bar. If you're in a bigger group I would definitely all share a bigger bottle or two to take in. Just be wary of taking too much as you can't leave with an opened bottle. Even though I know the story, If I visited the area again I would take friends who hadn't gone as I'm sure the experience would be different enough to still be fun. Maybe not something to do every weekend but definitely worth going. Very much recommend Alcotraz.

Going here was so much fun. In my opinion, everyone who enjoys cocktails and a special experience in London should have tried this.

Nice experience and forum to meet new friends

We hired the whole venue for a client project social and were blown away by just how much everyone enjoyed themselves. The actors are amazing, the venue realistic and the cocktails fabulous. The only small fault I could find was because it's underground there was no phone signal and they locked the door, so latecomers couldn't gain access. Apart from that it was a fun night and a great icebreaker for a team of people that had never met before. We had pizzas delivered so can't comment on food.

Understand English very well to make the experience even better

Such a fun immersive experience! Excellent performance, excellent ambiance. Really great acting, engaging dialogue and overall such fun!

Such a great night, me and my wife went for her birthday, everybody engaged with everybody the actors were fantastic Terry t in particular hilarious couldn't recommend this highly enough

Had a great time. Unique immersive experience.

Amazing experience except…you need to build a short that is not used in the event, you give your alcool….i didnt know that my 12th years whiskey was a bit for me and the 3/4 for strangers…no phone, no isolated room, no possible interaction with the guards. In fact its a sketch in a cell…give them your cash, your alcool and they will give you some drinks made of something…but the actor was doing a great job.

Fortunately I managed to escape from prison and I am finally free! I will keep the secret… 🤫😉 Excellent experience, thanks to the entire team.

Was so good, so much fun for a big group or little

Enjoyed the experience but really wished we had had a few more drinks before going in, the cocktails made with our supplied alcohol were good and tasty (could have done with a couple more). There really needs to be a bar so you can purchase extra drinks (they definitely missed out on making more money from us), the floor show was good although a bit disjointed and hard to understand what was going on at times.

Booked for a Sten Do, was incredible, staff were brilliant, acting was amazing. The cocktails were so good! Highly recommend to anyone!

It's been lovely nith out, staff are more than welcome,5 star service & cocktail's. Deffenitely recommended.

It was such a fun experience, the actor are so good really get into it! Wish drinks came quicker and more often, each person gets 4.

Amazing great day out for 19th birthday worth the money

This was a fun and interactive experience and its great for groups. The actors were great and we had a lot of laughs. I have however knocked a star off as while it's in the T&C's, it is not obvious that you have to take bottles of alcohol in, that are sealed, ours were not, so it was a trip to the Amazon fresh next door. Also two of the 4 cocktails we had were coconut based. I don't like coconut and while I could manage the first one, the third one I could only smell and then I gave it away. As such I think one coconut based is enough, as I can't imagine there is just me that does not like coconut.

Great fun experience and a good variety of 4 strong cocktails were provided. You are asked your likes and dislikes for these which was good as well. The "prison staff" were very good, cells are laid out well, and having visited to the real Alcatraz, it's very similarly done. Some elements of waiting around in the cell in between scenes which was the only minor niggle, and thank goodness we were banged up away from the obnoxious vile chavvy woman who delightfully used the "c" word upon entering the venue, persisted to shout out during scenes and thankfully eventually got told to shush by one of the staff! I bet the team were glad to be rid of her! Overall, a little pricey for what it was, but when you include the 4 cocktails it almost balances out against the cost of these in London. It was a great experience and we will try the other ones eventually too.

Amazing time. It was the highlight of our weekend. We had such a good time we were so sad to leave

highly recommend alcatraz as we had a fun experience definitely going again

Such a fun night out. Would highly recommend!

Unreal experience, would so recommend for couples or groups. Love from JP and curls ❤️

Amazing experience. You will have a good laugh and the cocktails were exceptionally good. Big ups to the Bar Responsible, who's also a very kind person! Cocktails are made with fresh products and the story line of the experience is very funny and you are a big part of the story, which makes it fun!

Was one of the experience I have tried out would definitely book it again ,performers where absolutely brilliant 10/10!

Unique experience. Something that I have never tried. The crew was great. I belive the script could had been much better. Laughter and bonding moments. Drinks given, which are mocktails, if you want cocktails you must take a drink with you not open and sealed, so that they can mix it. One of them things that you will only do it once.

Fun way to spend an evening. Would recommend for a unique thing to do. Very interactive, great cocktails and the actors were fab. 10/10

What an amazing experience, the cast are amazing and really immerse you into the night

Such a fun experience for a night out & great cocktails and performance from the actors ⛓️