22 Below is that rare thing – an intimate eaterie tucked away beneath the tarmac of London’s greatest tourist thoroughfare. A recent makeover has transformed this tiny space into a stylish bolt hole that offers a winning mix of tasty cocktails, delicious food, top tunes and the friendliest service I have ever experienced in the West End.

Opened in 2004 by bartender to the stars Tim Schofield, this snug basement below the Café Libre at No.22 now has a regular crowd from CNN and other nearby media offices. 22 Below offers very classy cocktails at reasonable prices. Schofield devised the exotic menu – witness the Pisang Ambon liqueur being mixed up with the 42 Below vodka in a Green Hornet, the Agavero liqueur in the Dirty Sanchez – and sourced the Kauffman and Cîroc vodkas, the South gin and the Blanton’s Gold bourbon. The result is a crazy scrapbook of bartending lore and imaginative recipes, the like of which you’ll find at no other lounge bar within the W1 postcode – make that London, in fact.

The entrance to this bar is discreet – perhaps too discreet for the less than curious passer-by. A shame, because what lies beneath is well worth investigating. Pleasant staff, manning a dinky bar, service a small but perfectly formed room, with comfy banquettes to sit on. Drinks turn out to be unexpectedly innovative & well-executed – classic, classy & fruity cocktails, while there’s a menu of Asian savouries to snack on. The space doubles as an arty photo-gallery, with occasional short films running on individual plasma screens, while music is of the dream iPod collection variety. Proof that small is beautiful.