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Crack Codes to Earn Drinks at London's New Spy-Themed Bar

April 09, 2017
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3 min read
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Crack Codes to Earn Drinks at London's New Spy-Themed Bar
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If you’ve ever watched an episode of Sherlock and thought, “I could do that,” now’s your chance to dive into your personal mind palace and show off your smarts. The Bletchley, a new spy-themed bar in London, requires that you crack a code before they’ll serve you a cocktail. Named for Bletchley Park, the top-secret site where Alan Turing and his fellow codebreakers tinkered with the Enigma machine during World War II, guests of The Bletchley are handed an army jacket upon entry, given a briefing and seated at a table with their very own Enigma machine.

If you want to order a cocktail, you'd better be ready to work for it.

Located in a hidden, bunker-like space in the back of a Chelsea pub (the address will only be disclosed once you confirm your reservation), the bar is the brainchild of Seb Lyall’s Lollipop — the same company behind ABQ London, a Breaking Bad-themed bar, and The Bunyadi, London’s infamous "naked restaurant." Patrons can choose from two different experiences: Cryptic Cocktails, a two-hour reservation that includes three cocktails (one welcome drink and two cryptic ones) for £29.99 (about $37) per person, or The Double, which will get you six cocktails over the course of four hours in the bunker room for £54.55 (about $68) per person.

At one point, The Bletchley had a 7,000 person waiting list.

With a welcome drink in hand, guests are tasked with completing a series of tests which are meant to both tease the brain and whet the appetite for libations. The brilliant part is that each puzzle is actually helping to decode the drinker’s flavor and even odor preferences, with every response translating into a customized — and one-of-a-kind — cocktail. You’ll radio your codes to the bar as you get them.

Drink to your success!

"This is our first step towards creating a truly personalized cocktail menu," Lyall said in a press statement. “We will also be exploring techniques involving the genetic code and DNA and strive to understand unique taste preferences." For the moment, they’re sticking with the Enigma machine — and it’s proven to be a very popular night out.

Drinks are customized based on patrons' taste and odor preferences.

Reservations, which are required, can be made online, but they can be as tough to get as some of the codes that came across Turing’s desk — at one point, the bar had a waiting list of 7,000 people. But if your dates are flexible and you don’t mind a late-night drink (we were offered a couple of midnight spots), you’d better get cracking. Though no official closing date has been reported, reservations are currently only being accepted through the end of May. The game is on!

All images courtesy of The Bletchley.

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.