We went in Old Town's Laundry bar ahead of its opening

The Old Town Laundry Bar has caused quite a stir with the arrival of a 'launderette' on Victoria Road, replacing the former Baila coffee and vinyl store. 

But the retro-looking washing facility hides behind it a swanky new cocktail bar hoping to offer Swindon locals an 'experience' as part of their night out, which I was lucky enough to take a look at before it opens (no pictures though as we were sworn to secrecy).

Inside the Old Town Laundry Bar's entrance (Image: Newsquest)

The venue is booking only, and people must book a slot on the website, where they are given a password and a hint of how to get in. 

They will then head to the launderette, where knickers and pants are hanging up to dry, Mr Bean is on an old-fashion television, and a sign that says 'no-one leaves sober' provides a hint of what's to come. 

Customers will then have to 'figure out' how to gain entry to the bar using the hint before they will finally be let into the secret venue behind it. 

Once inside they'll be greeted by an intimate, and prohibition-era style bar spanning two floors that can seat up to 50 people at a time, with staff providing table service.

Gold-framed paintings of historic figures with a modern twist adorn the walls, neon lighting is used occasionally to complement floral roofing and birdcages, designed and made locally, and the space is sparingly lit helping to add to the atmosphere. 

A brand-new bespoke bar contains a variety of exotic spirits and mixers, as well as a number of unusual glasses and containers that will be used for the 24 cocktails that are on offer, which are all themed.

Liam Larkin, deputy manager, explained that a lot of time was invested in coming up with the cocktail menu and how to make each drink unique and an ‘event’ in itself. One comes in a lamp that will be presented with an element of fire, and another will be in an old-fashioned cereal bowl.

Snippets of the cocktail bar hidden behind the Launderette on Victoria Road, Swindon (all we're allowed to show) (Image: Newsquest)

Also inside are also several interactive elements like a selfie mirror and a 'don't touch me' button - all to add to the fun. 

"We wanted to do something completely different," Liam said. 

"There are places like this in Manchester or Bristol, so we thought why not do something like that here, but put our own spin on it.

“I’ve been in the industry for 17 years, and this is the coolest thing I’ve been involved with,” he added.

The Old Town Laundry Bar is opening on March 1 and is already almost fully booked for the first two weeks.