Pinot grigio inspired hedonism - Prohibition, Bishopsgate

Happy New Year readers, and I hope your first few days of 2010 have been kind to you. Which in the UK at the moment means being able to leave your house without snowshoes. And people talk about global warming. A socially active and highly alcoholic December 09 meant that I did not blog as much as I should have, and as a consequence have a backlog of blogs to publish.

So my first resolution of the year is to drink out more frequently and Blog about it. That's that sorted.

Looking back on my unfinished items I've decided to start with the much derided, but nevertheless enjoyable little venue that is Prohibition Bar on Bishopsgate in the City of London. Prohibition as a concept was designed to capture the spirit and style of the thirties style speakeasy - all dirty martinis and shysters and harlots out for a bit of illicit pleasure set against a backdrop of cool grooves and hedonistic behaviour. What you actually get is a converted office block positively dripping with an atmosphere of pinot grigio and lager, celebrity branded perfumes and aftershaves, and scantily dressed women eying up traders in their 'dress down Friday' bests, all throwing shapes and singing along to cheesy pop and 90's indie anthems. Al Capone era Chicago it most certainly is not.

But you can't fault the place for being fun and judging by the number of people throwing money across the bar, very successful. We were there to celebrate a new job for Young Elvis who was heading off to Hong Kong to live in a shoebox and avoid paying tax and what better way then to drink with abandon in a good old fashioned 'pick-up' bar. For Prohibition is one of those places that you find frequently in the large cities and towns around the UK and Ireland, but are remarkably rare in inner-city London .

Would I go again? Well I probably will as it seems to be becoming the bar of choice for my colleagues leaving and birthday bashes, but whether I'd recommend it is another thing. If you're young, single and fancy a big night on the lash then go for. It seemed to be to Young Elvis's taste. However if you're after some urban sophistication I'd try one of the scores of other establishments all within stumbling distance of dear Prohibition. Now to work on that blog backlog.

Drinking prohibited - Jamaica Wine House and Prohibition, the City

This weekend may have been the tipping point. When I finally concede that going out drinking and partying hard all weekend is a young person’s game. A game from which a person should retire graciously not disgracefully. A game that isn’t good for you.

The only problem is that it’s so much damned fun - so enough of the remorse and on with the recap. Friday night lights saw a motley crew of Heavy D, the Engineer, the Running Man and yours truly descend upon the wonderfully misnamed Jamaica Wine House. In tow were two guys from work, who by virtue of being born in the eighties were boy band like compared to the aging rock star that we were in both physique and style. The Jamaica Wine House is not the type of place I imagine you would find in Jamaica. Nor is it a ‘Wine House’ in the traditional sense, but a lovely old fashioned pub. However apparently it is on the site of London’s first coffee house from back in 1652 and apparently the ‘new’ pub is 19th century. So like all things English – it’s very old. It’s also very, very good and the gang and the boy band settled into a hearty male-bonding session based on talking about ourselves. The foundation stones of any good drinking session.

The boy band departed, probably in search of someone younger and more interesting people to talk to and the remaining crew kicked on for a nightcap or three at Prohibition on Bishopsgate. Prohibition is a bar in the genre as Strawberry Moons and Abacus – cheap drinks, cheesy music and a good times atmosphere. Cool it most certainly isn’t but it’s the sort of place that is common across the UK with the main difference being that in the London variety people tend to come straight from work. So suit city then. I was criticised Braveheart recently for not saying anything bad about any bars I reviewed, as if to imply this was a bad thing. I will give him this then – Prohibition, as with the rest of its brethren, is not a great bar, but it is a lot of fun, and a good place to indulge in some serious partying. But be warned; it's a young persons game.