Shoreditch House Revisited (as featured in Here is the City News)

If there was a premier league of bars and clubs, then the mighty Soho House group would always be at - or near - the top.

In central London, the original Soho House has successfully usurped the Groucho Club as the media’s favourite watering hole, while out East, its younger sister private members' club, Shoreditch House reigns supreme as the bar destination of choice for the fashionable set.

Located in a former tea warehouse, Shoreditch House is a bigger, brasher version of its West End sibling. The club includes a bowling alley, games room and several private event rooms. However, it is the fifth and sixth floor bars, restaurants and roof terrace where 'the 'ditch' as it's affectionately known by its members, lives up to the hype. The rooftop includes bar, kitchen and lounge (complete with a glass roof that opens in the summer), along with a decked pool area and the most breathtaking views of the City that you can find in London. Down on the fifth floor there is the main dining area and two bars - one lounge style, the other nightclub - all filled to the brim with beautiful people.

With its open-plan, modern warehouse styling and glamorous clientele, you can be forgiven for thinking you're in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, rather than on Bethnal Green Road. Unlike Soho House, there aren't nooks and crannies in which you can hide away from prying eyes, but a night at the 'ditch is all about seeing and being seen. With a high celebrity and beauty count, the place oozes glamour - albeit in a flashy and occasionally overstated way.

But those who criticize the superficiality of the place (and there are plenty, judging by other bar review sites) miss the point, because Shoreditch House a great place to spend a night. It’s not cheap, but you shouldn’t break the bank, and it does have that special buzz that only comes when people feel they are lucky to be part of something. Enjoyment is high on everyone’s agenda, and people are friendly - even if they are mentally scoring and ranking you stylistically while you speak.

Corney & Barrow Exchange Square

You can tell a lot about the culture of a place by how its planners choose to treat the humble town square.

In some towns, the square becomes a market stall in the weekend at which you can purchase high quality meat, vegetable, and dairy products. These come complete with cafes at which you can indulge in the local delicacies while washing them down with your beverage of choice. In some Northern European towns they can even include a water feature - admittedly of variable quality.

However, in the dear old City, developers have shown the initiative for which they are famous, and turned a barren stretch of land behind Liverpool Street station into a community square; complete with a water feature, a croquet lawn, and a handful of pubs and bars.
And the best of this admittedly random selection of drinking venues is the local Corney & Barrow - the fine wine and beer chain that is the closest thing that the Square Mile has to 'bar royalty'.

At first glance, Corney & Barrow in Exchange Square seems to sit at odds with the rest of its brethren. For a start, the bar itself is not much bigger than a garden shed, and seems to have been designed by someone whose core competencies are in greenhouses rather then wine bars. Depending on where you are seated, your view can be the departure platforms of Liverpool Street station. Interesting for trainspotters I’m sure, but not so much for your average punter.

Yet I do the Corney & Barrow Exchange Square a disservice, as packed into this glass room with (not much of) a view, is space for up to 50 imbibers, serviced by charming and very efficient bar staff, and a nice little atmosphere. The lack of space gives the place an intimacy which is friendly rather then intrusive. And, of course, in summer the place comes into its own as City folks take advantage of the open plan concrete to quaff rosé and European lagers in the sunshine.

I often think that bars/pubs around train stations are subject to the law of diminishing returns - they deteriorate in quality the closer you get. The Corney & Barrow in Exchange Square is a notable exception to this rule, and as a result has become a regular for my motley crew of bankers. I recommend you try it.

The Magpie Pub, Bishopsgate

When I was a child we had a pet magpie. Not the cute curious beagle like birds that you have in the UK but the crow sized flying pitbulls that terrorise children in the South Pacific. Well our friends children anyway.
The Magpie on Bishopsgate is a pub that is more cute then threatening, which judging by its busy Friday night crowd is something that appeals to all comers. Tucked away on a side street, directly opposite Liverpool Statation, the pub's capatilises on the abundance of city commuters in search of the after work pint in 'faux tradtional' surroundings. By which I mean, you have decorative barrels at the entrance, a commerically acceptible range of bitters and ales, and a pub menu which I am sure includes bangers and mash and the likes. You also have wall-to-wall suited men enjoying the Heart FM friendly music and the fact that you can get a suburban pub in middle of the city.
My snide sarcasm aside, this is a nice little boozer. Friendly and more importantly for a pub, fast service, and a pedestrianised outside area that you can spill onto should the suits get a bit much.
Definitely worth a stop if you are in the area, but probably not one for an all-nighter. Which should suit the commuter crowd just fine.

Farewell to the East Room - Friday 12th March 2010

It was with great sadness that I received the email from my friends at this once great bar, that the East Room, along with Sosho Match had fallen victim to the recent fire on Great Tabernacle Street. Many a drunken evening had been spent both on that rooftop and in the bar by yours truly, the Northerner, and Heavy D amongst others, indulging in the fine wines and great ambience that the place had in abundance.
the East Room crew are now dealing with the consquences of the fire, including insurance, staff relocation and the likes, and are hoping to rebuild a bigger, better place. Time can only tell whether they can pull it off, but fingers crossed from this punter.

The Nappy Hip - Holy Drinker, Clapham Junction

A sure way of raising a heckles of anyone who lives in South London is to mention the C word. That's right, Clapham. That stretch of land between the SW4 and SW11 postcodes that is maligned as it is admired by all and sundry. The reasons for this animosity depend on who you ask, but for some people they've never forgiven the place for becoming a South of the river version of Chelsea.

Within Clapham there are two clearly marked territories. The Clapham High Street and surrounds are home to the younger city / west end crowd, whilst the Junction is better known as Nappy Valley. Visit there in the daytime to understand why. Yet the Junction has changed over the last few years, and dear I say, some of its drinking haunts are approaching 'coolness'. Albeit begrudgingly. First among equals in the cool bar stakes is

The Holy Drinker on Northcote Road . A cafe style drinking den that becomes very pre-club as the evening goes on.

I recently visited there with my main critic-in-chief The Engineer, and was pleasantly surprised to find a place that in terms of music, people and vibe would not look out of place in Soho. And I mean that as a compliment.

As you would expected from a converted shop, the bar is longer then it is wide, and is split into three sections, most of which are tabled to allow the girls to rest their heel tortured legs.

Having said that come 10pm and pain seems to have disappeared, as the rear of the bar goes all mini-disco with the lasses doing the seductive dance thing, while rugger types ogle them over their lagers. The music is a mix of RnB and commerical dance, and the drinks on offer are your now standard mix of semi-exotic lagers, new world wines and classic cocktails with a 'twist' (i.e. a new name).

Re-reading my description and I feel I am probably underselling this place, as it is a very good bar. The staff are excellent and the vibe is fun without being remotely cheesy or 'pick-up'y.

I would generally not recommend a visit to the Nappy Valley for a night out, but if you are going to be down that way, do check out the Holy Drinker

Rugby Central - The Orange Tree in Richmond

Some bars and pubs, whether it be by accident or design, have a purpose. Champagne bars, ostensibly for romance seem to cater more for business deals and job offers. City cocktail bars are in reality pick-up joints. Antipodean and Irish theme bars are where badly dressed people go to get drunk.

Sitting amongst these bars are a genre of pub which as a consequence of location, a relatively high number of TVs, and of course, seriously posh pretensions, become rugby bars. The Orange Tree in Richmond is one such place which I visited recently with my drinking crew.

I first went here a few years back for a pre-Ascot tipple and found it charming and spacious with country pub style service. The sort of place that posh people love. Of my return visit the other week I am pleased to say that its a pub that continues to do what it says on the box. That is - serves a good range of beers, wines and grub in a comfortable almost homely environment. Except of course on rugby day when its rammed to the rafters. However this is not your footy crowd mosh-up as one might see during any World or European Cup tournament. People are polite and for the most part rather sober. Not surprising given the mostly male crowd of '40 something' city and legal types that seem to be the bar's core constituents.

But is it interesting? Well, if rugby isn't your thing then I'm not sure why you would stop by here, unless of course you were a local. You wouldn't call this a destination pub. It's not a place that you go to flirt, dance, or as we found on rugby day, get served your drinks quickly. Why they would only put three people behind the bar, when they were expecting and seemed to have around 400 punters is anyone's guess. But I guess this contributed to the relative sobriety of the place, which kept things very much under control. Some might say once the rugby was over it was boring. But that's a bit harsh. Despite what I've just said, I actually enjoyed the place and may head back there to watch some rugger again soon. Then again, maybe I'm getting more posh and restrained then I imagine. Let's just hope.

Talking about Revolution Bar - Leadenhall

It's amazing how quickly a month goes by. That's how long it's been since my last posting, which given the considerable time and effort I've put into London bars recently is a tad shameful. Something that the Engineer was only too quick to remind me on Saturday night. So getting back on track, I'll talk about my January visit to Revolution Bar in Leadenhall.

Remarkably I was there for 'work' as the wise heads that run this chain asked me of all people to review it. Appraise might be the better word. This was always a risky proposition for them as my previous experience of the chain had not been good (Clapham November 2008 - truly dreadful) and I had heard that the city venue attracted some dubious characters. And I don't mean New Zealanders.

Fortunately for the owners, and probably my bank balance, I am pleasantly surprised to report that it is a nice old bar. The venue itself, in what was once a Midland bank, is spacious and opulent in a tasteful rather then tacky way. The clientele are your normal city types out celebrating Friday night, interspersed with those poor souls (mostly women) that imagine they'll meet and win over a millionaire banker who will be thrilled by their lapdancer inspired gyrations. It is what is is.

I was there with a broker, who by chance is a millionaire and is single. Although given that neither of those selling points are obvious to anyone (unless you should enquire) we were left in peace. Much to his chagrin.

We tried the cocktails (vodka based of course) which were fair, if nothing special, and even went as far as a glass or two of champagne. All in the name of research of course.

The music was your expected mix of commercial RnB and pop (Girls Aloud seemed to be popular that night), and the crowd warmed up nicely turning the place into a little dancefest.

So the report back to Revolution was good, and my cheque - as promised - was in the post. It's not a bar I'd go to again by choice, but certainly not one I'd avoid. Quite a statement given some of the bars around here.