I've just recently moved to London from the US and was having a hell of a time getting settled in,…read moremost of which was caused by not being able to procure a UK bank account. It's a bit of a roundabout issue here where you can't get decent housing without a bank account and you can't get a bank account without decent housing. I had no idea that the credit check done on you is actually done on your place of residence and the credit attached there, not necessarily all just you. Very frustrating. At my wits end, and after going to several banks in and around Soho (and getting very rude and exasperated responses to my questions - as if I was doing something wrong by moving to London and not knowing my way around the financial system), I came across this HSBC in Chinatown. Bruce is my HERO. Not only was he completely accommodating to my mistake of thinking an appointment was way earlier than it actually was, he was very reassuring, informative, patient, kind, and most of all, funny. Thank you so much Bruce for easing my final transition into London life and helping me feel like a productive adult once again. You were the only one out of several bank employees in Soho that didn't treat me like an idiot and instead like a friend. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this, and most of all, appreciate you alleviating all the stress from this last stage. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

This is the local branch of my bank, Lloyds…read more Lloyds Banking Group plc is a major British financial institution formed through the acquisition of HBOS by Lloyds TSB in 2009. The Group's history began in 1765 with the founding of Lloyds Bank, which is the fourth oldest bank in the United Kingdom. The Group's headquarters is located at 25 Gresham Street in the City of London and its registered office is on The Mound in Edinburgh. Lloyds Banking Group's activities are organised into Retail Banking (including Mortgages and Sole Traders), Commercial, Life, Pensions & Insurance, and Wealth & International. Lloyds' has extensive overseas operations in the US, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. On 13 October 2008, PM Gordon Brown announced a government plan for the Treasury to invest £37bn of new capital into major UK banks--including Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Lloyds TSB and HBOS--to avert a collapse of the financial sector.Barclays avoided taking a capital investment from the UK Government Today, the Government stake is below 19% and in May, the company paid its first dividend for 7 years In 2015, Lloyds is celebrating its 250th Anniversary.

I have been there a few times already and the staff has always been really helpful and friendly…read more They even come to talk to you if there is a little line (no more than 4-5 people) to try to help if they can. And although it is in a busy area and I always go to lunch time, I never have to queue for more than 10 minutes. Half of the times I did not have to wait at all. I must say I am really happy with my Lloyds services after having such awful experiences with my previous bank.

I finally took the time to set up my British bank account and went for NatWest as it was the…read morefastest one to process the demand. I got an appointment for the next week after calling. They asked me which NatWest was more convenient for me and what to bring to make the process as smooth as possible. On the d-day, my banker didn't make me wait and he was really efficient. All was sorted in 20 minutes and with clear explanations. It's the first time opening a bank account was so easy so i would recommend it.

This bank has recently been refurbished and looks good inside, has all the usual services that…read morebanks offer plus longer opening hours on a Thursday night if you can't make it during normal hours, staff seem pretty friendly at this branch but are extremely quick to pull the 'Till Closed' blind down bang on 5pm!, this is the only reason I give it 4 Stars.

A very modern branch with friendly staff. Helpful and knowledgeable. To help you with all your…read morefinancial needs.

a great bank. always ready to help you when you get into financial difficulty. recommended.read more

Great currency exchange rate. Took me a min to find the place but worth it. They didn't rip me off…read morelike other places try too.

From the owner: ACE-FX will buy and sell cheaper than any other bureau de change in London…read more.. ACE-FX will guarantee to give you the best exchange rates, whether you are looking to buy currency or sell currency, we will provide the best currency rates published nationally by any other supplier on any given day. These include the UK's leading High Street Banks, Airport and High Street Bureau de Changes, Marks and Spencer, The Post Office, Sainsbury's and even speciality banknote suppliers like Travelex and Thomas Cook. Our dedicated team makes sure we provide the latest exchange rates on all currencies. This keeps us one step ahead and allows you to receive the best possible exchange rates at any time! Meaning we are a cut above the rest in leading Bureau de Change organisations.

Pretty nice bank, I like their way of doing things which is very different from the traditional…read morehigh street banks. Also their debit card (which is a Debit MasterCard with PayPass) comes with no foreign currency fees within Europe. But be careful when using their ATMs with a foreign card for withdrawals. The Metro Bank ATM (operated by Note Machine) will offer debiting the account in your home currency. Do not accept this as an unfavourable exchange rate will be applied. Let your own bank do the currency conversion instead so have the transaction carried out in GBP (choose "Continue without conversion").

Have you ever wondered why every Metro Bank branch will have 3-15 employees but you still wait…read moreforever to get served? This branch is no exception. While 6 people were behind the counter, only 2 were helping customers. Very frustrating! Leyla only exacerbated the problem when, after one of the 8 people in line complained that no one was working, she decided the best use of time was to explain that "they ARE working" and point out what each employee was doing...instead of helping anyone. Needless to say, I promptly switched my bank to Nationwide (I have a referral code for a free £100, hit me up!) and have never looked back since!

I like it in here. It has posh machines that pay in, pay out…read moreand do cool things like scan and read your cheques (yes, I still use cheques now and again). I think perhaps the reason I like it in here, is because I like gadgets. Anything that makes my time in a bank or in any establishment for that matter, faster and or smoother, gets a thumbs up from me. They also have people at the door saying 'Hello, how may I help you today.' Makes me think of that film with Will Smith, I Robot - with these scary murdering machines that will all one day take over the world. Funny old thing technology. I love it but at the same time have a deep seeded loathing for it because there is no such thing as anonymity anymore. That's life in the 21st century for you. Makes me thing of that 60's series with Patrick Mcgoohan, yelling about not being a number, but rather; "a free man." What was it called again? Oh yeah, The Prisoner.

A very small branch very close to Borough Market. Very conveniently located on one of the busiest…read morestreets. This location has teller service along with ATM. It's very clean and upon arrival have staff members to greet you. FYI: for travelers in need of wifi, this is the best place to go. It's free and the signal is very strong, good place to pop in for a quick surf on the net or for looking for directions. Lord knows I utilized it a few times.

This branch is a little hard to find, despite being located just off Nottingham's Market Square…read more The old building that houses it is rather unaccommodating on the inside - a bit gloomy, besides constantly busy. Pretty much everything here has to be done through a cashier and this means queueing up for all eternity. There are two ATM's on the exterior, and these always run out of cash by sunday (because of the student weekend I suppose). Several machines crammed into the lobby, where you can do old-style deposits with envelopes. I can't say I've been to this one a lot despite it being central, I suppose I avoid it subconsciously.