I was expecting more from this otherwise sleek hotel chain (le Meridien). What sounds like a sky…read morelounge/bar by moniker was actually a small venue crammed into the basement of hotel with dark lighting, haughty wait staff, and mediocre cocktails. I didn't have any off the champagne menu but apparently they do a happy hour (2 for 1) on the sparkling options from 5-8pm. The place came across as a bit seedy, with strange neon lighting, cheap looking decor consisting of awkward red, white, and black compositions, and showroom-eque drapery making it feel like a failed strip club's back room. Just didn't come across as very thought through with aspects seemingly shoehorned into it. Unsurprisingly, it was completely empty for the first 2 hours we were there. I hear they are redecorating which is probably a bonus-deserving move for someone in management. It's an otherwise good space in a great location. Also, it's too close to work for me not to give this wheel another spin.

The first "meal" we had in London was at the hotel lounge. After the afternoon flight from Dublin,…read morea bit peckish, and meeting a friend already at the bar, we found ourselves perusing the app menu for a quick repass. I'm not sure what we ordered exactly, as it was many months ago, and their website currently doesn't feature food, so I dunno, maybe they've moved on. Anyway, everything was great and perfect at that time. Over the next few days, we generally started/ended our journeys with a stop off at the bar. I also loved the glowing cube tables. Where do I get those??? I want em!

South London certainly has a few good drinking establishments to its credit. Be At One or B@1 if…read moreyou talk in text talk, is one of these and you are always sure to have a fun time in here. I have been a few times after work and no matter what day of the week there is always a real lively atmosphere and everyone is up for a party! They serve a cool selection of cocktails and myself having a terribly sweet tooth, I always go for the ice-cream based ones (try the Irish Disco Biscuit) which are calorific but delicious. I would try and opt for cocktails during happy hour though as they are fairly expensive outside of that at £6.50 each. It does attract a young crowd and if you get easily annoyed by groups of people singing along to cheesy music, it probably isn't the ideal place for you. Good tunes, friendly people and fab atmosphere.

B@1. No, despite what you might think (and I did at first too), it's not a dingy internet café…read more It's, for lack of a better description, London's answer to karaoke bars. The dress code is casual, the atmosphere loud, hyper energetic, and in your face, and the drinks will get you in the singing mood in no time. Keep your eye out for the specials board as these will not only be good value for money but you are likely to get them served in record time since it's the bartenders' pick of the day. Don't be shy about belting one out if your favourite tune comes out over the speakers. The music mix may also be up to the barstaff as it can be quite eclectic with Linkin Park smashing out one minute and a softer Beatles ballad the next. I've also got to give credit to the barman for making 24 mojitos in one go to satisfy our pub golf group. I'd recommend buying your bartender a drink or two early on in the night. I've found that no matter when I go or even to which B@1, the bartenders love a good drink and will take care of you if you are willing to include them in a couple of rounds. I've even managed to get jaegerbombs passed over a crowd. So listen when I say - GET YOUR BARTENDER A DRINK! Plus, drunk bartenders are a little more generous with the pouring so really everyone is a winner. Overall, it's a good place to start a fun night out. Only problem is sometimes you just don't want to leave.

After finishing work I was going to head to the nearby Tower Tavern however it was recommended to…read moreme to head to the Simmons. The friend I was meeting loves cocktails aaand it was two for £10 4pm to 9pm and £12 for a bottle of wine. Walking in at 17.30 it was dead. The staff were attentive and lovely though who expertly made a espresso martini and poured the two into bone china cups. I had a My Tie which was well flavoured and not one of those all ice stringy places. Parking our butts outside we got to catching up.. the place was booming full of smokers by the time we finished our cocktails but we decided to order a £15 boozy cocktail served in a teapot. Again this was of great value but by then we had worked up an appetite and wanted to leave the fag ash blowing into our faces. Overall a really well priced cosy place..you just have to time it right

When I saw the tip jar labelled "Donald Trump Assassination Fund" I knew Simmons and I were kindred…read morespirits. The dark sense of humor and the give no damns attitude was a give away. Go: if you're a fan of a long, dirt-cheap, happy hour (we're talking 3pm-8pm and wine/beer/spirits for £2.50 and 2 for £10 cocktails and £16 prosecco), OR it's Monday-Wednesday, or you're going earlier than 6pm on Thursday or you've booked, OR if you want to just relax surrounded by kitschy decor and friendly bartenders. Don't go: if you're arriving late on a Friday or Saturday and you haven't reserved a table (it gets super crowded), OR you want to have a deep meaningful conversation with a member of your group (it gets loud), OR you're trying to impress a date who has lofty ideas of Fitzrovia (shabby is part of its charm and there's no food) Simmons is a 6-venue strong mini chain of bars that offer you no fuss and no frills drinks at amazing prices. This particular one has 3 disco caves and outdoor seating and is complete with the iconic mason jar light fittings. The atmosphere is friendly and fun with waitstaff managing to heroically juggle an epic queue of orders expeditiously every time. The theme is an underfunded vintage high school dance complete with disco balls and sticky floors. But it has the same charm as all those floppy-haired, buck-toothed, goofy high school kids busting a move. I'll be back to try a £15 cocktail teapot meant for 4 people - but shared between 2 probably.

Wow, the Hermits, how many nights I have spent in this place I do not know. I've lived in…read moreCamberwell for four years and this is the place we always come back to. It's a winner with everyone. I think because it has charm. It's a proper old fashioned London boozer; old photos on the walls, a selection of ales, wooden floors, bar and furniture, frosted windows â" all that malarkey and a completely unpretentious feel. Everyone likes it, which is evident from the mixed bag of people you get inside which only adds to its appeal. Unlike some of my friends who cannot fault the place, my problem is the lighting; I think it's too bright and wish they'd just unscrew a few of the bar lights to make it more inviting and true to its namesake. I am also disappointed by the prices which seem to be rising slowly but surely. This is not a cheap option despite its looks. Summer nights are best the Hermits when the punters spill out onto the pavements, but equally a winter evening is great, curled up inside with one of the many warm beverages on offer - a hot toddy or mulled wine is always best in an old-fashioned pub. Word of warning: If you order a Brothers cider, there is a festival and normal version and the festival one is about 4% stronger!

Despite lots of my friends waxing lyrical about the Hermits, I've always been put off from going in…read moreby the fact you can't see in through the windows and its general air of This is our pub, please go away. That said, come the summer it sells slushy cider a half-pint of Westons with enough ice shavings in it to turn it into a boozey Slush Puppie. I'd meant to try this for ages, and it was absolutely delicious. I'm sure I've had Westons before, but for some reason this one tasted almost exactly like balsamic vinegar (which I love, but was slightly unexpected). It's a nice, airy pub with plenty of big cosy tables and places to squash into, but if I were going out, I'd still make a beeline to somewhere like the Stormbird or the Tiger first.

I absolutely love that you order everything via their app and relax as everything arrives. No need…read moreto flag down servers. No pressure putting in an order. Did you forget to order something and the bulk of your food has already arrived? No problem; just order more through the app. You ran out a condiment? There is a table with fresh bottles available to you. The food is regular pub grub (although their Tikka Masala is my favourite), they have a good selection of alcohol, their espressos are actually decent, and it's pretty clean. I really like the convenience of coming here. The only thing I would change about the place is have the smoking clientele take a few steps away from the front door while their having their cigarettes. They block the door and you have to walk through their cloud of smoke in order to get in and out.

This is a Wetherspoons house, not gourmet grub, but decent food and very good value, combined with…read morevery well kept ales and draught ciders. The standard of the clientele can be a bit mixed as with any 'Spoons' pub due to the incredibly cheap prices a 12 ounce burger with all the trimmings including a few extra onion rings with a pint for £7.09 how can you complain??

A gem! A high end, fine dining establishment- once upon a time it was a pub, but now it is most…read moredefinitely a restaurant and don't wander in expecting a pint of lager and a packet of pork scratchings. The dinner menu ( at £70/person) includes three courses appropriate to the season ( three or four choices per course). The wine list is robust, and includes a good selection of wine by the glass . While none of it is cheap, there is a lot of art in the food. If I had one small gripe, it would be that the experience is a little on the slow side- dinner was a three hour affair- on the other hand you don't really want to be swilling back your Pomerol as though it were a supermarket Beaujolais on a Friday night.

Great quality food in a nicely decorated restaurand and good deal with their set lunch weekend…read moremenu: 35£ for 3 courses. The lunch started with some parmesan shortbread and truffle cream with chervil. Also Irish soda bread for the table (in house made and delicious). For starters we all went for the charred mackerel, radish, ginger and champagne. Super tasty, one of the best meaty mackerel I have had in a while and the sauce was super fragrant. For mains, I went for the middle white pork (very creative and delicious) and my family went for the Hake and lime sauce (well cooked fish!). And for desserts we all went for the chamomile and apple creme brulee. Sooo goood! Overall the food is classic Irish with a twist! I would highly recommend it for a special occasion

Cool atmosphere and music. Many many tasty and unique drinks to pick from. I am no lush, but for…read morethe price of these pretty little fancy drinks I would suggest they include a little bit more alcohol. This place can get pricey, if you're looking for a buzz go somewhere else.

Another location of the cocktail bar chain BE AT ONE…read more The review of other locations will give you a pretty good idea of what this establishment is like, if my notes do not suffice. It's a very interesting take on the speakeasy formula. By use of social media and their own Bar at one app they're trying to build a community around their chain. The app has the full menu, which seems standard across all the outlets. You rate your drinks and take notes and you get promo info though this app and other internet stuff. Worth a look if you're interested in technology and marketing. This is relevant even if you're not interested in the social media angle because by signing up through their little app you get this happy hour promo which is 2 cocktails (the same kind, no mix and match) for ten quid. So our group paired up and did rounds. 5 pounds a cocktail here (using the promo) is a good deal. The normal 10ish pounds is not. I tried the BANDAQ (banana daquiri), their Oreo milkshake - (Toblerone-esque), and an old fashioned. The first two were very good drinks. The Oreo milkshake one was the best chocolate milkshakes I've had in a while. The old fashioned was ok but very thin. And I hazard that they are a bit tight on the boozy component of a cocktail. So you probably won't get the full dose you're expecting for 10 quid. But only alcoholics like me count drinks this way, if you're out with some gal-pals or boy-pals for the social fun, this does the trick. If you play by their rules with their apps and other tech whizbangs, you can have a pretty good time. I wouldnt recommend to hard-core cocktail snobs or functioning alcoholics. Otherwise Worth a try.

I'm so happy we have places like Mr Lawrence popping up nearby to improve options for drinking in…read morethe local area. What a gem! It was my first visit just before Christmas and my friends and I received a warm welcome. The wine list is extensive, with wine from all over the world and various regions. The prices were reasonable and so it was a great opportunity to try new wines that I hadn't had before. The interior was rustic and trendy and there was plenty of seating. The bar was quite quiet when we visited and it was a Friday night. I just hope the bar keeps getting regular custom to keep it open! It's great to have nice local spots to frequent without always having to travel into London or the local pub. More please!

This wine bar is a total gem. The dark, wood-panelled walls, twinkly fairy lights in the windows…read moreand rustic decor help to create a laid-back and charming atmosphere. The wine list is massive, and you can indeed order loads of them by the glass. The choice of food isn't huge, but what they do, they do well. The duck and chorizo cassoulet was hearty and delicious, and they also serve a range of charcuterie platters, all served with a generous basket of fresh, varied bread. You could happily spend hours in Mr Lawrence, and I'm sure I'll have plenty of opportunities in the future to do just that.