Eary-evening cocktails, South Bank

[CAPP0]

Morning all, any recommendations for early-evening cocktails within a short stroll of the Oxo Tower please? (no sniggering at the back...)

Ta.

[Puggit]

Isn't the tower itself well known for cocktails?

[CAPP0]

Puggit said:

Isn't the tower itself well known for cocktails?

Yes, I believe so, and that's certainly an option. We are eating there later in the evening and just wondered whether there were any "don't miss" venues nearby?

[Mobile Chicane]

The Skylon in the South Bank Centre. The cocktails are out of this world.

Book a table by the window.

[CAPP0]

Mobile Chicane said:

The Skylon in the South Bank Centre. The cocktails are out of this world.

Book a table by the window.

Ah thanks. For some reason I thought Skylon was in the Shard!

[matrignano]

Somerset House or Radio Rooftop?

[arun1uk]

Try the Rumpus Room in the Mondrian Hotel. Only a couple of mins away from the Oxo Tower.
https://www.morganshotelgroup.com/mondrian/mondria...

[CAPP0]

Rumpus Room it shall be, in about 3 hours time! Skylon wouldn't let me book a table for drinks. I'll try and remember to report back.

[arun1uk]

CAPP0 said:

Rumpus Room it shall be, in about 3 hours time! Skylon wouldn't let me book a table for drinks. I'll try and remember to report back.

You'll enjoy it. Especially if the ridiculously hot female DJ is there....

Oh, word of advice, they will try and charge you "service charge" for drinks, which is optional. Usually charge if you get waiter service. However, they also attempt it when you go to the bar to order a drink for yourself, which involves no other service than the guy making the drink - crooks.

Just don't pay it, and if they ask you why - just say you don't want to!

[CAPP0]

Well, that didn't quite pan out! Having been told that I couldn't book a table for drinks at Skylon, I didn't try to book a table in the RR. When we arrived they said all tables were fully booked but we could sit at the bar. I guess technically that's true, but not if you've already told a couple of dozen other people the same thing. Couldn't even get to the bar, much less sit at it. So we abandoned ship and sat in the bar in the Oxo until our table was ready.

Oxo Tower restaurant was OK but not exceptional, and comically expensive. We didn't have a great table and had to remind them that we had finished our starter about 45 mins ago and was there any chance of our mains being served? Staff were very nice and very friendly, but I wouldn't recommend it overall neither will we be going back.

[iphonedyou]

I haven't heard a good report about the Oxo yet, I must say.

Sea Containers is good for a cocktail, next time you're about.

[kev1974]

arun1uk said:

CAPP0 said:

Rumpus Room it shall be, in about 3 hours time! Skylon wouldn't let me book a table for drinks. I'll try and remember to report back.

You'll enjoy it. Especially if the ridiculously hot female DJ is there....

Oh, word of advice, they will try and charge you "service charge" for drinks, which is optional. Usually charge if you get waiter service. However, they also attempt it when you go to the bar to order a drink for yourself, which involves no other service than the guy making the drink - crooks.

Just don't pay it, and if they ask you why - just say you don't want to!

Loads of bars try that, it's not unique to that one! (and you can apply the same rules everywhere else too, in the UK anyway).

Waiter takes my order at the table and brings the drinks back to me - I'll pay the service charge.
If I have to go to the bar myself - no service charge thanks.