The ambiance was superb. Service was a bit slow and our waiter changed a few times, but we were enjoying the view while we waited. Drinks were innovative, we tried at least 5 cocktails and enjoyed them all. PS I made my reservation 3 weeks in advance and highly recommend it. read more

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Drinks with a heaping side of VIEWS! Stunning bar at the Shard where they serve some good and strong cocktails. The bar bites were delicious too, we opted for the shrimp and ginger dumpling and shrimp tempura. My twist on an old fashion was perfect and my friend's Paloma was refreshing. read more

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It is very expensive. But as long as you know that and expect it...the view and the experience can't be beat! All the signature cocktails are 26 GBP. I couldn't find a single thing online giving me any idea on the prices of food or drinks here, so I am letting you know. The presentation of said drinks is superb, and they taste great! There is also a selection of beer and wine and other spirits to choose from. They also have a per-person minimum (at least that is what was indicated on the reservation site and email) that basically requires getting 2 drinks or also ordering overpriced food. BUT all that said...you KNOW it is going to be expensive. You can still be budget conscious here, if you know what you are going in to. And what you are really here for is the view, and you GET IT. You may not get a window seat, but if you are nice and patient, if one opens up they may be able to move you over there. But you will still be able to get close to the windows for views and photos no matter where you are seated. It seems to be a requirement that all servers be non-native English speakers who are unusually attractive and must wear pants so tight you wonder how they are able to walk in them. I'm not complaining though! It was the smallest and most expensive restaurant experience of our London trip. But it was also one of the most memorable and most fun. I would absolutely recommend a visit, especially around sunset. read more

View is absolutely amazing !! Love the vibe going for lunch here tomorrow wow service 5 stars read more

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Well, here's one way to enjoy the view from the Shard, London's tallest skyscraper. First things first, if you want just the view from the 72nd floor, you can pay £28.50 for general admission. Alternatively you could follow the advice of a YouTuber who claimed this was the better Shard experience. This posh little restaurant is on the 55th floor and does afford a nice view. It was also quite pricey if you decide to reserve the Deluxe Window Experience for Two. That cost £250 or almost $320. OK, we did it just for the guaranteed view, but that was really the only advantage. Here's the deal. We were seated at a small corner cocktail table with a view for both of us from "Western Europe's highest bar". We were given an 1-1/2 time slot at 5:30PM. A bottle of Champagne Rose was served (photo: https://yelp.to/XLyRvJIs48). So far, so good. The Deluxe experience included an "Asian food platter to share". No further details. What arrived were two small dishes with dipping sauces. One held four tempura prawns and three gyozas. The other had four pieces of a sushi roll topped with tobiko as well as four slices of sashimi (photo: https://yelp.to/_u3ZtOD5S7). We were thinking, "Oh, what a nice appetizer!" I was surprised it was Japanese given the restaurant's name but I didn't question it. It was all good enough to devour since more food was coming, right? Crickets. I don't mean real crickets. I mean the gradual realization that this was all the food we were going to get for $320. Oh my, the revelation actually made us more hungry. However, we didn't complain to the server who was quite cordial. She had to be because I can't believe no one has ever whined about the portions before. To be fair, we did receive little servings of Spiced Nuts and Olives (photo: https://yelp.to/OpOLmXVHTV) and for dessert, four mochi ice cream balls (photo: https://yelp.to/OHxiPweY4W). The restroom was nice, quite stylish. I don't think I've been at a urinal with such a panoramic view in front of me. When I got back, we were at the end of our time slot. I let the server know it was our anniversary (close enough, ok?), and she poured us complimentary glasses of Grappa (photo: https://yelp.to/iIylBjh4mc). Listen, I didn't say it was an unpleasant experience. That revelation came with my credit card bill. FOOD -3 stars...middling Japanese tapas for the price tag AMBIANCE - 5 stars...nice view SERVICE - 4 stars...nicely attentive TOTAL - 3 stars...the disparity between quality, quantity and price was just too much for us RELATED - Exploring London? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3zFACrx read more

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We had a really relaxing lunch at the GONG. The staff is super friendly. We had kids with us so we reserved a spot before 5:30pm as no kids allowed after. We loved the cocktails. I had an espresso martini gbp20 that was delicious. Most other cocktails are gbp25. Tap water is complimentary and it came with a slice of cucumber. When you're seated, small snacks like olives and spicy nuts were provided. I ordered 2 platters and a squid for 5ppl (3 adults and 2 kids) and it was plenty for us. The platters had a nice variety of both cooked and uncooked sushi/sashimi. The sashimi was salmon and tuna. Each platter had 2 slices of each. Dumplings are great - both veggies and chicken. Shrimp tempura and squid was yummy too. The fried chicken was a hit. It's not a huge menu. It's definitely worth the trip. Their bathrooms were really clean and they have the Toto washlet installed if you're adventurous. A service charge of 12.5% will be added. Loved the experience here. read more

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If you're thinking of paying just to go up The Shard for the view--skip it and grab a drink at GŎNG instead. The cocktails are pricey, but you're paying for the atmosphere and the incredible view of London without the extra ticket fee. It's a classy spot, perfect for one or two drinks to take it all in. Service was attentive, and we were able to snag a window seat after a short wait. Definitely a better deal than the observation deck if you're going to spend money anyway. read more

The highest bar in London. Located in the Shangri La in the shard, it has excellent views over the city. The overall upkeep of the place though is a different matter. It's nowhere close to what you would expect from a Shangri La. Worn out tables and chairs and an uninspiring decor. The place has so much potential but so little has been done. Food and drinks are actually not to bad but just doesn't go with what you expect at a place like this. read more

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I went for the view, and the view did not disappoint. Ambience is amazing, service was great, and the prices are eye-watering, even for London. I'm used to expensive food, but normally there's a bit more to go with it with this cost class... We ordered quite a bit of food, because the dishes are minuscule despite how tasty. Can't go wrong with anything, nothing was exceptional, and nothing was quite worth the price :( read more

GŎNG - sushi was great! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - London, XGL

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Situation: - Lunch, mid-week (23rd of December) - Reservation made with the "Chop Chop" business lunch menu Pros - The views from the restaurant, which is on the 52nd floor of The Shard, are amazing - The service is excellent - The food was a delight, and a lot more than I had expected - The lunch menu was priced reasonably (at £42 in December 2022) Cons - Getting from the ground to the restaurant can be a little confusing as an elevator transfer needs to be made part of the way to/from the restaurant read more

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I enjoyed the experience and had a good time but the menu was super limited and you pretty much pay for the view. Tried several drinks and was amazed at the small servings. If that's what eating "rich" is like I am good with my inexpensive restaurants. read more

This place is incredible. We'd read a few different blogs recommending coming here versus going on the London Eye. It was amazing. There is a 33 Euro minimum per person to spend but a lot of their drinks cost just that, so it's easy to spend the money. I definitely recommend making a reservation. The service was excellent. We got a bowl of mixed nuts and a bowl of olives at the start of our visit, complementary. The presentation of our drinks was beautiful. I really liked the Gongstar Martini. Try and get a table right by the window if you can- the view is totally worth it! If you're taking the tube, there's a station really close to the Shard, FYI. read more

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Came by the other day for lunch and it might have been a slight overkill... more on that later. Made a reservation and my table by the window was ready. The hostess did inform me that my seat would be only available for 1.5 hours. Gong is located on the 52nd floor of the Shard, inside the Shangi-la. From the street level, take the elevator to the 35th floor, walk across the lobby and head up in the elevator to the 52nd floor, which is shared with the hotel gym and pool.. The view is breathtaking for European standards. There are much higher versions in Asia... The windows were clean and the view was great. The food itself was a mediocre pass, definitely not Michelin worthy, despite having Michelin-esque pricing... Meal started off with some complimentary super salty snacks. Ordered a freshly squeezed orange juice that was mediocre... The freshly squeeze orange juice that I grabbed from Tesco down the street was much better... The tempura prawns were decent. The breading was on the thicker side, although the oil quality was great and the portions were generous. The side of aioli was okay... The salt and pepper calamari was mediocre. The calamari was on the thinner side and the salt and pepper was rather muted, seemed more Westernized... The dipping sauce was also identical to the tempura prawns... Definitely head into the bathrooms to check out the views, they are fantastic! This is a good alternative to the view from the Shard as it features beverages from a bartender and food from a cook. ;) ~£54/person after service and GST for lunch read more

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5 no 6 star view. Drinks are super tasty, like a lot good. Food was medium to upper good, price was definitely pricy, I wouldn't have minded price, if service and treatment weren't trash. 4 of us Ignored and rushed so to get next people in. Eyes rolling ordering more food, and exasperated sighs when we wanted to order a 3rd or 4th round. I definitely recommend it for one quick drink, a Pic, and off to dinner somewhere else. read more

GŎNG - View - Cocktail Bars Near Me - London, XGL

We had chosen the special window package which included a bottle of rose champagne. It was wonderful. Maria provided great service as well as providing some great tips for visiting Morocco which we had been planning. Champagne was perfect and food was wonderful. the plate included in the package was very good and the tempura shrimp were particularly light & tasty. With the package you get 90 Minutes at the window table. It was just the right amount of time, we didn't feel hurried at all. And of course, the views are INCREDIBLE. It's so much nicer to come to the Gong instead of going to the Shard observation deck! read more

In the words of RuPaul, "10's, 10's, 10's across the board!" Well, in this instance, 5's but you get the point. Gong is located on the 52nd (top) floor of the Shangri-La and provides unparalleled views of London whilst sipping cocktails and indulging in some wonderful bites. I thought the drinks (Pornstar and Princess of China) and food (gyoza, Gong Platter) were great and provided enough food for 2. Our reservation was for the Deluxe Window Experience to ensure we'd have unobstructed views of the Thames and other significant landmarks like the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Although we were only supposed to stay for 90 minutes, they allowed us to linger for quite a while longer... most likely because we were ordering drinks. Oh, attire! The night we were there, it appeared like everyone was in their best. My date wore jeans, a button down, and a sports coat. I wore black jeans, a black long-sleeve, high neck body suit, and heels. We didn't feel out of place or overdressed at all. --- My only qualms which are neither here nor there are that for the women's toilets, you have a bit of a walk and there are only two which are shared with the hotel gym, pool, etc. Also, for my influencers, due to the lighting, you'll get quite a bit of reflection back in your photos, especially at night but you can alter the settings on your camera for the photos and in post. read more

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The views were fascinating. The drinks were good. The service was good. No complaints here. There wasn't much of an ambiance but drinking and enjoying the view of beautiful London was awesome. Great experience. Posted a video review of this place on my IG & tik tok: @jessiica0204 read more

We had an amazing experience here at the Gong. We had made prior reservations and were seated promptly. We did not get window seats upon arrival. There is a limit of 90mins so window seats get freed up and if you request you get moved to a window seating. Once we were seated, the server brought us some nuts to start us off. We ordered Ceylon Swizzle and Highball. Both drinks were great. We ordered Gong platter for our food. By the time our food arrived, there was a window seat that got freed up and we were moved to that seat. The server carried our drinks to our new table. So glad we were able to enjoy our dinner and drinks overlooking the spectacular view of the city. The gong platter was fresh and nicely prepared. We ordered a sashimi platter because the fish tasted so fresh and Temazek and another highball. We were celebrating a birthday and they made us birthday shots with champagne and passion fruit. It was a bit more than a shot but it was delicious. A bit pricey but the views are very picturesque, service is welcoming and the experience well worth it. read more

GŎNG - Cocktail Bars Near Me - London, XGL

Located on the 52nd floor of the Shard/Shangri-La hotel, this bar is awesome and offers spectacular views of London. Drinks might not be cheap but you do get to see pretty awesome sights of London which makes it worth it. We were provided with complimentary snacks and was also able to request to be put in waitlist of being close to the windows. Wide selection of cocktails are also available. Will definitely come back here again next time I am in London! read more

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Overall, it was a nice view and the drinks were very tasty, but the service was not worth the cost. I would not return. Experience started out nice. We had mistakenly made our reservation for 2 people and they were able to seat all 4 of us. On the website, it said that each person had a minimum spend of £30. We were told we could have our table for 1.5 hours and they said that we would be reseated at a window table once it was open. Shortly after we were seated, someone stopped by to give us a few cups of nuts to snack on, which were pretty tasty but we were never offered refills. After we had a few minutes to read the menu, they took our order and we received our drinks a few minutes later. The drinks were delicious! That was the last time we saw our waitress for an hour - our waters were never refilled. At this point, we only had about 30 min left and had not yet spent our minimum spend or been moved to a window seat even though we saw two larger window tables openWe reached out to our server about the window table and were moved shortly after. The waitress moved our glasses over to the new table which was nice, but spilled one of the containers of nuts on the floor. Afterwards we said we'd look at the menu before ordering another drink. We did not see our waitress for another ~20 minutes so we flagged down another server to order our second drink. He was very confused about one of the orders. We finally received our drinks and moments after, the bill was placed on our table. This was expected since we were over our 1.5 hours at this point but then the waitress did not come back for us to pay for another 20 minutes. On one side, it was nice to have extra time at the window table but on the other side, we felt that we had been neglected all night. On the plus side, they do have free wifi and the mens restroom had nice views BUT there is not even a ladies restroom. Ladies have to walk down a hallway and use the hotel gym restroom. read more

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View- 5, Drinks-3 due to prices. MUST have reservations, and they take a credit card, so if you are a "no show," they charge £30 per person. The time limit is 1.5 hrs. The view is a little blurred from the pool area, so if you really want good pics, request the main bar area. It's worth at least one night to visit or for a special occasion. read more

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The view was great, but not worth the price. The sushi was mediocre and the drink were ok. The service was not personal, and I felt rushed. The food, and drinks wasn't anything special. Not a good family restaurant. We had to spend 30 for the view, charges you if you don't show up, requires your credit card info, and you only get 1 hour and 30 minutes to eat and enjoy the view. The bathroom was fancy and had some views to the city. Overall experience was okay but would not do again. read more

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The views are 5 stars and their bathroom is also five stars it was incredible! Now to their food the shrimp tempura was a 5 the California roll was 4 stars and the Wagyu which was the most expensive was 2 stars because it had lots of fat pieces I could barely chew through. Their service was 5 stars. Definitely worth the visit for the views! read more

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The drinks were solid, service was really smooth, everyone working there was very attentive. Good spot to grab a drink for the view, it can be a little pricey but you're lying for the view and service read more

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As a first-time visitor in London, we wanted to go to a restaurant with a view. We heard there were several restaurants at the Shard and chose the Gong. Overall, I would recommend this if you're looking for a great photo spot and classy ambience. We arrived an hour before our dinner reservation time and thought we could have a drink at the bar while we waited for our time. Unfortunately, they did not let us. We decided to walk to the River Thames and stroll down its walking path. Once it was time, they let us go on the elevator. You take a total of two elevators. Take your time as the floor where you take the second elevator is gorgeous. It has a wrap-around window wall with beautiful views. Once we got to our table, we were immediately given our champagne. We booked the 'experience' which came with a champagne bottle, sushi plate, and mochi dessert. It has a classy ambience, luxurious details/furniture. It also had a wrap-around window wall. Make sure to dress to impress. Some people were in suits, others were in trendy outfits. The food was not bad, but for the price I expected a high-quality meal. The mochi was frozen and we had to wait for it to thaw out. The sushi plate did not fill us up and had to make two more orders of sushi. The sushi was tasty, but again I expected the food to be way better. The drinks were great. Apart from the champagne, we ordered a martini, old fashioned, and some of their recommended drinks. They were all delicious and they are knowledgeable about the liquor. The view was breathtaking. You were able to see the Tower Bridge, River Thames, and other architectural beauties. You are seated in a tiny table for two (there are larger tables for bigger groups) with one person facing the view and the other with their back to it. We took turns in each seat. Originally, we wanted to see the sunset and chose a 5:30 p.m. time, but during the summer, sunset is around 8-9pm. So if you want a sunset dinner, book it around 8:30 p.m. I'm not sure if we were lucky or this is the usual, but we stayed for almost three hours. There is a time limit to each reservation, but we were allowed to stay for much longer than that. read more

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great spot to see the whole city! it's expensive and there is a minimum spending amount...about 39 pounds per person or so. amazing and attentive service, i would recommend ressies but they gave us seats right away. food menu is smaller but good. tons of drinks, yummy! sushi is definitely good and they have limited apps. i would just recommend drinks and the views, while the food is good, it's not worth the price in my opinion. the decor is lovely and is a great spot for dates or friends and family. walk around a bit for different views. we liked it! there are two entrances but the one of them is for the business floors, the other (on the lower level) is for the hotel/restaurants which start around floor 35. enjoy! worth it to go once and check it out. read more

GŎNG - Cocktail Bars Near Me - London, XGL

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The scene from up there was amazing! The atmosphere was great! The white wine was good. The Japanese nibbles we had were also great. I recommend this place for an evening out, but definitely not for a meal. read more

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5 star view, 5 star ambiance, 5 star drinks. Situated on the 52 floor of the Shangri-La, Gong Bar has amazing views of the Thames. Although you can go higher at the View from the Shard, this is almost as good and the drinks are better. Basically I am obsessed with the Shard and it's a must visit every time I come to London. I wish you could stay longer. They have a 1.5 hour time limit but other than that, it's a great view, great drinks and good vibes. I recommend trying to book a time around sunset so you can get the nighttime views. read more

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Due to Covid and the various lock downs we had booked and had to change dates on many occasions because of The Gong Bar not being open. Much hassle for us and, I am sure, for them but this evening was the time to experience this bar. Would it come up to expectations. No it didn't as it outshone everything that we could have expected. We were shown to a window table with a fantastic view over London but told we had the table for 90 minutes. Almost immediately the server came over and introduced himself as MoMo, a real 'character', in the best possible way. He explained the ways of ordering etc etc. I ordered a dry martini and was asked if I had a preference of vodka. When I asked for Beluga his eyebrows raised, 'nice choice' was his reply. My partner asked for a passion fruit martini (she refuses to call it a Porn Star). He said that she should have it made with Beluga martini as that is what I was having. The delicious drinks arrived, my martini was perfect and her martini arrived with a glass of champagne. Needless to say these were followed by quite a few. I mentioned we had the table for 90 minutes. Well, I have a theory about this as often tables are given a set amount of time. I do feel that the reason in certain bars with views is because it is quite easy to sit for 90 minutes, enjoying the view, with one beer. Not exactly financially viable. I have never been asked to move if other tables are available when you are spending money. The cocktails we were drinking were 'expensive', not a complaint as we knew how much they were and the final bill was quite heavy but well worth every penny. The table next to us were drinking champagne and, again, they weren't asked to move off. Anyway, a very enjoyable evening and we were glad to have had the opportunity to experience it. Thanks again to MoMo and all the staff. read more

GŎNG - Passion fruit martini (Pornstar) and a wonderful glass of champagne - Cocktail Bars Near Me - London, XGL

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Mixed experience sadly. cocktails were good and they were willing to make a Kentucky Mule which is unfortunately not a given for most bars in London. However, service took an oddly long time and we felt at times ignored despite there being only ~20-25 people in the whole bar. Ordered a scotch neat very clearly, came on the rocks. I clarified to the server what neat meant after waiting a few minutes for her to come over. She took the glass away and we saw her just take the ice cube out and give the glass back to us - it's already heavily watered down / chilled at this point and ruined the experience. No follow up after this too. Not a bad time, but I think I'm not unreasonable in expecting professionals at a £16+ per drink bar to know basic alcohol terms and the reasons for them. Also really didn't appreciate cheaping out and not giving a fresh pour on a botched expensive scotch order. Cocktails were good, ambiance and views were excellent as expected. But service was sadly quite lacking for such a pricey establishment and menu. read more

Service: 0 stars, food: 2 stars, view: 5 stars Food was okay but took 2 hours to get it plus I watched my sushi sit on the sushi bar for 15 minutes before it came to the table read more

The entire experience was seamless - from greetings from the lobby to getting the check! Views are Exceptional the food was also excellent! I ordered the sashimi platter & edamame. I thought the highlights were the great service! The servers were very patient with me, they took multiple pictures for me. I needed more time to finish my second order, they didn't rush me at all! read more

GŎNG - Inside view - Cocktail Bars Near Me - London, XGL

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Beautiful place and view. The view is stunning during the evening. The cocktails and bar bites were delicious. The service was excellent as well. If you're in London, I highly recommend you check out this spot. Would I recommend? Absolutely! 10 out of 10 :) read more

Amazing views and wonderful drinks!! Even the men's toilets had epic views - but no view at all from the ladies (!!!)...

Love dining from tall skyscrapers whether it is Taipei 101 or John Hancock building. Gong did not disappoint in the Shard. Enjoyed eating some light sushi here while being able to enjoy the view of London. The food wasn't the best, but the views made up for it. I would love to stay in the hotel in the building someday! I believe there is a 30 pound minimum per person here, but just ordering a sushi plate will meet that minimum already. Best for a date or flying solo to try to snag one of the window seats. read more

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Ok. Let me preface that we come from Napa Valley and in the hospitality / events industry. This was recommended to us on our London visit (who must have secretly been pissed at my husband)...Let me say the food was great, if you were paying $17, but when you are paying $400...WTF... not to mention the service. Upon arrival we were told we had a 90-minute window: we were cool with that. But then we were rushed during service, but then again how much time do you to eat 4 California rolls, dried edamame and 3 pieces of battered shrimp? Oh wait, I forgot to mention we did get 4ea pieces of rice cake ice cream that you can buy at Trader Joe's for $4.99...other than that the view was great and the napkins were soft... read more

It was my first time at GŎNG, I went with one of my good friends while on holiday. It's located in a beautiful hotel. The ambience is nice. It was night time and we could see London Bridge all lit up, but nothing spectacular. There's a £30 drink minimum pp which I was unaware of, it did sour the mood a bit but we were on holiday so hey why not. Drinks are at least £20 each, so you will be spending more than £30 pp The cocktail (The Princess of China) I wanted to order was sold out; our lovely server Emanuel recommended another drink (Russian Spring Punch)he thought I might enjoy. It was ok, a bit too to sweet for my taste. For my second drink I decided to play it safe and order a sparkling rosé. Drinks were served with a light accompaniments of nuts and olives. Again I have to say our server Emanuel was sweet and attentive, he even changed our seats in the middle of drinks when a table with a better view opened up. read more

GŎNG - Rosé and view of London Bridge - Cocktail Bars Near Me - London, XGL

Oh, you want a casual view of London from the 52nd floor of one of the tallest buildings in the UK? Rather than paying $40 to go to the sight seeing deck at the top of the Chard, just go to the GŎNG cocktail bar. Yes, the drinks are expensive. They are delicious cocktails though, and you really can't beat the view. The whole hotel is beautiful inside, so do some quick exploring while you're there. Don't bother with food. Portions were miniature and it took forever. Eat at Borough Market right down the street. Pay for a cocktail with a view and enjoy yourself. read more

GŎNG - Cocktail Bars Near Me - London, XGL

Wonderful evening with my wife! The deluxe window experience gave us front row views of London, the Tower of London, and tower bridge. The ambiance is excellent with a live saxophonist easing the mood. The food is exceptionally tasty -- you'll love the premium sushi. All in all top notch. read more

Worth it for the view! Drinks are good-nothing spectacular, and we had a great table. We did get reminded at least twice about the time limit on our table which was the only thing that detracted from the overall experience. Oddly enough, it was eventually disregarded as we continued to order drinks...the reminders would probably be better reserved for busier days/times. read more