Being a south Londoner, I don't frequent the City very often but Andrew M's UYE for Kevin L's leaving drinks was a perfect excuse to explore this unfamiliar part of London
Located on New Street which is right opposite Liverpoool Street station made me confident of not getting lost. However, the bar proved harder to find that I had (over)confidently predicted. I think that I'm not the only one with that problem as a waiter cum security chap standing on the street asked me what I was looking for and then informed me that I was actually outside the bar
On my way out, I looked again and there's a small menu on the wall outside but there's no sign announcing 'Old Bengal Bar', so be aware!
The bar was filled of City folk or perhaps my perceptions of City folk. The drink prices were to match - around £10 for a cocktail, £8 for a glass of wine
The nicest thing about this place is the environment. There's indoor and oudoor seating. We managed to snag a very comfortable outdoor sofa and chairs and cushions that Jennifer S proclaimed were dreamy enough to sleep on. Outdoor heaters kept us warm enough on a definitely autumnal chilly evening. The only slight downside to this lovely setting was the drift of cigarette smoke, perhaps an unintended side effect of the smoking ban, which has turned al fresco dining into an irritatingly smokey affair at times
There were a good number of staff - the security chap, a pretty lady whose job all evening seemed to be to smile prettily at customers as they entered the bar area, quite a few waitresses and a few besuited guys. However, it did seem a bit Frank Spencer-ish at times as I watched them trying to coordinate themselves. There were looks of surprise at times when we asked for menus or tried to place orders for drinks. However, they all seemed to be eager to please but to be honest, if you have legs that work, it could be faster to go to the bar yourself
I didn't drink but my fellow Yelpers were intrigued by some unique cocktails on offer though their success was variable - Nava N's truffle cocktail wasn't really a marriage made in heaven
Jennifer S was impressed enough by the lotion in the lady's bathroom to want to award a star for this. To be fair, her hands did smell nice!
I didn't see any Old Bengals, any Bengal tigers, any Cincinnati Bengals or any Bengali food but this was a nice occasion to bid a sad farewell to the departing Kevin L. That's until London Yelp's field trip 3.0 to New York to visit him, of course! read more