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    The Happenstance

    3.9 (10 reviews)
    InexpensiveBars, Breakfast & Brunch
    Closed 10:00 am - 11:00 pm

    The Happenstance Photos

    THE HAPPENSTANCE ATMOSPHERE

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    This place is ridiculously hopping.
    Juvi G.

    Easily one of the loudest restaurants you'll visit in London, it has the noise level of a pub on a Sunday night at peak times, mixed with the poshness of a 5-Star restaurant situated in one of the city's most expensive districts. It is usually always crowded after 5PM, and being that it's the after-work drinking spot for the local business people, simple conversation is a no-go. I was always drawn to this place for it's fancy atmosphere and clever marketing touting the unique and enchanting cocktails, as well as its top-quality food. I am sad to say, however, that none of it lived up to the hype. If you're planning to grab a bite to eat for dinner, reservations are a MUST, and highly recommended at least a day in advance. Given that the Google reviews were warning me against the burgers, I asked the waiter for his best recommendation and he suggested I get the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Burger with Chipotle Mayo, and an order sweet potato fries thrown in for good measure. It was all good; nothing to write home about. The flavor in the burger mostly came from the chipotle mayo, which could hardly be called spicy. And true to the reviews, the fries were on the softer/ soggy side. The cocktails, while interesting on paper, were hardly above standard-quality. The Espresso Martini was "meh," the 'Art Gallery,' while perfectly sweet and creamy took 15 minutes to make and less time to drink- even when taking really small sips. The 'Good Night Out' was the fanciest of the bunch, with Tanqueray 10 Gin, Crème de Mûre, lemon, and gold shimmer; also not as enchanting as advertised, but a good refreshing way to finish off a heavy meal. The one good thing I'll say about this place is that while packed and overly-noisy, the food and drinks aren't as expensive as they could be, given that this joint is in one of the priciest parts of the city. And, what better way to end your evening after catching a free mass at St. Paul's Cathedral next door? You do, however, get what you pay for, so don't get too excited. The final downside: Due to the high volume of customers, the service tends to be pretty slow; however, that doesn't stop them from limiting your table time to 2 hours, despite taking forever to take your orders. In short, don't get too comfortable.

    ambiance

    Went here on a busy Tuesday afternoon, and it was packed outside. We were able to place our order quite quickly and the food came out in a reasonable amount of time. Our food was very good and we were especially happy with the buttermilk chicken burgers. However what was displeasing to us was when we asked for more ketchup we never received any. Also there was a bee flying around our table for awhile (not at the fault of the place but definitely something to note). Also when it was time to pay the bill we sat around for 30 minutes after we'd finished before finally needing to ask for it. Overall the food was good, but the service was mediocre.

    Charcuterie board!

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    2 years ago

    The food at this place is great, and the specialty drinks are a must try. I would recommend a visit when in London.

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    The Alchemist - Truffle, tater tots and prawn popsicles or maybe it was lollipops

    The Alchemist

    4.3(100 reviews)
    1.2 miCovent Garden, Strand
    ££

    food: dint grab food only drinks but the were yum and barely tasted like alcohol. also they were…read moreobviously presented super uniquely service: the staff was nice but kinda slow getting to us at a table and there was a lot of chaos like a bartender dropping glasses the whole time ambiance: really cool lighting and interior, gets very busy though

    Between a 3 and 4, but going with four because the food was above average pub grub and the drinks…read morewere good even if they were better looking than tasting. Came here for pre-theater anniversary dinner with my wife. The ambiance was somewhere between that of a trendy club and nice bar. There was a mad scientist vibe with the lights being industrial vibe and some metal decor. The music was thumpy and loud enough to remind you it was there. It made me feel a bit out-of-place as somebody well past my 20s, but also a bit cool or being there. You really come here for the drinks. We got the pipe dream, smokey old fashioned, honeypot picante, and one other I can't remember the name of, but which came in a flower pot. The pipe dream and smokey old fashioned were likely the best. Overall the drinks were more visually appealing than traditionally good and the visually appealing ones tended to have ingredients that weren't as top shelf and/or they were just too sweet. Not bad, but disappointing for what we'd hope. The food was the opposite. I had low expectations and the food wasn't amazing, but was better than average. We got the bao buns, crispy duck pancakes, panko halloumi, katsu curry, and hot honey pork tacos. They arranged for it all to come out in time for us to make our theater show, which was nice. The bao buns and pork tacos were probably the best. Neither blew me away, but both were solid. The katsu curry and halloumi were standard of what you might expect. The crispy duck pancakes was maybe as advertised, but it would have been nice to have some moistness or substance to the dug vs. it basically being crunchy salty bits of something. Overall, this wasn't a bad meal, but it wasn't quite what I was hoping for either. We may be back, but we'll probably try other things first.

    Photos
    The Alchemist
    The Alchemist - Cookie dessert

    Cookie dessert

    The Alchemist - Presentation drink

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    Presentation drink

    Carlsberg Sports Bar

    Carlsberg Sports Bar

    3.5(6 reviews)
    1.4 miLeicester Square
    ££

    My bf and I have come here a few times now whenever we are in the area and need to pop by to watch…read morefootball or rugby. Whilst it's not the most posh place I've been, it usually gets the job done well. Drinks are how you would find at most pubs, and service is decent too, given how a waitress came to ask us what we wanted and served us amidst a busy rugby game (at other times, we had gone to the bar to order ourselves). There are quite a few tv screens as well as a big home theatre-like one too, which always adds to your sports watching experience. I've never had food here before but would like to try sometime. I hear that their wings are good. Be sure to bring an ID -- as its part of a casino facility, they check your ID even if you're here only for the bar and not for gambling.

    Fun sports bar inside a casino. One of the ONLY places in London where they show American…read moreFootball! Oddly, to open a tab, you have to give them both your credit/debit card AND your driver's license/passport/ID card. They give you a "badge" which you then show every time you order, apparently so they know which tab to bill it to. A bit weird to me, but maybe that's the norm in London, or at least in high-tourist bars in London. Also, they won't let men inside if you are wearing a hat-- you must remove the hat to enter. Fortunately, once inside, I put my hat back on and didn't have a problem with anyone saying anything. Glad my hat hair didn't have to be on display!

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    Carlsberg Sports Bar
    Carlsberg Sports Bar

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    Waxy O'Connor's - Fish and chips with fries and mushy peas

    Waxy O'Connor's

    3.8(205 reviews)
    1.5 miLeicester Square
    ££

    The lead lady on the bottom bar treated my family with discrimination because of her political…read moreaffiliation. Completely in poor taste, and should not have happened. We were respectful and nonpolitical, she assumed from our ethnic backgrounds and treated us accordingly. She verbatim said she will not serve our kind. Then proceeded to tell all her bar tenders to no longer serve us. Regrettably we had to get our drinks upstairs. She went out of her way to stare at us from the top, making my mother uncomfortable. If you want a pub without employees making every thing political, this is not the spot. We do not even entertain politics, she just put us in a basket. This is the first time in my life I had to exit the pub because of the brainwashed ultra lefty employee. I love all people and people on the left, it sucks that this extremist ruined the night after spending our hard earned money. Honestly the pours were weak, the lighting was poor, and the drinks were heavily overpriced. It's some fake Irish bar.

    Loved my visit to Waxy O'Connor's. I had one glass of Strawberry Lime cider, and I've been craving…read moreit ever since. (See picture below.) It was the second pub I visited on my visit to London, and again, I can't wait to go back. First, the prices: in America, two drinks would have cost at least $20; here, two drinks were only £11. I would've spent the whole night there if I could, but when you're traveling and have places to be early the next day, it's hard. Second, the service and ambiance were great. They serve the drinks very quickly, and of course, they know how to pour a pint of Guinness.

    Photos
    Waxy O'Connor's - Left bar near the fireplace

    Left bar near the fireplace

    Waxy O'Connor's - Yummy and frothy Guinness

    Yummy and frothy Guinness

    Waxy O'Connor's - Landing

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    Landing

    The Happenstance - bars - Updated May 2026

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