13-17 Bear Street,
Leicester Square,
London,
WC2H 7AS
0872 148 4139
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Zoo Bar and Club
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We were sitting at a table when security suddenly came up to one of our male friends to escort him from the premises. When we asked why, all of them said, "I do not know." One of them finally relented and told us to go upstairs to see our friend out there and see what the matter was. Why was he kicked out of the club? Well, he had enough money to tip the bathroom attendant the first time he was there, but the second time he was out of cash, and not five minutes after that he was escorted out of the bathroom. This then happened to a second friend of ours for the same reason; they did not even let him retrieve his coat before kicking him out of the club. I was sober for the night and no matter what I said or how I tried to approach the matter, the manager outside would give me no reasons for why he kicked our friends out. He was extremely rude to me and I felt discriminated against because I am an American. I would NEVER go back here. We had been loyal patrons up to this point, but after being treated so poorly by the manager, I would never go back.
Happy hour is the best time to go to this bar. They have a small terrace outside which is perfect for smokers. The cocktails are great and the music as well. The average age is around 20s. This might not seem cool to everybody.
I've been the this "bar" twice and it's been a horrible experience on both occasions. The bouncers are the rudest people I've ever met in my life. Treat people in a disgusting manner and speak to people like they're animals. I was once standing outside in the smoking area with a friend and one of the bouncers told me to move (there wasn't much room to move to-so I said this to him) so instead he grabbed my wrist, twisted it and shouted in my face and threatened me to get other bouncers to "sort me out" because apparently I was being aggressive! I couldn't believe what I was hearing!
You can't move inside the club because they're so eagar to let people in for profit reasons, drinks are ridiculous, if your intentions are to get drunk you might want to drink first before you go! All in all, a ridiculous place in London!
I've been the this "bar" twice and it's been a horrible experience on both occasions. The bouncers are the rudest people I've ever met in my life. Treat people in a disgusting manner and speak to people like they're animals. I was once standing outside in the smoking area with a friend and one of the bouncers told me to move (there wasn't much room to move to-so I said this to him) so instead he grabbed my wrist, twisted it and shouted in my face and threatened me to get other bouncers to "sort me out" because apparently I was being aggressive! I couldn't believe what I was hearing!
You can't move inside the club because they're so eagar to let people in for profit reasons, drinks are ridiculous, if your intentions are to get drunk you might want to drink first before you go! All in all, a ridiculous place in London!
Rude and bad customer treatment specially the doors bouncers.
The till person will always try to scam you , the one at the entry and the cloakroom girl
Inside room stink and place look quiet old and dirty
Bad customer treatment, throw-outs and theft...
We went to Zoo Bar yesterday and are very disappointed by their customer treatment!
First teh bag of one my friends got stolen from underneath our table...
Then on the dancefloor: We just put our bags next to our feet, dancing, but not being drunk at all (not much alcohol in their drinks anyways...)
One of the security guys simply took two of our bags and told us to follow him. We assumed he would take it to the cloakroom, but he literally went out the backdoor of the club, THREW our bags on the street, told us to get out - then shut the door and told the bouncer not to let us in anymore.
We had to call our friends and tell them to come outside as well.
Definitely never going there anymore!
Beware: The woman on the till will scam you.
I handed over a 20 pound note to pay for 2 entries (worth 10 pounds). She took the note and put it in the till. She didn't hand over my change, so I asked for it. But she insisted that I had only given her a 10 pound note. Of course there's no proof once then note's already in the draw. Spent about 5 minutes arguing (there's no doubt - i definitely gave her 20), but it looked like we'd get kicked out so we just went inside.
Probably best to use correct change on this one...
Wouldn't go to this club again.
Been here 3 times
Every time I go there I get seriously ill for a week after
Avoid like the plague...Literally.
Had a brilliant time here on Saturday night, after having trouble at another local nightclub etc the staff at Zoo Bar were extremely helpful, very nice and sorted out queue jump, a booth and all round good night for us on the spot!..
Wicked Night Out!.. various different rooms to dance in, varying music throughout.
Only negative; the drink prices, but .. its London!
Awesome club!
I met a guy named Manuelo, 34 years old, Spanish. Living in London for 2 years, though I didn't get his contact information and I have something that belongs to him.
He was there on the 5th of May with some friends, his friend had a birthday. Anyone who knows him?
Living in London I go out clubbing quite often and when there's not much planned I usually end up in Zoo. Positives:mostly good music - mainstream stuff mostlydrinks are not too bad if you ask for the offers on the right nights otherwise they can be a bit of a rip offeasy to travel to and fromnegatives:full of pervertsbouncers get aggressivewoman on the till is always rudeclub isn't exactly classyhowever, if you can look past these factors, go in a big group (i recommend you pre-drink) and just go out with the mind set that you are going to have a good time you usually will. Definitely better than some other clubs around the area e. G. Ruby Blues which they also own which is a complete rip-off!
One Word. Awful.
Many words, really awful. They hired their VIP room for a comedy gig, staff walked through the audience every few seconds, safety equipment beeped throughout, club music drowned out the comedians, no bartender was on the bar as was promised. Overall, treated with no respect, with is offensive without the fact they wanted me to pay for future gigs.
Avoid at all costs
Went on a Thursday for student night, what you pay is what you get, cheap but cheerful :) despite the fact I got thrown out for being "too drunk" I would go back
Don't waste your time here. Didn't have to queue very long which was a plus, but the place is quite literally grimy; the music was average at best and the standard clientèle are creepy, particularly if you're female!!
Although its probably best to avoid the West End anyway on nights out, I definitely wouldn't go here, its pretty expensive, and definitely not worth it for the experience you get.
This club SUCKS. The doormen are a bunch of dumb primates. They let anyone speaking Italian in and are rude & antagonising to every one else. I have experienced this kind of behaviour on all four times I have been there in the last 2 years. The last one I had was over the top and have decided I will never go here again, unless there is a change of management. I have been to other clubs in the area and non of the bouncers are that rude and ill-mannered as Zoo's.
AWFUL full of sleazy foreign men trying to touch you up! Only positive point is that the music was pretty good.
Bouncers
make
the
places
look
Bad
too
much
flirting
and
a
Bit
jealous
of
guys
with
nice
girls
so
then
next
time
they
refuse
you
entry
Having stumbled across this Famous party bar, I have now found a brilliant place to party every week, due to the fact that midweek prices are soooooo cheap. Now that I have been a couple of times im completely addicted to the place, Such a great party club with very friendlily staff especially the door staff and managers that seem to never forget a face! having read some of the opinions I think the people were either at the wrong place of just plain crazy! My only complaint would be that, the place closes and I have to go home!!
Keep up the good work guys!! =)
I have been to Zoo Bar a few times on Random nights out, and have always had a great night, so I decided to book for my Birthday and I still cant believe how fantastic the night was. The reservations team took care of all the details and the night couldn't have gone any better! From a great decorated area and Birthday package to friendly staff and a brilliant party atmosphere it really was the best Birthday I've had and I WILL be convincing all my friends to book there parties at zoo bar in future!! Definitely worth Five stars!! Thanks Zoo bar, and you will be seeing me very soon!
i would say it was great, until i went out the door. when i got outside, the bouncer told me that had exited through a fire door. when i informed him that this was unclear from the signs, which clearly pointed to an exit, he refused to allow me reentry. nevermind that i have been travelling alone with my brother, who was still inside. instead of having a good time with my brother, i was stuck waiting outside, with no idea how to contact him. this turned a little ugly, as i kept telling the bouncer this situation, then he went so far as to threaten the police on me. this disgraceful state of affairs was too much, so instead of enjoying a great night on the town with my brother, i spent it waiting in the hotel room for him to show up. honestly i would go so far to say as never ever go to this club.
This is a disgusting experience all round. It is constantly over crowded. the music is lame and the bouncers, who barely speak English, take it upon themselves to flirt with every available female. It is a lecher's paradise as the dimly lit rooms and passageway present plenty of opportunities for pervs to strike. Woe betide you if you happen to have any interaction with the boucers I thought the SIA was suppose to regulate the industry so you would not have such obvious creeps runing the doors, but obvious proof that the regulation of teh security industry is not working is the presence of these guys on the door. the ambience of the place is pretty lousy and it is a bit like a crowded prostitute bar in a border town where there are like 600 men and only three women. The vibe is feverish and sleazy. I would rather visit the dentist than have a drink in this awful bar.
worse place to be..lot of drunk men as they keep throwing drinks on us.didn't like the arbic bouncers as they keep flirting.and keeping an eye on girls all night .waste of time and money very crowded as they don't mind taking loads of people...i just went there not long enough and kept my jacket at the table to next to where i was standing and some1 just stole it when i was looking at the other side..bouncers were flirting with me instead of helping when i asked did some1 hand in a jacket..instead they said in rude way why didn't keep it in cloak room when i said i just got in few minutes and it got stolen straight away never again
Door Policy: If they don't like the look of you or you are from an ethnic minority prepare to face discrimination from the brainless meat head bouncers.
Drinks: Overpriced and Watered Down
Music: Typical commercial music - not bad, not good
Staff: The rudest staff are at the door, and unfortunately they reflect on all the staff on the whole. Racist, prejudice and down-right rude.
Conclusion: NO NOT go to zoo bar. Every pound you spend is a vote to support an establishment stuck in the 60's - There is no place for a bar like this in modern London!
Great place, played good music and was genuinely a good night. Got in without even having to Que up for ages or not on the guest-list. Bouncers outside are quite friendly, the ones inside are a bit creepy as they decided every time I even went remotely close to touching or kissing my girlfriend to shine torches in our face! The bar staff were very friendly and I think it has a good atmosphere. Downstairs in the basement the music can get a bit repetitive. Assistants in the toilets were funny with phrases such as 'freshen up for the poosie', although they did demand to be payed before you left the toilets, even if you didn't want to 'freshen up'. I would really recommend it!
Went there on sat night and was told couldnt come in because we were not on the guest list. Went in the bar on sun afternoon and after spending a few hours nipped out for dinner and when we came back suprise surprise guest list again and was told by a very rude bouncer supposedly named sam that we couldnt come back in. Completely pissed off with being treated like that and would never go back!
1. Lots of creepy guys/men being a little bit to close. Cant understand how so many creeps can be at the same club.
2. The music was great, the top floor played the familiar tunes and the basement a little bit more techno.
3. Nice staff.
place is nothing special... always full of college students definetly not a place if you are a young professionall celebrating a special.i work as a concierge for a top hotel in london and my job involves checking out different bars & clubs in London.
i went there with some of my work mates on 15/12 ....bouncer thinks they are God and have a right to kickyou out for no reason.
iknow the group that own the place has just come out of financial trouble ...and some of bouncers (jamal) can do there part by not being a knob.
music a same every night , only positive would the drink price ( cheap.
would i go there ? Never
do nt go there if you are celebrating a special night with some friends.. bouncers will do there best to spoil you night .
Sahil
Full of dirty old foreigners. had a few arguments because they kept trying to force themselves on the girls.
Drinks £6.80 for a cocktail WHICH THEY HAD PRE-MIXED and poured from a labelless bottle, a bit suspect if you ask me.
music was good.
disgusting toilets.
im an essex boy and even ive been to classier places than that. nuff said.
Not a place Id ever go back to again
The only good thing, is that the prices are not bad.Crap D.J, Too many people crammed in on the dancefloor so it was impossible to move even if you liked the music......and not to mention the toilet attendants...people should not have to face that kind of intimadation when they want to take a leak...
I thought that £2 was unreasonable for a spray of Avon perfume, so I got a door slammed across my back, another toilet attentdant kept trying to force someone to say thank you...for doing naff all!
My friend got a little excitable as it was her birthday, and another one of the morons tells her to shut up
Im sure that this isnt the only place in London with rude toilet attendants, but still...not good
Well, its ok. Personally I didnt enjoy the club due to the atmosphere/prices.
I recommend stopping by around happy hour to sit outside sipping a cocktail in the sun. Apart from that, i'd hit another club/bar ;)
I've being there a few times but I've reached the point where I couldn't take it anymore :
Bouncers,a group of brainless, arrogant knobs,everyone apply a different entry policy.
Music: same sh*t everytime,couldn't be more boring,sometime faulty dj console .
Decor:it seems they found different bits and pieces of second hand furniture and used to fill up rooms without any taste at all,absolutely dreadful.
Probably more intimacy if sat outside a bar in Leicester square !!!!!
Bar staff: bouncers' twin sisters. Prices : different from website.
just stay away from this sh*thole and leave the weekend tourists get fooled...
i don't know where all the bad reviews have come from or what the people who were writing them were expecting?
zoo bar was a good night. i wouldn't say fantastic but a nice night out. i went on friday, got in free even tho not on guest-list. yes it was busy but so what?
i didn't have to put my stuff in the cloakroom but i chose to, and at £2 im not complaining.
the staff work hard and there were no piles of glasses lying around like in some places.
theres even guys going round constantly with brushes and mops to make sure theres no puddles or drink on the floor etc - its nice not to step in wet patches or stick to the floor as u walk!
drinks were £4-7 each but its london so what do you expect?the music was varied and a mix of chart/dance /r&b.
it did get repetative by the end of the night tho.the only problem we had was the bouncer didnt let one of my mates back in when they went out to make a phone call, and it took a lot of persuasion to get them back in.
they really need to stamp hands.
This place is always busy but it's ruined by the 3 or 4 bouncers that stand around the outside of the dancefloor downstairs.
They stand there in fluorescent jackets and shine torches at people they think are suspicious every so often, which ruins the atmosphere.
Went here on a Saturday night with 13 of my girlfriends for my 21st birthday - arrived at 11:30pm, had booked myself on the guestlist and they let me in for free & the rest of the girls for £7 each which I thought was pretty reasonable!!
Music upstairs was spot on...downstairs not really my scene though...drinks well priced for London!!
It was absolutely rammed in there...almost too busy but had an amazing night - fantastic atmosphere - couldn't really fault it :)
I was in London for my friends birthday a couple of weeks ago, she had booked a table in zoo bar and we had a fabbulous night, it was nice music, nice people around, nice guys,..... I will go back for sure.
I was out in Leicester Square with my girlfriend when a man with Zoo Bar Info written on his jacket came up to us and asked us if we wanted to go to zoo bar.
He offered us £5 entry and a free shot which i thought was good value, but when we got inside the free shot was a bit poor as it tasted very slightly of alcohol but never the less £5 entry wasn't too bad.
The music inside was good and the drinks prices were very cheap. Throughout the whole night I payed for me and my girlfriends drinks, got extremely drunk, and woke up only £40 lighter in the pocket.
All in all, was a bit dissapointed with the free shot, decor and amount of students.But on the other hand we had a fantastic night!
I was watching the final day of the 6 nations at zoo bar with a few of my friends, i phoned ahead on the day to ask for a table to be put aside for me.
I did this 20 minutes before the match between england and scotland started.When I arrived i had been given the table right infront of the big projector type of screen.
There were many people inside and there was a great buzz about the place throughout the afternoon.
I was really impressed with how i was treated. I called as i was traveling to the bar and when i was there they gave me a great table and i thought that it was a top venue for watching sports
I am from spain.
I go in zoo bar with my friends, i have good times.
The alcohol not expensive, lots of people inside the club.
I will go againg in zoo bar before i go back to my country
The drink prices were very good.
The security were a bit up themselves.
Atmosphere was great throughout the night.
Music and staff both reasonsble.
I was at the zoo bar and club on saturday night.Me and a couple of my friends went out and when we arrived in leceister square there was a man from zoo bar and he told us that zoo bar would be very busy and a good night out.
We got inside the club and upstairs was the bar area and it was very lively.
After about an hour we went down stairs and there was house music playing with a packed dancefloor.
The drink prices were resonable for central london.The only critism would be that the decor was outdated and worn throughout, which made the place feel a bit more average.
All in all great location, drinks, staff, but poor decor, and for me this let the club down.
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