The City gains a new heavyweight contender in the form of Abbey; a huge bar that is sure to be packed night after night.

The Venue
Located in an excellent spot along the ever popular Minories, Abbey has positioned itself in the heart of The City, lying in wait for the hordes of lunchtime and after-work drinkers to pour in. Easy to spot thanks to the large glass frontage and crowd of suited smokers outside, the exterior - although sizeable in itself - belies the enormity of what awaits inside. Walking through the doors you’re met with the main upstairs space – a decent sized area with a large bar to the right, set up in such a way so as to reduce the bar wait. With standing room only, it’s perfect for mingling. Seating is available for reservations and hire and is cleverly divided up into sections, with names like ‘The Den’ or ‘The Pad’ allowing for groups to secret themselves away whilst still feeling a part of all the action.

Wandering downstairs you’re met with an enormous space with another bar, which is always guaranteed to be heaving, and more cleverly sectioned off seating areas including one on the stairway. There’s also an interesting conservatory-style space with pine beams below a glass ceiling, allowing light to stream in across diners and drinkers seated here.

However, it’s the decor that really makes Abbey. Eclectic and interesting, it’s hard to sum up in any one way what the theme of this place is. Expect to see mismatched chairs and tables in various colours, patterns, materials and styles. The lighting is especially beautiful, ranging from unique modern lights in the shape of uniform orange cylinders to chandeliers, various hanging white shell lampshades and even a disco ball thrown in for good measure. Also be sure to peer closely at the wallpaper upstairs and you’ll start to make out hidden erotic images of lovers amongst the flower print – artistic and amusing.

The Atmosphere
The atmosphere at Abbey is typical of bars across The City. Expect the main clientele to be City boys and girls engaging in lunch meetings and client schmoozing during the day through to suits kicking back, loosening their ties and wetting their whistle after work. From 5.30pm it’s likely to be heaving – especially on Thursdays and Fridays – so it’s best to dash out the office bang on time or book ahead if you want a chance at one of the tables.

Music plays in the background with a soundtrack of commercial pop, dance and RnB – pleasant, toe-tapping and guaranteed to keep the punters happy. Just be aware that, as with all City bars, Abbey is only open Monday-Friday, with weekends reserved for private hire and parties.

The Food
Expect a cheap and cheerful menu to be on offer at Abbey – low prices and decent enough quality for lining the stomach before a session. There are bar snacks available (£2-£4) from 5pm including the usual choices of chunky chips, potato wedges, and ciabatta pizza slices mixed with more unusual spicy kardoula peppers and stuffed vine leaves, breaded calamari strips, and smoked salmon crostini. Also good for groups are the sharing platters (£12-£14) with themes like Rustic, Mediterranean and Seafood.

If you’re popping into Abbey for lunch or want something more substantial, however, the menu is equally cheap. From light bites (£4-£7) such as various salads, fish cakes, soup of the day, and the ubiquitous fish finger sandwich, to gourmet burger boards (£7.95) including beef, chicken and lamb burgers with various accompaniments that you can pick and choose from, you’re sure to find something to nibble on. Alternatively, the usual suspects appear on the main menu including fish and chips, pasta of the day, sausage and mash, and steak and mushroom pie. Nothing mind-blowing, granted, but for the ridiculously low prices (£7-£10) including a £10 steak, it’s good enough quality that you won’t be left feeling short-changed.

The Drink
As you’d expect from this chain the drinks are as cheap as the food and do the job of helping you unwind after a long day at the office. There’s a wine menu displaying 15 reds and 15 whites ranging from £10-£25 a bottle divided up by grape and region with handy descriptions of the flavours to help those who aren’t sure what they fancy. The ever trendy roses also make an appearance with three bottles priced at £13-£17.

However, where Abbey really excels is its large Champagne menu (with sparkling wines for those without the hefty expense accounts), consisting of 17 bottles of sparkling choices. If you’re saving the pennies then there’s a Bach Platinum Cava from Spain for £17.95. It’s not going to taste amazing but the fizz will help to get the party started. For a more mid-range Champagne then the ever-popular roses are a fine choice such as the Pommery Brut Rose from France. Described as having a flavour of summer fruits, it’s cheap at £47 a bottle. For the big boys there’s the inevitable high-priced bottle of Krug Vintage for £195 a bottle.

Alternatively, there’s a decent selection of low-priced cocktails (£6), which will do the job. Although the Bellini is made with archers rather than white peach puree, for 6 quid you can’t really complain. And that’s pretty much the theme with their selection, which includes all the classics such as the bramble, caipirinha, mojito, cosmo and Long Island ice tea. If you’re not up for drinking then there’s a nice range of organic teas to appeal to those more concerned with their livers. At £1.50 a cup, you can’t really go wrong.

The Last Word
Abbey brings another appealing, modern bar to the heart of The City, and with a stylish decor and fun-loving style it’s sure to have the local office workers heading along in their droves night after night.

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