Bar staff in here definitely have some McCains oven frys on their shoulders, although have never been rude to me personally. I did witness one individual flat refuse to serve a group of business men and women after they took too long to list out all the drinks they wanted (it was a large group), which I found incredible.

If you manage to get a seat (go early) this is a great bar, with quality live music....as good as any I've found in London. I just wish the place was bigger. More seats, with a Dancefloor.

I’m a big Blues fan so decided to check this place out. I had read really negative reviews online about the owner, the bar staff and the high prices.

Me and my friend went along on a Friday night, got there around midnight. We had to wait in a small queue for around 15 minutes. The owner was standing outside letting people in. We were charged £7 each to get in, which if you go out in central London you’ll know that the average to get in to a club or a bar with performers is around £10-£15. The owner was very polite and nothing but nice (and cute!). We were served within 2 minutes from walking through the door. The cost of drinks is exactly what you can expect to pay at any other bar in central London.

It was quite full when I walked in, the place was kinda of small I thought omg, we’ve just paid to get in, bought drinks and I can’t even move in this place. Anyway we pushed through the crowd and got some seats.
Conclusion: the band was amazing, the atmosphere was amazing, and there is a real good mixture of people. I had a great night! I would absolutely go back there. And if you’re a real Blues fan then you will enjoy it.

Having read all the other reviews I can only wonder where they were? They certainly weren't at the Blues bar that I know and love!
I've spent a lot of time and money in a variety of London bars, generally over priced, full of (insert very English insult here) people who couldn't have a good time if it punched them in the head. However, Ain't Nothin But...is the complete opposite. You get a huge variety of people in there from local business men to tourists from many different age groups and this mix makes for a great atmosphere.
Of course the most important thing is the music and said music tends to be top quality Blues. The regular bands doing the London circuit are supplemented well with acts from all over the country which means you are rarely, if ever, disappointed. Yes, it does get noisy, but what bar doesn't? I've rarely been to a gig in a pub in England where it doesn't...not everyone is into their music enough to want to just listen, most people want to have a drink with some live music thrown in. But that's one of the highlights of it, it doesn't matter what kind of person you are!
One thing I will say is that not all the bar staff are as friendly as they could be and the drinks are expensive. But then you are in central London and frankly if you go to any of the other bars in that area they are the same or worse and you don't get live music. It does take a while to get a drink, but if you smile nicely and make eye contact you will get served. Same as anywhere else.
If you want a quiet drink and some chilled out acoustic music try early on a Tuesday - you'll get to see some of the best musicians/ singers and really hear them. The Jam sessions are also awesome and a great place to see and hear a variety of different styles of Blues.
I can only hope that anyone reading this decides to give it a try, it truly is a gem of a find and worth going into with an open heart and an open mind! I'm not sure I can drink anywhere else now...

Aint Nothin But Blues Bar gives blues a bad name - pricey drinks, useless bar staff, and trip through a musical museum. Someone should tell them that the blues has moved on. Don't waste your time.

If you want pricey drinks, lousy barmen, and an open mic session full of performers who should stick to playing in their front room, this is the place for you.

Terrible staff; rude and useless (especially one tall dreadlock dude, probably USA, and a grade one a**sehole). Avoid this place. It's not as good as it thinks it is.

Great music and though you sometimes have to wait a bit at the bar, it's not too much of a problem. However, there doesn't seem to be any management there at night, with the result that some customers get ridiculously noisy and you struggle to hear the performance properly. There's far too much chatting, yelling etc going on. If you're not there for the performances, leave and let music-lovers enjoy the bands and solo performers without your racket going on next to them! Management - do something about this please. I know a lot of music lovers who'd love this place, but they won't be keen on going if they're going to have to put up with yelling twenty-somethings as well.

Went on Saturday and stayed for 3 whole hours from 5pm. it was abit of a jam session with each performer doing 2 songs. and it was a regular performer's birthday so there was a couple of band performances. pretty good music throughout, everyone is enthusiastic about the subject even if there were a few off-keys. i didn't bother buying a drink as the queue at the bar looked long, and people seem to take a very long time getting served. cosy atmosphere, and a place you can go on your own. will definitely be dropping in again soon.