Nestled behind Liverpool Street Station sits Corney and Barrow’s most diminutive offering. Little more than a glorified conservatory in the winter, the summer sun brings this bar to Pimms-fuelled life.

The Venue
Exchange Square, just north of Liverpool Street station, is home to Fernando Botero’s voluptuous Broadgate Venus, a Zen-inspired fountain of steps and Corney and Barrow’s answer to a summer house. You’d be forgiven for mistaking Corney and Barrow Exchange Square for a slightly oversized conservatory, except for the carefully tended Bay trees lining the entrance and the tall tables situated directly outside.

Once inside the bar, the primarily glass walls make the space light and airy, whilst dappled opaque squares from waist to head height add a dose of privacy for the lawyers, bankers and commuters who frequent the bar. The cream coloured back wall above the dark bar sports silver clocks displaying the local time as well as that in New York, Moscow and Tokyo. Given the already small space on offer inside, being no more than ten tables and an additional wall mounted balustrade bar, a surprising amount of the space is given over to service and preparation space with coffee facilities, spirits and wines all vying for room.

The Atmosphere
It’s when the summer sun arrives that a veritable buzz comes to this bar as the terrace fills to bursting and the clientele dip their toes in Exchange Square’s Zen water feature or take a devil-may-care approach to errant croquet balls as they lie back for a bit of sun worshipping on Corney and Barrow’s exclusive lawn. The croquet, where you’ll be fitted out with mallets, hoops and waistcoats, can be booked in advance, as can one of the few barbeques in the City of London. Unfortunately, at the first sign of inclement weather the green house bar fills instantly and the windows steam with condensation. It’s a bar that can serve a couple of hundred but would have a hard time holding a quarter of that amount inside its glazed walls.

Despite the best efforts of the excellent staff who are efficient and engaging, the bar’s popularity declines dramatically come the winter. Whilst a winter visit can be a pleasant escape for those who prefer their venues to be quiet and intimate, realistically only a limited amount of Londoners want to sit in a glorified conservatory watching raindrops race down the windows whilst nursing a drink best enjoyed whilst soaking up the summer rays.

The Food
Despite a 9am opening for coffee, there’s no breakfast menu at Exchange Square, which immediately sets it apart from the majority of its Corney and Barrow brethren. Fans of the chain’s food, however, will be pleased to see that the lunch menu is not too different from the other bars with a range of appetisers such as olives marinated with garlic and herbs for £2.50, a selection of bread served with red pesto, balsamic vinegar and virgin olive oil for £2.50 and wasabi coated peanuts for £3.50.

The usual platters also feature, with the mezze platter offering marinated olives, hummus, red pesto and grilled haloumi served on toasted pitta for around £11. Salads and sandwiches are also available with a classic Caesar for £6.95 or chicken version for under £10, whilst the humble ham and cheese toastie is given the Corney and Barrow treatment utilising mature British cheddar and a red onion marmalade on thick farmhouse loaf for £6.95.

The evening menu offers similar choices of appetiser and platter options as the lunchtime offering. An additional range of bar bites are also on offer featuring miniature Cumberland sausages served with a mustard mayo for £4.95, nachos drowned in melted cheese, salsa and guacamole for under £6 and organic smoked salmon on granary bread for £9.95. Summer also brings the opportunity to sample the barbecue menu incorporating the burger and banger favourites with a few surprise additions along the way, but as prices vary this is best sampled by pre-booking.

The Drink
Despite the wine bar status firmly stamped on it by its Corney and Barrow branding, when summer is in town (no matter how briefly), the Pimms flows freely and Exchange Square becomes one of the busiest purveyors of the famous No 1 Cup in the UK. Of course, the usual wine options are also available. Red and white house wines are on offer from £15.25 a bottle. For those who prefer their wine with a little fizz, Champagne starts at around £40 a bottle and comes in a variety of styles and additional sizes ranging from a magnum (£115) right up to the enormous nebuchadnezzar, 20 bottles worth for £1150. Although a slightly cheaper sparkling option is always available in the form of Prosecco at £4.95 for a small glass.

Exchange Square has a well stocked range of spirits, including Jagermeister, Disaronno, Grey Goose vodka and Hennessy, generally served as doubles for under £7. Slightly cheaper house spirits are on offer, too, again as a double measure as standard at £5.50. Cocktails clock in between £7.25 for a Sea Breeze or Moscow Mule and £11.75 for a one with Champagne.

A range of bottled International beers are available for around £3.80, including Hahn Premium, Kirin Ichiban and Modelo Especial, among others. Whilst the tall Pilsner Urquell glasses lead to a beautifully presented, crisp pint, there’s no hiding that lager drinkers will be disappointed that this Czech beer is the only option when it comes to beer on tap.

The Last Word
The baby of the Corney and Barrow family ultimately shows it’s not as fully rounded as its bigger brothers. It’s fully set up for pleasant weather and is possibly one of the best locations in The City come the emergence of a little sun. Unfortunately, this over-reliance on the summer trade means the ambience suffers during the winter months.

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