50 Cornhill,
London,
EC3V 3PD
0872 148 0870
The ViewLondon Review
If you want to drink in truly spectacular surroundings then don’t head to a cocktail bar.
There are some very pretty ones about, but I don’t know of any that actually make you inhale sharply and cause you to be lost for words when you step inside.
No, cocktail bars are designed to provide a funky backdrop for your denim skirt or your YSL aviators. Restaurants are quite often more impressive, but as soon as the average Brit is seated they feel far too self-conscious to spend the evening marvelling at impressive architectural detail.
If you want to experience something truly impressive then you need to visit a pub. Not any pub obviously – The Counting House, in the middle of the City, on Cornhill. It used to be a bank, but don’t hold that against the place. Remember, Kate Moss was born in Croydon…
Anyhow, the place is spectacular. The bar is an island in the middle of an huge room, with a very high vaulted ceiling. Entirely wood-panelled, it is often very busy (lunchtime and after work) but never feels oppressive.
Around the edge of the room one story up is a gallery, with small tables dotted along it. If you want a seat or fancy escaping from the crowds downstairs you’re almost guaranteed to find a space up here, and it makes for great people watching.
The crowd is, as you would expect in the City, mostly made up of suits (of both sexes) but they tend to be a somewhat jollier crowd than at some of the wine bars nearby.
With a great range of beers courtesy of Fullers, the Counting House has risen to the top of my favourite pub list. I wonder if they offer credit…