The O2 Arena has really made a name for itself - surpassing even Madison Square Gardens. With so much attention being shined on one of London’s newest landmarks, bars and restaurants like the Ha Ha Bar and Grill are filled to the rafters. But is this because they’re quality or just convenient?

The Venue
The Ha Ha Bar and Grill is the envy of bars and eateries across the capital, based as it is in one of London’s most notable successes of 2007 - The O2 Arena. This particular bar is found near the exhibition centre, which has been the home to such displays as Tutankhamen, making it an excellent choice for hungry visitors to the many attractions of this once laughed at London landmark. The venue itself is quite small but well laid out, making optimum use of space. More of a restaurant than a bar, there are outdoor seats that, inexplicably considering they’re indoors anyway, have parasols. Inside, there’s one main bar that extends half the length of the venue, a semi-open kitchen at the far end and tables dotted all around the outer edge, extending right back along this long and narrow venue. The decor is quite sophisticated, being woods and neutral, brown hues with elegantly dressed tables. It’s certainly a place that is inviting to weary exhibition and concert goers.

The Atmosphere
Depending on the night you attend (unless you’re one of the attendees, don’t even bother trying to get into the O2s many venues on concert nights!), the Ha Ha Bar and Grill is one of the busier, more thriving eateries of the Arena. Even on non-concert nights, this little bar can be full to bursting with visitors - many of whom have just come from the exhibition centre opposite. There’s a mix of local, older teens, families and couples, all in a laid back, chilled out mood.

The staff are friendly with a lack of attitude, but they could definitely do with being more familiar with the menu they are serving up, finding relatively simple queries difficult to answer, although everything is done with a disarming smile. On busy nights, expect to wait a while for drinks, food and bills to arrive but, if pushed, they’re apologetic and do all they can to appease any irritation.

The Drink
There’s a disappointingly small cocktail list at Ha Ha Bar and Grill that covers the bases and isn’t really the main focus of the menu. That honour belongs to the wine list, which is suitably large, easy to navigate and well priced.

Cocktails come in at just under £7, and includes the usuals like mojitos and cosmos, with the slightly more extravagant like the belinis. The mojito is a little sickly sweet, but you can get it in a range of flavours, which is a nice touch. Steer clear of the belini, however, as the Champagne is cheap tasting (although low in price) and not as good as the long cocktails.

A good idea is to forgo the cocktails altogether and enjoy a bottle with your meal. The most expensive bottle is under £25 and the cheapest comes in at a surprisingly low £11-£12. Highly recommended is the New Zealand Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc at £17.95, a crisp, fresh white with a hint of gooseberry. And with beers, including Peroni and Amstel, on tap, and a nice range of coffees and teas (including Baileys coffees and green teas), you won’t be left wanting.

The Food
The food at the Ha Ha Bar and Grill is decent, if quite pricy. Starters come in at under a tenner (although there’s not much in it) with a decent selection. Especially good is the pan fried goat cheese with salad and sun dried tomatoes. The cheese is melt-in-the-mouth good with warm aromas that come through in the flavour. The sundried tomatoes are a little overly hard and chewy, but the salad is fresh and crisp, making for a slightly-stodgy but delicious starter. The Haddock gratin comes in a small dish with two slices of toasted bread and is cheesy and only just on the right side of being overly salty (haddock is a notoriously hard fish to cook well).

There’s a larger, more rounded choice of mains, including an excellent selection of grills, pastas and salads. The average price is £10-£15, with steaks coming in a little higher for the better cuts of beef. Recommended is the lemon and garlic chicken with dauphinoise potatoes, tomato and a light salad. The salad is crisp and the tomato flavoursome. However, the potatoes are a disappointment, being more akin to a mash than a proper, creamy dauphinoise. The chicken is worthy of particular mention, being succulent and cooked to perfection. Thick, juicy and tender, it’s about as good as chicken gets and rescues the meal. The steak is just as delightful, being cooked exactly to order and coming in big slabs of meat that just ooze juices.

Finally, be sure to leave room for dessert, as these are particularly nice and reasonable. At under a fiver, you can choose from dishes such as the lemon cheesecake, apple crumble and ice cream. Be sure to try the brownies and vanilla ice cream. Gooey, chocolatey mouthfuls of brownie combine with creamy, delightful ice cream to make for a well-balanced dish. The chocolate torte is also delicious, sweet and moist, and well worth a bite.

The Last Word
Ha Ha Bar and Grill is a decent venue that’s well worth a visit if you’ve just come out of the concert hall or exhibition centre; however, it’s not a destination bar and restaurant in its own right an is only really worth a look if you’re in the O2 Arena for the day.

venue information venue map view london review user reviews (2)