It would have been great to try Ling Ling @Hakkasan. I went there specially with a friend on his birthday. We arrived at Ling Ling @Hakkasan at 10.30pm. I was smartly dressed, my friend casually so but well-presented (they had come straight from work). An unfriendly doorman at Ling Ling @Hakkasan looked us up and down and frostily informed us they had a door policy of no trainers and refused us entry despite the fact that my friend was wearing smart, clean, black and white Converse All Stars. Not a happy experience.

Off a beaten down track, you walk down dodgy dark streets to almost a scene from 40's film noir, feeling decidedly Humphrey Bogartish, only to be met face to face by the funkiest Cocktail bar in London. Yes, it's a celebrity haunt, but no-one in Ling Ling @ Hakkasan is star-spotting; as it pulls an interesting mix of personalities and wallet sizes.
As a cocktail bartender myself and having visited the better lounges and bars in the capital (Lab, Detroit, Player, Dusk etc) I was impressed by the incredible selection of original concoctions and a choice of spirits that must be seen to be believed. However the Ling Ling is out of sorts in the service and people skills of the hosts. The cocktail waitresses, as in many a bar, are pretty and genuinely hard-working but with little drinks knowledge unfortunately. The fact that service charge is already added to drinks ordered at the bar; is pretty annoying but the funky uplifting music adds to a great atmosphere.
Still, I rate Ling Ling @ Hakkasan as the best bar in London bar none!!!

Ling Ling can be hard to find in this dodgy location. But it is worth the search. The eye for details is outstanding. Everything from the trees and lightning outside, the lovely wide stairs that meet you on your entrance, to the matchboxes (not your normal cheap kind, but a cool trendy box). And don't forget to visit the toilets! The architecture, especially the doors, is amazing, and even the paper and bins add to the exclusive atmosphere! I can't find one bad thing about this place.