A bit of useless trivia - the London Stone is an ancient stone, said to be the birthplace from which the Romans measured all distances in Great Britain. The London Stone, however, is a different creature with many different faces, with heavy metal, jackin’ house, '80s and rock dominating.

The Venue
This is the easiest bar to find, situated directly opposite Cannon Street Station, or 3 minutes from Bank. The entrance to London Stone looks kind of spooky and gothic, which is in keeping with the general theme. As you enter through the narrow doorway you are taken down the mirrored stairs to a funky, dungeon-type room. The decor here is very Dr Jekyll’s laboratory: ghouls and goblins; glass cabinets containing test tubes and beakers; huge fake bookshelves crammed with books that double-up as toilet doors; spooky pictures; masks; gothic mirrors; coffin-shaped blackboards for the days specials; and ugly creatures balancing atop pillars.

There are five booths that can hold about six people each, and more tables and chairs dotted about. There’s also a nice area in the centre of the room to mosh in or, if that’s not your thing, check out the venue’s listings beforehand and you may be surprised at what’s on offer here at this eclectic, electric little venue.

The Atmosphere
Relaxed, relaxed and more relaxed! The management, door and bar staff are amongst the friendliest in town - they want you to enjoy your visit and know that pretentious attitudes don’t help you to do that. There is a capacity of only 150 - so it’s pretty cosy - and the humorously scary decor makes for a fun environment. The crowd the London Stone attracts are also a friendly bunch, its difficult not to mingle when a venue is so small and filled with like-minded people.

The Music
You get a real mixed bag at London Stone. Weekdays are usually heavy metal and rock, with live music at times. They also have '80s nights - and you’ll discover many a cheeky afterparty at weekends as they have a 24 hour licence. At these afterparties, which are run by promoters rather than the club itself, anyone can go and enjoy the fantastic calibre of DJs playing house music – from electro to tech house and minimal to a more soulful vibe. Anything goes as far as what the DJs are allowed to play; they have a free reign and don’t have the management making them play a particular set so the music policy at these events is governed by the crowd.

The Drink
Drinks are very reasonably priced and served with a smile. All the usual suspects are included with Fosters, Guiness and Kronenbourg on draught, and bottled beers including Corona, Budweiser and San Miguel. Alcopops, including Smirnoff Ice and WKD Blue are around £3.50. There are also some hardy spirits and shots like tequila, Sambucca and Jack Daniels. They have seven different cocktails that you will find on a very appropriately named list called the seven deadly sins. They also serve Champagne by the bottle (Moet) for a very good price of around £45, or if none of these tickle your fancy you can opt for a nice cuppa or a latte!

The Last Word
The London Stone needs to be experienced to be appreciated so check out their events listings and get down there.

venue information venue map view london review user reviews (1)