Effortlessly cool and pleasantly chilled, this urban mix of DJ and Tiki bar might be far from the beach but offers an alluring breath of city escapism as it turns its Marylebone basement into a blase socialising affair.

The Venue
As soon as you descend down the wooden stairway, you can see the main seating area where tables are arranged in a way that you’re not only sitting with the people you came with, but with everyone else around, too. The first impression is that everyone here knows each other – or they will eventually.

For those after something a bit more private, there are three separate vaulted arched booths with criminally comfortable retro leather sofas: keep an eye on the one with the palm beach wallpaper and South Pacific decor – it’s the biggest and best one! The booths make an ideal replacement for your own living room, if you fancy taking your friends to a place where it feels just as cosy. This casual feel is reinforced by every little detail in LowLife, from the hypnotising fish tank on the wall to the old rocking chair in the corner.

The Atmosphere
With a cool soundtrack of beach classics and party beats, it’s not hard to immerse yourself in the laid- back mood as you join the sociable crowd. The young office workers and local funksters who come for a relaxed drink in the early evening, often stay when it turns into one of the many DJ nights with a fun, down to earth ambiance. As it gets closer to the weekend, LowLife turns into a livelier hangout spot, although you’re still likely to find a nice place to sit and make yourself comfortable.

The Food
Bar snacks are available at all times from a short menu. The menu includes all the essentials from olives and prawn crackers at £1.50, to smoked rack of ribs and Jerk chicken skewers - ready in minutes after ordering.

The Drink
Although they prefer to be modest at LowLife and don’t like to call themselves mixologists, the long list of cocktails made according to their own recipes at the reasonable price of £6.50 are definitely worth a try. The skilled bar staff with Hawaiian Leis around their neck are happy to mix and shake any of the other classics or crowd pleasers that you might feel like, but under no circumstances are they prepared to share the secret recipe of their Tiki rum punch.

The Last Word
Even though it might not be shiny and polished, LowLife doesn’t try to impress with anything other than great cocktails, cool music, friendly vibe and lounging surroundings. The question is, do you need anything more?

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