An unusual addition to the City, which is saturated with sterile bars and chains, Mary Janes brings a touch of decadence to the area with this beautifully-presented bar.

The Venue
Found on the Minories, mere metres away from Tower Gateway and close to Aldgate and Tower Hill tubes, Mary Janes is in an excellent location – great for the surrounding offices, in particular. An unassuming bar from the outside opens up to a world of chandeliers, decadent furnishings, red velvet curtained-off areas and even its own aquarium.

Upon entering, you are faced with a choice – remain upstairs on the mezzanine level for large tables, complete with a pull-out section that serves as an ice bucket, black leather seating, and red lampshades hanging in the large-fronted windows, or move downstairs into a labyrinth of seating areas and an aquarium. Upstairs is pretty airy and pleasant, sat next to the large white chandelier hanging from the middle of the ceiling. Downstairs is cosier, with more stools and high tables, perfect for smaller groups. Booths can also be found by the aquarium, which are comfortable and nice for a girls or lads night out after a long week. There’s also a second bar, which is great for avoiding the painful queues of other nearby drinking establishments.

The Atmosphere
Mondays to Fridays are a raucous affair but, as with the majority of venues in the area, Mary Janes is closed to the public at weekends. However, it is available for private hire and would be a great venue for a special occasion or large party. Don’t expect trendy, skinny-jean clad guys in here, this is the domain of the suits. Still, just because it’s a majority-corporate crowd doesn’t mean there’s not a feeling of fun and frivolity. The music is pumping, with old school tunes you can sing along to – it’s a bit loud for a tete-a-tete, but then this bar is about drinking and letting loose after a hard day at the office, not a romantic liaison. The staff are friendly and the service excellent, and there’s a general sense of good times ahead.

The Food
There are good quality bar snacks available, which are perfect for sharing – especially when sat at the large tables. Platters come in at the £15 mark and are good-sized portions including everything from cocktail sausages, to chicken satay and samosas – without skimping on the chunks of meat offered. There’s also a lunch menu available for daytime trips to the bar. This is really reasonable with a main coming in under a tenner and offering up choices such as bangers and mash, chilli con carne, and scampi and chips. There are hot and cold sandwiches if you fancy a light lunch and a great, make-your own salad, where you pay around £6 for a base and pick and choose extras for between 75p and £2 to make a customised dish. A similar set-up is also available for the sundae - which is excellently priced at under £4 and perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth.

The Drink
Cocktails are the order of the day at Mary Janes, with a good selection on offer. The Mary Jane is their signature cockail and consists of Mercier NV Rose Champagne with Sputnik Rose Petal Vodka and a splash of watermelon. There are also all the usuals, including the daiquiri and cosmopolitan and a twist on the martini with their Chocolate Mint Martini.

A nice touch are their Sweetshop Shooters – everything from Toblerone and lemon bon bon to pancake and jam doughnut is covered and it’s perfect for letting loose after a long week. There’s also a truly excellent selection of rum and their speciailty - tequilla. This bar is the only venue in Europe to stock Frida Kahlo tequilla, which comes in individually hand-blown glass bottles. If you can't decide what tequilla you want to have then never fear - just ask the barmen for the tequilla dice and let fate decide! There's also a nice selection of wine and champagne, with a larger-than usual choice of the ever-fashionable rose. All the prices are more than reasonable, with cocktails under £7, tequilla and shooters below £4 and an average bottle of good wine at £15-£20 you won't break the bank to enjoy a nice drink.

The Last Word
Mary Janes is where you go when you want to let loose and have a good time in attractive surroundings. Maybe not the place to trek across London to go to, but if you live or work nearby, it’s definitely an excellent place to come for lunch or after work with colleagues and friends.

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