nine bar is a true neighbourhood bar that has the potential to become a destination in its own right. Tucked away just off Tooley Street, within striking distance of London Bridge, it aims to bring an upbeat atmosphere to this area of London with DJs of a quality to rival some of London’s clubs. The only difference? It’s free to get in here.

The Venue
nine bar is about a 10 minute walk from London Bridge station, handily located by the 47 bus route, which runs straight down from Liverpool Street Station. Its slightly out of the way location does mean it’s more likely to attract locals, but its easy to get to positioning doesn’t make it a chore to travel to.

From the outside, nine bar looks like a traditional pub. It’s only after you get a feel for a place do you start to realise just what they offer here. The interior is pretty rustic and bare bones in a way that’s cool without being try hard. Exposed brick dominates the walls with a heavy brick pillar spanning over the curved bar, made from planks of wood with a heavy stone floor behind. Wooden floors and basic wooden furniture help to perpetuate this feeling, as do the simple light fittings of low hanging bulbs dangling at regular intervals above the bar. Although your first impression may be that this is a charmingly rough around the edges pub, upon closer inspection you’ll begin to uncover a different story.

Two huge, heavy gold gilt mirrors hang on the bare brick walls, making the sizeable space appear even bigger and adding a glamorous edge to the decor. Large candles sit in wall fittings, casting a sensual glow that works in tangent with the dimmed lighting. Modern touches include a DJ booth as you first enter the door and two big screens, one each side of the bar, showing all major sporting events. After 10 minutes of sitting on a leather high stool at the bar, you’ll be keen to keep coming back for more of the cool, chilled out surroundings.

The Atmosphere
This is a venue that perfectly blends the feel of a local pub with that of an upbeat bar, reflected in the eclectic mix of the clientele, with a skew towards locals and regulars. You’ll spy old guys drinking Champagne at the bar, work mates laughing the woes of the day away with a pint and couples chilling out with a bottle of wine. The incredible DJ line ups they pull in will no doubt start to attract a crowd of fans who are tired of overpriced, packed to the rafters superclubs. The staff are friendly, equally happy to banter with new customers as they are the regulars, and they help to make this feel more like a home away from home. This is the kind of bar you can come to for a pre-party warm up or a post-work cool down, which is a tough line to walk.

The Music
There’s a great sound system in place at nine bar, with regular DJs and very special guests taking to the decks every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Don’t be surprised to find Ibiza residents and big club circuit names making appearances here and it’s worth keeping a close eye on what they’ve got coming up next so you don’t miss out on an intimate gig with some big names. Expect DJs like Disco Bloodbath, Tony Haze, Kos Evans, Danny Oakes, Phat Phil Cooper and Jon Rundell to throw out the tunes for some banging nights. This is a place for in the know music fans to come and enjoy the sounds of big name DJs for free. That said, the sound is pretty eclectic and not hardcore enough to alienate anyone not heavily into that scene.

The Food
There’s no food on offer in the week, but catering is available for parties if booked in advance. However, they do offer a Sunday Roast with all the trimming for just £10 with a free pint thrown in for good measure.

The Drink
The drink offering at nine bar is decent without any dramatic or pretentious flourishes. There’s a good choice of draught lager to choose from, including Guinness, Stella, Peroni, Becks Vier and Aspall Cider at an average cost of £3.40 a pint. There’s also a decent selection of bottled beers, including the popular Australian beer Coopers.

There’s a decent choice of spirits and the house shot is a potent choice of Patron Cafe (a coffee liqueur tequilla) for £3 a shot, which has a strong Kahlua flavour. Champagne and a few bottles of wine are also available to buy, and although the selection is as simple as the decor of the bar itself, you’ll be hard pushed not to find something to please your tastebuds.

The Last Word
In a city that’s being bombarded with headlines of credit crunches and a climate where clubs are closing faster than they’re opening, it’s refreshing to have a genuinely cool, chilled out bar emerge where you can listen to incredible DJs for free.

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