56 Frith Street,
Soho,
London,
W1V 5TA

(020) 7734 8300

add to my map

In search of long-lost friends who might have been eaten? Then check out this bar. But for nice furniture, atmosphere or DJs stay six degrees of separation away.

There's a very cute theory behind Six Degrees. I quote from the publicity material: 'Six Degrees of separation is based on the theory that when you meet someone for the first time, you will discover you both have a mutual friend within six people.' Aside from the image of a mutual friend trapped inside the bodies of six strangers, I suppose it's a nice idea.

Yet intimate friendliness is not quite the message you get from the enterprise itself. For starters, it feels rather impersonal. Dark colours of fake leather cladding, slightly too-firm-looking pouffes and couches, and plenty of magenta and grey, do not make for a salubrious atmosphere in my books.

It's not so much the colours as the shades they've chosen – the pinkish-red lights and blood-red upholstery are just the wrong kind of magenta, a bit too cold and dreary. No doubt when the backdrop is heaving with people who know your best friends, it looks a little cosier – but when less than full, your heart sinks as you sit down.

And for seconds, there aren't any real attractions to woo the ambivalent seeker of drinks. No DJs, no happy hours, no deals. OK, it's open till 1am on Friday and Saturday nights – so you might want to squeeze it in if you've left a pub but not finished for the night. Thankfully there's no entrance charge- but it would be cheeky to charge one, really.

The ground floor bar is frequented, despite the lack of natty attractions, by a fairly eager band of smartish 22-35 year olds. Upstairs, on both the first and second floors are rooms only available for private functions, home to some alarming bulgy chaise-longues in that magenta again.

Maybe Six Degrees are already making enough cash from private parties, where people already are mutual friends, to sit back and relax. But what about the casual drinker seeking friends of friends? They might be better off playing the name game elsewhere.