Part of the popular group of London bars that include the Barracuda Bars, Cape Bar in The City promises to bring the heart of South Africa to the centre of London. It may not quite manage to do this, but it’s not bad for an after-work drink or five.

The Venue
With its sister bar having opened in St Katherines Dock, this chain of bars must be doing something right. And it is, offering a large, spacious and simple bar for the after-work crowd to drown out their hectic week in the office. Expect your typical modern chain bar decor; nothing groundbreaking or different, but nothing that’s going to offend or stand out as being undesirable. The leather booths are comfortable, the mixture of wood and chrome in a neutral colour scheme is inoffensive and the high ceilings lend a nice airiness to what can become a packed bar on a Thursday and Friday night.

The large space is utilised well with an upstairs area complete with mezzanine bar adding another dimension to Cape. VIP areas are open for bookings and have good views of the six large screens, popular during big sporting events when the bar takes on more of a sporting edge akin to that of its Barracuda Bar siblings.

The Atmosphere
The atmosphere at the Cape Bar is best experienced on a match night or during the Thursday or Friday post-work deluge. It's then that this bar really comes into its own as the large space quickly fills and the chatter reaches a crescendo of laughter, punctuated by the guzzling of beer and wine. During the day, however, unless you catch it during the busier lunch period, you’re more likely to catch the occasional stressed City worker sitting quietly on the laptop or crunching numbers in the corner. The staff are polite and efficient, which is especially good during the busy peaks when the bar can be heaving.

The Food
A menu reflective of many chain bars across London adourns the tables and offers hungry City boys and girls a decent, reasonably priced choice of simple grub. It may not be gastronomic, but it’s good to fill a hole. Burgers come in at just under £7 and includes a nice selection including veggie and tuna burger options. There’s also tapas, sharing platters, sandwiches, wraps, melts and standard pub grub mains including everything from curry to a surf and turf. You can easily eat your fill for under a tenner and the food is decent quality.

The Drink
Cape Bar goes for a cocktail menu to match its beer and wine offerings although they’re less cocktails and more a spirit and a mixer, attractively presented and given a fancy name. That said, the punters lap them up and it’s a nice change from the usual Bacardi and coke. At £5.95 a pop, however, you may expect a little more for your money.

The best thing to do is stick to beer and wine. There’s a decent, well described wine choice of around 15 whites, reds and roses with helpful, detailed descriptions on the menu to aid you in making a decision. All the bottles come in at around £20 and less and offer fantastic value for money. There’s also a decent choice of bottled beers, including Tiger, Peroni, Castle, Corona, Bud, Belle Vue Creek, Bulmers and Savannah Cider.

The soft drinks are surprisingly adventurous and include choices like the cranberry presse to add some zing to the menu. Fresh smoothies are a nice, health conscious twist to the typical bar menu.

The Last Word
Good for a post-work drink, your enjoyment of the Cape Bar is dependent on when you go. Head along on a Friday night for a great atmosphere as City workers let loose – you’ll be hard pushed to just stay for one.

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