The beautifully designed Living Room W1 entwines a hectic bar with a popular restaurant. The seductive interior design and late night music impress, unfortunately it fast descends into another crammed Central London party bar come the weekend.

The Venue
Expecting a little opulence when you wine and dine in W1 is a fair exchange for the inflated prices many places charge. The Living Room does not disappoint in its decor and won’t force you to cash in your investments to frequent it. Tucked away on Heddon Street, moments away from the bustling Regent Street, this is a pleasant retreat after a long day’s shopping. The glass front lets you gain an accurate picture of what to expect before you enter.

The wood-panelled walls offer warmth and the cast iron pillars and spot lit ceilings give the feel of being in a rather splendid living room. The mixture of brown wood and grey iron, finished with green foliage makes for an intimate and relaxing environment. The Georgian-style staircase leading to the first floor restaurant dominates the bar floor and is pleasing to the eye. The long bar is stocked with a good array of sprits, the drink options lending to the higher end of the market. Standing in the bar area is made easy by the scattered fixed bar tables, there are also several seating areas from sofas by the fire and a large booth area behind the piano (which does get played) to the tall tables by the entrance to the bar. Be warned, however, the seating areas do go quickly.

The restaurant section is made up of wooden square tables, set up in lines. They are split into sections for large groups, couples and tables of four. Hanging foliage throughout the restaurant area gives the downstairs dining space an open and pleasing aesthetic. Eating upstairs also offers views of the open kitchen for a more intimate dining experience.

The Atmosphere
The daytime dynamic is created by quiet business lunches and occasional family shopping outings and acts in vast contrast to the energised after work groups. By the weekend you can expect a jostle-happy crowd, dressed in their ‘splendour’ with an allusion of pretension that is palpable but not amok. This expression of the ego is not out of place because The Living Room itself: staff and atmosphere, portends to a certain sense of vanity. The staff seem well trained yet somewhat restrained, they teeter on the edge of being aloof. It reminds you of Z-list celebrities desperately trying to establish their sense of importance by trying to seem disinterested in their surroundings. The music is unobtrusive and well levelled so groups and couples can converse without having to shout at each other.

The weekend DJs like to get the crowd dancing even if there isn’t the room for it. The bar extends the entire length of one side of the building but surprisingly fails to be the source of the atmosphere. This is due to the lack of genuine interaction by the bartenders. The Living Room tenders fail to really engage their customers. The crowds lean to a higher percentage of suited males that seem to have their eye on the available ladies that dress to be seen.

The Drink
Scanning the menu it is plain to see that the Living Room tries very hard to establish itself as more than just a fancy looking boozer and party spot. The menu reads like a history book, detailing all the significant periods in the growth of the western world’s favourite spirits.

Recommended is their twist on the classic Side Car - a Blackberry Side Car. Made up of H by Hine cognac, blackberries, creme de cassis, lemon and sugar it is a very good cocktail, correctly balanced to be slightly to the sour side. The Hoochie Coochie, which is a combination of melon, strawberry and cucumber flavours bolstered with vodka and cranberry juice, is also well balanced, smooth and very easy to drink. Prices were reasonable at £6.50 and £6.95 respectively.

With a fifteen strong list of Champagnes there is something for everyone. For Central London their A-list Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal Brut is reasonable at £295. The house Champagne is the well respected Duval-Leroy Fleur de Brut. A fresh, modern Champagne that’s a Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend. It is fine quality and great value at £37 for a bottle and £76 for the magnum.

The bar also serves draught beer including Guinness and has a great selection of bottled beers from around the world. If you don’t fancy any alcohol the mocktails and coffees are to a high standard.

The Last Word
Although the atmosphere isn’t electric and it can get quite hemmed in at the weekends, the well priced drink selection and charming design do enough to sell the Living Room as worth a visit if you’re in the area.

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