The Wellesley offers a last resort to stranded commuters, homeless drinkers and drunk businessmen looking for one last tipple before bedtime.

The Venue
The Wellesley pub is submerged beneath a stained carpeted staircase, in a windowless, air conditioned space below Waterloo Station. The pub seems to have been decorated in an early '90s attempt at low-price style: coloured with bright reds, and oranges and patterned in a way to detract from stains. There are fake flowers on several tables, black and white prints and uncovered stone walls that add about as much panache to the place as a beret on a tramp. The Wellesley is not a classy place.

A mixture of Sky News and MTV music videos are beamed out from large, wall-fixed TVs. Strangely, the pictures are of MTV but the sound comes from Sky News.

The Atmosphere
It’s drab. After work drinkers and social alcoholics meet to say little here. It seems that few people really want to be here, but use the place as a kind of waiting room, either for trains, friends or drunkenness. The staff here are highly competent and actually provide a very good service, keeping the bar tidy, clean and the patrons plied with alcohol.

The Drink
Stella, Grolsch and Carling are all available on tap at The Wellesley at usual Central London prices. It’s not a cheap place, although in many ways it should be. A wine list offers Australian whites at £12-£15 a bottle and French reds at similar prices, all reasonably tasty and not excessively expensive. Spirits, shooters and alcopops are also available, but not in vast supply.

The Last Word
The Wellesley is not the kind of place you visit, but the kind of place you end up - when things go wrong.

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