Time and Space is located within the Royal Institution of Great Britain. Although it’s a decent cocktail bar, it suffers from its ambiguous image - people walk past oblivious, so the atmosphere inside suffers.

The Venue
You could be forgiven for walking straight past Time and Space, discarding it as just another museum space in the heart of London. Tucked away on Albemarle Street, it’s set in the plush premises of the Royal Institution of Great Britain. The faint green lettering on the window declares its presence, but it’s hard to grasp on first impressions what this venue is actually offering. Is it a cafe? A watch shop? An art gallery? This is clearly a bar that survives on word of mouth and reputation.

Peering through the opaque windows, you’ll make out the fuchsia pink lampshades and scattered seating areas. Upon entering, it has an apparent charm. Not particularly large, the bar area is well utilised and provides an intimate but not cramped space. Original Georgian features combined with clever interior design touches and a colourscheme of black and hot pink creates a dramatic effect. The only downside is the horrendous lighting. It’s far too bright and is reminiscent of school halls - the harsh fluorescent light failing to complement the luxe surroundings. This does gently dim as the evening wears on, although when coupled with the mirrored interior it is an unflattering touch for customers.

The Atmosphere
Perhaps it’s the rather unclear nature of the bar, but on week day evenings it can be almost eerily quiet, with just a couple of Louboutin-clad women giggling at the bar, reduced to whispering in order to keep their conversation to themselves. A distinct absence of music or any type of ambient noise makes the bar area feel even emptier that it actually is. Conversations can echo and feel uncomfortable.

Luckily, the staff are attentive, efficient and extremely polite. Maybe it’s the lack of a crowded bar, but they seem to make it their personal mission to lift the flagging mood in the bar with stunningly presented cocktails and light-hearted banter. As far as the clientele goes, lunchtimes are popular for discreet business meetings, whereas shopped out ladies-wot-lunch and weary eyed hedge fund workers appear after 6pm.

The Food
The Time and Space Bar provides a good selection of hot and cold bites as well as numerous enticing nibbles on its menu. Prices are extremely reasonable for Mayfair and cheaper than many of its competitors. Cold bites include duck rillette with homemade brioche at £4.50. Chicken wings with chilli and honey coriander and mini bangers and mash are tempting options for a light after work snack and the salt and pepper squid at £5.50 is a real highlight.

The Drink
Although not the lengthiest offering of spirits and cocktails, the menu caters for most tastes, whether you crave a bottle of Laurent Perrier Vintage Brut (£89) or a Jack Daniels and coke. Although there’s no draught beer, a good choice of bottles are well priced for the area at £4.

The wine list consists of a thorough selection of white, rose and red bottles. Prices start at £18 for the house white, rising to £31.50 for a Cabernet Sauvignon. There’s also a good selection of sparkling wine and Champagne, from the Bisol Prosecco Jeio Brut NV for £25 a bottle to Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle for £250.

The main attraction, however, is the cocktail list. Gone are the boring Cosmopolitans and the brash Sex on the Beach offerings from many a City bar, replaced by creatively named cocktails such as the delicious Brighton Beach (Havana Club, Cointreau, lime juice and sugar) for a rather pricey £9.50.

The Last Word
Time and Space is worth a visit if you’re in the area and want to give your weary arms a rest from carrying all those shopping bags. It’s just a shame the exterior offers an ambiguous view of the bar as it would benefit from a higher level of people traffic.

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