Looking for an all-round night of dining, comedy and dancing? The freshly relaunched Sway successfully combines all three and it is also very central, making it an ideal spot for an office celebration.

The Venue
Sway has a lot to offer with a main restaurant, several bars and an LED dance floor. The restaurant has recently been revamped and now looks classy in dark colours, period wooden fixtures, a chandelier and dim lighting – it is masculine yet refined. But the atmosphere is far from stuck-up, thanks to the Jongleurs comedy performances taking part in the restaurant. The basement fits in two further large areas: the Crystal Bar is marketed as a sophisticated space and, if the black and crystal décor is indeed rather elegant, the atmosphere remains party oriented. If unrestrained fun is what you are after, the Groovy Wonderland club will be your favourite with 70s and 80s disco, a matrix dancefloor and roller-skating girls in leotards. A couple of other bars can also be found within the huge premises.

The Atmosphere
You will almost surely enjoy yourself at Sway, especially if you’re into mainstream tunes and commercial party venues. Both bars and restaurant are hardly the type of intimate venue for a romantic dinner, neither are they ideal to catch up with friends as the loud music and dim lighting aren’t conducive to conversation. Instead, Sway is ideal for large groups in party mood or office parties where colleagues can let loose.

The Food
The menu is concise but effective, ticking all the basic boxes while ensuring the service remains fast. Within starters and small bites (£4.50-£5.50), the breaded Camembert is a spin on the baked classic: it has the same melted goodness although the doughy batter is slightly odd. The tomato and basil soup, instead, has no trace of cream at all, leaving an enjoyable, smooth, concentrated tomato flavour. To follow, you can choose from mains (£9-£19.50), fajitas (£12-£13) or burgers (£11-£12). The asparagus, ricotta and spinach tortellini is rather impressive; it looks homemade and comes coated in a creamy portobello mushroom sauce. The falafel and spinach burger is large, novel and an excellent vegetarian option. Desserts (£4-£5.50) are all sinfully indulgent with generous doses of chocolate sauce and ice cream.

The Drink
Wine is more than affordable at £15.50-£35 per bottle, while champagne ranges from £27-£96, demonstrating that Sway wants to keep prices popular rather than elitist. Cocktails (£6.80-£7.10, jugs at £17) and shooters (£5-£6.80) fuel the party and the bar shakes and stirs over two dozen. The selection lacks a bit of sophistication, being oriented towards easy-on-the-palate options like Cream Crackers (Baileys, Kahlua, butterscotch schnapps and Amaretto) and Strawberry Clouds, but this is intentional: the aim is to keep the drinks relatively simple to make and fast to fix.

The Last Word
The newly improved Sway steers well clear of any high-brow concepts to concentrate on what it does best: providing an unpretentious place to party in central London.

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