It has to be said, the area around London Bridge Station isn’t the most attractive of places, despite the foodie frenzy of Borough Market and a few good restaurants buried among the railway arches. But things are changing, although it’s still a bit messy around there, The Shard is looking pretty striking now, almost fully clad in its glass shell and with a rebranding of the area as London Bridge Quarter it will undoubtedly bring a new vibe to what has of late been a rather tired patch of London. Nestling in the shadow of The Shard in London Bridge Street is Quarter bar & lounge, part of London Bridge Hotel.
We went to Quarter Bar and Lounge a short while back and on walking through the door it’s spacious, airy and fresh, but with a comfortable, sort of clubby feel to it. There’s the usual bar and table seating, as well as some booths around the walls and an alcove that allow you and your group some exclusivity; it’s a smart, inviting place.
Quarter Bar is particularly focused on their cocktails, the menu changes from time to time, but if you have a favourite, they’ll absolutely make it for you whether it’s on the list or not. Phillip started our evening at Quarter Bar off with a Pink Collins, comprising of Edgerton pink gin, muddled grape, elderflower and soda, a long, refreshing drink, in which all the elements came together really well. I went for an Old-fashioned, one of my favourites, bringing together bourbon and Angostura bitters over ice and finishing off with a slice of orange rind, zested over the top of the drink before being insertion into it. Both of these went down really well, if a little too quickly.
We thought we should go for something more ‘challenging’ on the palate for our next cocktail, as we might drink it more slowly, so ordered dry martinis (another favourite) using the Edgerton pink gin. And yes they did have a quite vibrantly pink hue, but what the hell, there’s nothing wrong with guy’s quaffing pink drinks, is there? I can tell you that it absolutely makes a great martini giving it good herb and spice notes.
We thought we’d better eat, so ordered two of the Quarter Bar sharing platters, one with skewers of salmon, minted lamb, chicken and tofu with vegetables, the other Greek influenced with stuffed vine leaves, hummus, tomatoes stuffed with couscous among other things. Each platter was well filled with goodies and was great. They each would have been big enough for two to share and even with our, perhaps larger than average, appetites the two platters would have fed another person comfortably.
Of course we had to have one last drink before setting off home ‘to aid digestion’ and I chose a negroni, which I love, the orange and Campari make for a great drink, and this one didn’t disappoint. Phillip went for an espresso martini, which was deliciously smooth and rich with, as you would expect, great coffee flavour.
Service during the evening was good, unobtrusive, but they were there when we needed them, as it should be. We thought Quarter Bar was a great place to have drinks on the way home with colleagues or friends, or as the destination to meet friends and spend an evening working your way through the cocktail menu. And if, like us, you live south of the river, it’s just a two minute stagger to the station, very much an added bonus. Cheers!
By Alan King Twitter @akandpa
Date posted: 03/02/2012
