Glo Glo's

This is a fantastic place to go for cocktails – I went with my friend last night for a drink after work and was really impressed – the atmosphere in the bar is very cool and relaxed and the staff are really friendly. The entrance is a set of orange doors with a tiny sign with the name – we almost walked straight past. From there you go downstairs into the bar which was filled with mood-altering orange light from the glowing ceiling. We were seated at the bar and ended up asking the bar manager Hannah to recommend our drinks – I had a delicious zingy ginger and apple cocktail which was the perfect pick-me-up for a chilly winter evening, and my friend chose a classic martini which was so good it almost converted me into a fully-fledged martini drinker! I wasn't quite brave enough to try the tequila and coffee cocktail but am already planning to go back to taste it and try some of the others on the list. We also tried a couple of plates to share between us – classic edamame beans with soy mirin, grilled asparagus which was perfectly cooked and wasabi prawns which we ended up ordering second helpings of! Throughout the evening the staff were really helpful and friendly and even though it was quite busy I don't think we had to wait very long for food and all our drinks came straight away as they were made right in front of us. I really like this bar and am definitely planning to go back – really glad we found it!

I'm really impressed with this new bar – it's very subtle from the outside (orange doors with Glo Glo's signage) but once you know it's there I think it's a definite find. First time we went we sat at the bar (I love sitting at the bar when I'm in a good cocktail bar as it means you can chat to and watch the bar team at work) but what's great about this place is they have sofas attached to the bar in sections (hard to explain but they're great!) so you're not balancing on bar stools or chairs. My friend and I sat back and enjoyed our two cocktails each and had a great evening – the drinks were good and everyone was really helpful. And although it was busy I have to say, we didn't really wait long at all for our drinks – just the usual time you would expect for a good cocktail that's been made properly. Second time we went we had a couple more friends with us so booked a booth which was great too – cosy and as you're tucked off the main space you could hear everyone around the table. Only problem is if you are sitting in the middle and need the toilet! This time we had some of the food, can't remember all the dishes we went for but my definite favourite was the pork – really tasty. I'll definitely be going back there – spacious but intimate, nice polite staff and good food and drink – call me old fashioned but that'll do for me!

If a bar sells itself on deluxe cocktails they had better be a) deluxe and b) consistent. Unfortunately, the pricey drinks here are neither. Both of my Rossevelt Martinis tasted completely different, the second one being salty rather than sour and nothing said ‘deluxe’ about any of our varieties. The worst thing about this bar is the waiting. Not the waiter service, but the appalling 30 minutes it took to get a drink! And because of the chunky seating around the bar (full of exasperated customers gnawing at their hands), there was no way anyone could buy a drink there. We were told we'd have to wait anyway. And for this service we were charged £20. The food was OK, but the place is so dingy we didn't know what were were eating until we bit into it. The waitress never explained what it was. It was all served in an haphazard way with gaps of 20 minutes between certain dishes. It's a new place, granted, but to charge for quality service and drinks when there is anything but is offensive.