The London Sky Bar

Personally i kind of enjoyed this place though i didn’t order anything. It was awesome that you don’t have to pay to check out the view of London unlike the outrages prices of the London Eye… So anyone keen to take a few happy snaps of London at night for free then this place is for you… Prices on the menu seemed to be a bit pricey but at least they don’t charge you just to come up and have a look and it’s worth a gander. I’m not sure if it ever gets packed to be honest… The place seemed empty with a dull vibe… But hey it didn’t cost anything :) Would i go back? Not to eat or drink but YES to take some proper photos of London on my DSLR :)

We didn’t actually plan to visit to Sky Bar, but we’d just come out of a film at Reels on the ground floor and a gentleman asked us if we’d like to check it out. Sure, why not. It’s on the 28^th floor, so there are good views of the city, but other than that I’m not sure there’s much else to recommend it. Toilets were cramped and not terribly smart, the venue felt a bit sterile, and the atmosphere was hardly pumping. Just lacking somehow. Plus, all the lifts up and down seemed very temperamental — there was a lot of beeping and refusing to budge, and then the visual display started malfunctioning. Never a fan of a dodgy lift, especially when I have to trust it to get us up and down 28 floors. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

I attended the New Year’s Eve function here with a small group of friends. What could have been a spectacular evening was utterly spoiled by a severe lack of coordination. To begin with, after paying a hefty ticket price, we were charged a cloakroom fee of £2 per coat. The event was spread across several floors but there was much confusion as to who was allowed on which floor. Security staff were rude and unhelpful. Food was passable and plentiful but the drinks were a shambles. Very few serving staff could speak English and they were confused as to the token system being operated. There was a great view of the fireworks but the midnight countdown was unenthusiastic and lacking in atmosphere.
All up we did manage to have an ok night only to be spoiled by or minicab not turning up because the road outside was closed. Surely this could have been advised in advance?

I have been told by Community Managers– a plenty that we should be weary about Unilocaling about a Groupon experience, but I feel like I should for this one. So for the rule-​followers: you have been warned.
I haven’t purchased a Groupon in a long time, but my friend had an extra to spare of a place that supposedly had the best view of London with the hottest ticket during the Diamond Jubilee weekend. So I ditched my lonely, low-​brow previous plans goodbye and whipped out the pink bowtie. Because when you’re in London, right?
When we got there we were immediately greeted by the door persons who happily took our coupons. So far, so good. We got our free food and drink tickets and headed to the 28^th floor. On our way we noticed that the drink ticket said soft. We started to get the idea that we had to pay more for our alcohol. Indeed this was true. However, the set drink we got with the ticket was actually pretty good, despite the non-​existent alcohol in it.
When we entered the place, there was an area to check coats with a rack, but no one was there to man it. So we ended up throwing our coats in a random pile somewhere in the club after we got settled, despite the fact there was nowhere to sit. Granted, we arrived a bit late past the opening time, but the fact that we were not told the Groupon didn’t include coat check got us (there was nothing in the fine print about it, so we turned the other cheek).
The ambiance of the club did not look anything like the photos we were shown from Groupon nor their website. However they did unclassily turn on some neon lighting for our enjoyment despite them not thinking about it BEFORE the guests arrived.
Throughout our time there the bus person dropped glasses four times. Luckily, the dishes were plastic, but he was mopping up spills off the floor, tables, and even people’s nice dresses. I felt bad for them but it felt like he didn’t get the proper training he needed to deal with crowds of the size that showed up to redeem mother bargain.
The view was actually really great, despite the fact it doesn’t really go around 360 degrees like they advised everywhere. The view does however allow people to see for miles towards the east side, so I guess that’s all the view that you need. That side of London is the best!
Our ticket included free food. However, when I waited 10 minutes for the non-​Groupon holders (you know, the regulars unlike myself who can afford this place anyways for 79 quid?!), and 20 minutes for a simple burger I found out that they didn’t have veggie burgers. I decided to wait for the appetisers that came out AFTER the main course didn’t have any veggie options.
Granted, they did play some floor fillers that brought a great time on the dance floor. I had a great time hanging out with the different, younger crowd that the offers brought!
Overall, I wasn’t thrilled. I always get great experiences with Groupons because most places want you to come back to pay full price, but this place did not persuade me. Maybe if they lowered the regular price to the Groupon price, then maybe I’ll come back kicking and screaming to try it once more to win me over.

An up-​and-​coming high brow-​ish venue.
Sky Bar appears to be an attempt to import that sexy LA /​Miami clubbing angle into London. I particularly appreciate this since Londoners for some reason don’t seem to do sexy very well (or even dance, for that matter).
It certainly looks money on their website, but there’s still much polishing to do.
Firstly, the property has plenty of potential not least with the 180 degree view of the city. But the venue feels too much like an office space, with white gypsum ceiling boards and all. It’s reminiscent of a Kiwanis meeting room (for you North Americans who catch my drift). If the thick condensation on the windows wasn’t telling enough, it would’ve been nice to let in a bit of air to cool the place down.
The bar staff was polite and sufficiently capable though the bar area itself looked incomplete, both in its collection of liquor and mood lighting. Having said this I’d like to give props on the full Patron collection — I’m certain someone has insisted on this.
Being an upscale venue I’d expect the security staff to behave befittingly. Sergent Crazy (that bald-​headed meat head in a black suit who looks like a navy cut-​out working on the evening of Sep 17^th), barking impolitely at well-​dressed, well-​mannered and compliant guests, could do with a bit more class. He makes people feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. The bouncers should also not be allowed to drink — it’s just plain sloppy.
In the venue itself the staff should do well to mop the floor often. I’ve witnessed two near misses and a hard tumble on the slippery dance floor. Not sexy.
A few aesthetic pieces would’ve done well to hide the nooks and gaps in between seats; bushy plants would’ve done nicely.
The DJ — no doubt this guy knows what he’s doing. Nice balance of current dance/​house and hip hop without cutting into top 40’s too much (this ain’t no bar mitzvah). The sound level was adequate but may be a bit too loud in the tight corners. I recommend trimming down on the treble.
I know it’s a tall order but… it’d be awesome to have open air space on the 29^th floor, much like the Ghost Bar in Vegas or Elevate in LA — it would work nicely with the 29^th floor aspect. Just sayin’.
Doors open between 2230 to 2300, line forms circa 2130. No trainers, tasteful jeans acceptable. On the night of my visit, cover was GBP 20 for the dudes and free entry for the ladies.