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“I APOLOGISE on behalf of London”. These were the words I found myself uttering to a friend last Saturday as the best-laid plans for a night out fell to pieces.
We started off at a well-known bar in Notting Hill, where the barman confidently informed us that he could make any cocktail under the sun – only to retract his statement in what appeared to be a crisis of confidence. (He recommended we have a Cosmopolitan or a Caipirhina as he wasn’t sure he could make anything else). Then there was the powercut, although that was actually great fun – especially as Patsy Kensit walked in halfway through.
We then moved on to a restaurant in Charlotte Street, where we waited more than an hour outside in the cold before we got a table. We surfaced from the restaurant at 11pm in search of a digestif only to find that all the bars nearby were shut.
Out of desperation, we wound our way to Soho (always a bad idea, particularly on a Saturday night, I know), where we waited half an hour at the bar before getting served.
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Once we had our drinks, we were moved from one area to another as the bouncers disagreed about where we should stand – we ended up standing in front of the open kitchen.
My friend, who lives in Dublin, was nonplussed by the whole evening, as was I. But, despite having some of the best bars and barmen in the world, poor service and overcrowded bars are all part of the London experience.
Research by TNS published in this report shows that consumers are increasingly choosing to drink in the comfort of their own homes rather than go out. This trend, combined with the implementation of the smoking ban, should provide food for thought for the on-trade. As July 1 looms, owners of licensed premises must ensure that they are offering their customers a night out that cannot be replicated at home if they want to see their businesses grow. But, judging by the people we spoke to for this report, dynamic members of the on-trade are already working hard to make their offer unique and exciting.
Fionnuala Synnott
report editor
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