• Added: 14th of November 2006
• Area: Barbican
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London EC1Y 4SB

nikos said
cool and unusual
..first thing you notice after descending into the 'guts' of Parker McMillan's are the arched rooms with their distinctive exposed brickwork (Victorian perhaps?) Normally this sort of thing can feel a bit claustrophobic as the arched ceilings are a bit low and you also find that in the event of an emergency you'll probably meet your end in one or other of those room-vaults.. ..but.. with a little bit of creative lighting (mostly brothel-red) the atmosphere has been mellowed considerably and chances of panic attacks suppressed..
..sadly I wasn't there in time for the burlesque Shakespearian performance but people told me it was very good.. ..so.. next time..
..bar was ok (they even have some beer-on-tap which cocktail people may frown upon but having spent most of my years in London as a student I always have an eye out for value(=volume)-for-money; also sometimes you just feel like a bloody pint of Guinness, right?).. and the bar-stuff could do with a bit more vigilance and a bit less ice in the cocktails.. ..but not too frustrating overall..
..the music I can't remember which means that it was a) unremarkable but also b) not annoying.. so I'll give it a strong pass..
..the people.. ..well.. it's not really fair to judge Parker McMillan's from the clientele of that night as it clearly comprised some of the coolest types that roam the bars and clubs London (and live to tell about it on Trusted Places afterwards ;-).. ..but it was great to see old faces and some new faces :-)
..possibly the only problem with this bar is its location (which cannot really be attributed to the bar itself but there we are) ..some of us felt a bit thirsty still after the bar closed but being in the City there weren't many walking-distance late-night bars/clubs around so the crowd dispersed sadly back to their homes for a cup of tea and some zzzz's..

..overall a very special bar certainly worth a visit (Jazz nights sound particularly enticing!)