Bars & Pubs

Sister to the Bank Aldwych restaurant, this cocktail bar was all the rage in the early 1990s. Times have changed but not the long, gleaming zinc counter and service behind it. The quality is illustrated by the five immaculate champagne cocktails (£9) including a Bank Spring Punch of Ketel One Citron, passion fruit purée and champers, and the 15 Bank signature cocktails (£7-£7.50), such as a De-Congestion Charge of Matusalem Platino, Chambord, watermelon, passion fruit and raspberry purée. Caribbean rarities hide amid the high-end spirits - Gosling Black Seal and Clement Première Canne Bleue rums from Bermuda and Martinique, for example - and twice-weekly DJ sessions make a valiant attempt to reduce the average age of the clientele.

Time Out Bars, Pubs & Clubs Guide 2008/9