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Eighteen Sky Bar sits on the eighteenth floor of the InterContinental hotel at the O2, and you can certainly see why they chose to put it there. The views from this place are spectacular. On one side of the room you look down at the murky waters of the Thames and across to Canary Wharf, while on the other you gaze over the expansive white canvas of the vast building. It’s seriously impressive, especially at sunset.
It also explains why everyone in the bar positions themselves beside a window, leaving a strange void in the middle of the room. Of course, it’s a wonder anyone’s here at all given the location, but the cocktails are good: strong, well-balanced and presented with a flourish. The snacks are less impressive: the tempura soft-shell crab we had was salty and overpriced.
This place won’t suit everyone. The glam decor definitely wasn’t for us, and there’s a lack of character that makes the place feel, well, like a hotel bar. But if you’re happy to focus on what’s beyond the windows rather than within, you won’t be disappointed.