Crazy Bear

I decided it was time to take a date to something a little more glamorous than a back table in a cosy pub, not that there's anything wrong with that mind, but sometimes it's nice to go a little James Bond and step out in style. I chose the Crazy Bear after reading a Time Out review and thought it the perfect place to take a rather stunning brunette for the evening. We were ushered in to grab the last two seats at one of the low tables and promptly given the Crazy Bear's extensive cocktail menu, the prices ranged from about ten pounds to..... well, about ten pounds really, there wasn't much price difference between drinks, unless you ordered the champers of course. While clucking over the menu we had a good look round the darkly lit basement bar that is the Crazy Bear, it was full of the reasonably well off after work crowd (this was a friday around eight) who all seemed at home in, what the Crazy Bear aspired for, an exclusive environment. A couple of tanned leggy Chelsea ladies strolled in and met another friend at the bar, all three kept tilting their heads to my date and I - I can only hope they were admiring how devastatingly gorgeous we both looked in the bar's dimly set lighting, but it was probably because one of us hadn't cut a price tag off a shoe or something.

We ordered a couple of cocktails - a strawberry something or other and an El Presidente, or was it called a Dictator? I'm not sure. Anyway the drinks arrived and mine (el strawberry) was delicious and very refreshing, my date's seemed to have a skinned pear floating in the middle of the glass and tasted a little too bluntly of brandy and not much else - so I'd say round one to me.

Next up was a gingery concoction that was downed in three gulps, tasty but not much to it, my date ordered something that you could use to clean the sink, I've forgotten its name but it could have been called a Mr Sheen or an Uzo.

So summing up - t's a bit try hard with the door staff - will we let you in/won't we - we're very exclusive don'tchaknow attitude, and the price of the cocktails is above average and certainly not worth the money, they also added on about a fiver for 'optional service charge' - this plainly wasn't optional as they just bunged it on my debit card and gave me the receipt - so perhaps quiz a member of staff before you hand over your plastic about this. The place was cosy enough but the music was also a little loud - i guess it was Friday - but still, and the mirrored toilets, though a good idea in theory came across as eightees novelty and could make you a little seasick - far too much reflection.

Crazy Bear you have been awarded THREE STARS - worth a look but get a bit of humour and a welcoming smile on the door staff, redecorate those bathrooms and drop all cocktails to seven or eight quid and you'll see me bringing another beautiful date through your doors. Probably blonde next time - ding dong!