The posh London bar crawl: Ember

Ella Baldwin finds a haven in the middle of rush-hour chaos

27 Jan 2017

This week, Ella Baldwin heads to the city to mingle with 'the money'

Where? Ember, Monument

Why go? Because Monument is always frantic - you need boxing gloves to escape the Tube at rush hour, and Ember is the perfect place for time out.

  1. As soon as you walk through the door, you'll become blissfully unaware of the sirens and angry commuters outside. It's the tinkle of soft music that lures you in, followed by an impossibly cheery lady who offers to take your bag. You'll notice your shoulders drop in a flash.
  2. The actual bar is underground. The stairs lead to a dark and sexy den decked out in squishy leather booths and a lit-up bar that looks as if it's been plucked straight from the set of Tron.
  3. The crowd is a mix of suited-and-booted City types - it's very sophisticated, but apparently the bar ramps up a notch on Fridays when the DJs take the decks. Don't worry, there's a separate secret wine bar for the dormouse in you.
  4. The food is pan-Asian but served on small tapas-style plates. Don't feel guilty about ordering a few with your drink - you won't regret the prawn and coconut ceviche.
  5. With one sip of Ember's 'Tea Ceremony' (that's jasmine-tea-infused saké and Cremorne sloe gin, lotus-root syrup, lemon and plum bitters), you'll be feeling quite zen.