drinking at the rumpus room | the southbank.

 

I'm not the biggest fan of living in London - something I've mentioned on this blog many times before. However, there is always an exception to the rule, and my exception is that the one absolutely brilliant thing about London is that there is always somewhere new to find somewhere amazing to have a cocktail in. I'm a big fan of cocktails - I think it's the variety of choice, I'm like a kid in a sweet shop.

Also, if I'm being kind to London, it would be hard to ignore how brilliant the city can be when the sun is shining and you find yourself on a roof terrace overlooking the brilliant buildings the city has to offer. 

Rumpus Room then was a pretty hard choice to ignore for a Friday afternoon drink after work, combining unusual cocktails and some of the best views of St Pauls London has to offer from its roof terrace.

Hidden away in the Mondrian hotel in the Sea Containers building on the Southbank, you could easily walk by without knowing it's there. After all, it's not even the most famous bar in the Mondrian hotel - it's sister bar, the Dandelyan, is apparently currently the third best bar in the world. The hotel itself is pretty swanky, with one of the fanciest lobbies I've seen in a long time, and all you have to do is ask hotel staff to direct you to a lift to whizz you up to the 12th floor. 

One of the first things you notice about this bar is that the amazing interior doesn't stop on the ground floor lobby. It's probably one of the most "Instagrammable" places I've been to in London - marble tables, blush pink menus, blue velvet seats and of course these pretty awesome gold stools. I'm already thinking of how I can get past security in the lift and sneak one home...

Three cocktails were ordered, the first two were both recommendations from the waitress who was super helpful. We started with the East India Elixir - a nice little mix of gin, tea and absinthe. Quite a fancy little gin and tonic! The next was a Harry's Legacy - a mix of Dubonnet and gin - and a tribute to Harry Craddock, one of the most famous bartenders from the 1920s and a little hat tip to the 20s theme of the Rumpus Room. 

The third cocktail was my favourite; it was called Milk Pays the Bills and is usually non-alcoholic with a mix of pineapple juice, orange juice, almond milk and lime, but I added bourbon. It was again another hint to the prohibition theme of the bar, as many bartenders in 1920s America spent their time creating Sundaes instead of cocktails. 

At £12 a pop, this bar is not the kind of place to go and get slaughtered, and for me is definitely more of a treat than your average venue for Friday night drinks. Having said that, £12 is not that unheard of in London...

Honestly, though, the cocktails, the interior and the service were great, but I'd pay to go back again just for the view alone. I think it's somewhere special that manages to make you feel like you're secluded when actually you're at one of the busiest parts of South Bank. 

Have you got any other recommendations for roof-top bars in London?