The Shard

You won't believe how important it is to research these type of places beforehand otherwise you would be completely lost!

So there are actually 4 main floors of restaurants and bars but one of them is located on the 35th floor and you have to take another elevator to get there. We wanted to check out the three floors 31st, 32nd and 33rd where the main bars are. 

The lift will take you straight to the 32nd floor and you can then decide where you want to go. You just need to keep telling the security guards where you're going. You have to act like you know what you're talking about that's why I thought let me indulge you all with this information so you would all be better prepared.

Atrium Bar

The first bar we went to was at Aqua Shard and it was called the Atrium Bar. The name can get confusing! This area was completely baffling at first. It's very dimly lit and we didn't expect it to be so packed on a Tuesday evening. People are actually fighting for tables. You have to be very sharp eyed and quick in grabbing a table to sit down at- especially when there is a whole group of you as someone will take your seat straight away! 

The service was slow. Not many people are aware of how much the drinks cost and especially if you don't drink alcohol. I checked out the menu beforehand and realised that the cocktails cost over £15 so I knew what to expect. When we finally got served I had to ask how much the soft drinks and mocktails were as some of my friends don't drink alcohol and it wasn't listed on the menu. So they said they could make any type of mocktail we wanted and they costed around £9 and the soft drinks were £3.50. (Hopefully this gives you a rough idea of what the price and atmosphere is like now.)

Shanghai Bar

This was a better bar in terms of space and had a bit of a different layout as it has a Northern Chinese theme. This is located at Hu Tong - just above the Atrium Bar. We were able to mingle around and there were less people at this bar. I also saw that they had private areas where you can close the doors so there is a no disturbance from other people which was quite cool. I'm assuming this was for people who were dining. The drinks were similar priced as the Atrium bar but overall Shanghai had a very different atmosphere compared to Aqua. 

Oblix Bar

This was by far the best bar in The Shard. Excellent service, very spacious, open areas and there were actually plenty of empty seats!!! The bartender was also very friendly. The menu looked so much more appetising than the others (mainly because there were desserts lol and they were at a decent price for £6.50) 

- Flourless chocolate cake, served with vanilla ice cream

- Seasonal fruits

- Summer berry éclair served with lemon yoghurt ice cream 

They actually had 3 non alcoholic drinks on the menu which cost £8.50, and the cocktails cost £12.50 so this was in fact a cheaper menu with a better atmosphere and service. 

Hope this information helps if you ever decide to visit The Shard.

Boh prem

Jai Shri Krishna

xxx