If there’s one thing you’re sure to find in London over the winter, it’s cosy Après-themed bars where you can snuggle up with your friends and have a drink.
I recently visited one of them – The Après Bar at the London Bridge Rooftop – which you’ll find just a few minutes’ walk from London Bridge station.
The Après Bar at the London Bridge Rooftop is just a few minutes’ walk from London Bridge station. (Image: Emily Davison)
Open until March, this bar has been decorated with a vintage ski lodge theme, complete with props, a cable car and a photo booth.
Currently the venue is decorated for Christmas with festive trees and lights, if you’re not quite ready to let go of Christmas yet.
But if you’re worried about getting cold, the bar is also covered along with outdoor heating, so you don’t feel the chill.
Currently the venue is decorated for Christmas with festive trees and lights. (Image: Emily Davison)
After walking up several flights of stairs for a touch of post-Christmas cardio, we sat down to order drinks, first beginning with a classic teapot of mulled wine, which was sweet and very delicious as far as mulled wines go.
The teapot comes with a little heater to keep it warm, along with a selection of spices so you can customise it to how spicy or sweet you prefer.
We began with a classic teapot of mulled wine, which was sweet and very delicious as far as mulled wines go. (Image: Emily Davison)
But if mulled wine isn’t your thing, they also have a very wide selection of cocktails, including all the classics and a winter cocktail menu which I tried.
From the cocktail menu we first tried LBC, which was described as a mix between a Pina Colada and a Passion Fruit Martini, and the Mad Hatta in the Mountains, which was a punchy mix of Bacardi, orange and pineapple.
They also serve food including their popular smashed burgers, with plant-based options available too, which we also tried and were very good, with a generous amount of sauce.
Their popular smashed burgers were very good, with a generous amount of sauce. (Image: Emily Davison) We finished with another round of cocktails including the Bridge Over the Brambles, which was a take on the classic Bramble with gin and Crème de Mur, and the Cinnamon Roll Steazy, which was a warming mix of cinnamon, cherry and spiced Bacardi and topped with toasted marshmallows.
This was definitely my favourite out of the cocktails I tried, and the cinnamon gave it a little kick against the sweetness of the cherry.
They have a very wide selection of cocktails, including all the classics and a winter cocktail menu. (Image: Emily Davison)
This bar also offers a 90-minute bottomless brunch for £35 a person between 12pm and 1:30pm.
The place has a really relaxed feel, with plenty of space for big gatherings and get-togethers, and is somewhere I’d visit again this winter.