Primo Bar

Bar in Westminster
Primo Bar image
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8 / 10 from 1 review
Address
Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London
200 Westminster Bridge Road
Westminster
London
SE1 7UT
Map
Telephone
020 7620 7282
Region
Westminster
Nearest Station
Lambeth North
0.20 miles
Category
Bars
Opening Summary
12pm - late
Venue Facilities

Food Served

Big Screen TV

Disabled Facilities

Credit Cards Accepted

Live Music Played

Private Area

Masterful cocktails, chic design and the hottest local entertainers on the bar‚s own stage make Primo Bar one of London‚s newest places to see and be seen. Guests can enjoy a host of cocktails hand-crafted by a talented team of mixologists using the freshest ingredients. For stunning views to Big Ben, guests may reserve seating in the bar‚s exclusive VIP area. Open nightly until late.

Be sure to have your seat by 8.00pm for the free live music act due to hit the stage. The DJ gets the place jumping at 11pm with the latest tunes. This contemporary London bar on the South Bank is ideally located near the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, National Theatre and Royal Festival Hall.

All In London Review

I shall return – and not just on Ladies Night.

As Waterloo is the station where I arrive into London I am always keen to hear about nearby venues where I can meet folk on the way into and out of town – especially if they are smart, modern venues with a little “je ne sais quo”

So I met my friend at Waterloo and we wandered down the road for the two minute walk to the Park Plaza Hotel. Even though I know this area really well it’s a bit tricky to get to – after all, it is effectively on a roundabout at the back of the station – on the site of the old County Hall offices. There’s also a hotel entrance on the side of the road but you need to get into the middle bit.

Through the large glass doors and you are in a spacious airy but somewhat anonymous atrium – which shouts out “Hotel”! You take one of the enormous escalators in front of you and pass by some interesting massive copper wire like wall hanging sculptures at the sides.

At the top of the escalators we were faced with a large number of gentlemen in black tie. Not quite what we expected at a “Ladies Night” but we turned right into the Primo cocktail bar anywhere. The place was heaving – packed with conference and hotel guests as well as a fair few people just enjoying a drink. The lights were low and so were the dark sofas and everyone looked like they were having a great time. We were a bit flummoxed at this point and looked around for help.

We were directed to a small passageway at the left rear of the bar and were greeted by staff who reassured us that the Ladies Night event was through a narrow corridor and off we went. And we emerged into another bar area with an assortment of comfy low sofas and coffee tables with small, slightly elevated booths at the back. Everything was a sultry, sophisticated grey and there were tea lights everywhere – which was a shame as the large table lamps were rather exquisite. There was a reasonably sized bar – which allowed you to look through into the main bar – and at the side was a large red glass raised area where a DJ was playing some really great mellow chill out sounds.

The waitress consulted her list to find us a table. It seems that their First Thursday of every month Ladies Nights are extremely popular and she urged us to book in future – especially if we were with a large group. Didier the manager came over to see that we were happy with our seats – but we were already checking out the cocktail menu (Ladies Night – which runs from 6pm to 9pm - offers cocktails at £4 each which is considerably cheaper than anywhere else near here). Out of interest the wine list had some good options too and we were both surprised that bottles started at just £19.

With cocktails called Prude, Passion and Lust I played it safe by ordering a Black Diamond which looked like Ribena when it arrived but was a pleasant mixture of Cognac, fresh blackberry, Crème de Cassis, almond syrup and pomegranate juice. My friend played equally safe with a Ros’Ly which was champagne, rose and lychee. Both went down pretty quickly – perhaps with our thirst enhanced by the free nibbles on every table - and smoothly and another order was rapidly placed.

There were various leaflets and magazines on the table – Kosibah bridal and evening wear, some jewellery catalogues (Stella and Dot) and business cards for various other suppliers. We were encouraged to take a look at the stalls to the side of the bar. Here we found jewellery, nail, scarf, handbag, hand made Valentine’s Day cards, Caribbean cakes and a variety of other girlie goodies.

There was a shift in the music and we almost sang along to old numbers such as Ladies Night, I’m Every Woman, Young Hearts Run Free, Breathe (a Blu Cantrell favourite of mine) and Lady Marmalade. The DJ sure knows how to keep the ladies happy – there was even the McFadden and Whitehead classic “Ain’t no stopping us now”. Some of the larger groups of girls were clearly celebrating or starting their big night out – and there were balloons and a bit of squealing going on. The two girls near us tucked into some flatbreads and chicken satay.

Then a personal stylist took the microphone and we were treated to a chat about body shapes – hour glass, apples, rhubarb (athletic, boy-like physique) and pears. Four “volunteers” gamely turned up in their undies before being swept away to don outfits that flattered their different shapes. I have to say that we weren’t entirely convinced by the stylist’s choice but it was entertaining to watch.

Then a pair of bra-fitters from Harrods took to the stage to talk about the importance of a correctly fitted bra and how to ensure you were properly measured. Yet more demonstrations and we were encouraged to have our own personal fittings during the evening.

I have to say that it was a fun event at a really cool bar with excellent music. And it made a really pleasant change to be surrounded by women enjoying a thoroughly girlie evening’s entertainment. I shall return – and not just on Ladies Night.

Reviewed by KimT
Published on Feb 6, 2012


Easy listening and late night cocktails

The cocktail list at Primo Bar is exciting if expensive, then again, the Westminster Park Plaza is not a cheap hotel. And this is certainly a typical hotel bar; it’s all there, the piano, the easy listening singing which commences after 9 pm, the dim lighting which soothes the tired nerves of travellers, the stunning view of the Big Ben from the large windows. But anyway, the cocktails are great. The Vodka Crème Brûlée is as delicious as it sounds, a concoction of Grand Marnier, vanilla vodka and Frangelico. The Rosa martini goes down just like cordial, unsurprising then to find out it contains elderflower cordial along with rose liquor and champagne, it’s utterly refreshing. The classic cocktails (dry gin martini, vodka martini) fare well too, as they eschew cheaper spirits here in favour of Grey Goose vodka, Zubrowska, Tanqueray and Hendricks.

The food selection is small but good – although you should expect to pay over a tenner for the more substantial dishes, i.e. a sandwich or burger. The Spanish frittata is a large chunk of omelette filled with spinach in a tomato and onion sauce, plus it comes with a crunchy salad with finely sliced beans. A dish of buffalo mozzarella, baby plum tomatoes and rocket does exactly what it says on the tin, with the addition of a generous helping of ginger and olive oil dressing. More exciting than this is the cheese selection, which comprises Brie, a sharp, soft blue cheese, a very mature Cheddar, and what we guess to be a somewhat nutty Reblochon. Along with a mound of raisins and dried apricots, sweet bread and cherry jam it’s a great sharing platter.

Being just five minutes’ walk away from the South Bank, is it worth venturing here after your culture fix? Its intimacy will appeal to those on a late night rendez vous, and it’s certainly more likely to impress than Las Iguanas round the corner. It’s also open till very late, dependant on how busy it is, and food is served till midnight. So yes, it is worth coming here if you’re in the mood for splashing out on late night cocktails.

Reviewed by Leila
Published on Aug 16, 2011


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