Carbon London Review
If Carbon were a person it would be dark, sultry and maybe a little bit moody but ultimately so fabulous you would want to hang out with it all the time. Everything shouts pared-down cool, from the empty wine barrels on the wall (don’t worry, they’re fixed on, we checked) to the long chains hanging from the ceiling creating a semi-private area on the ground floor. Leather sofas, different levels of seating, exposed wood – Carbon is an experiment in texture and design, an experiment done well.
But it’s not all style and no substance. London has more than its fair share of ultra-chic cocktail bars – you can’t turn a corner without finding a new or old bar in the centre of town - but even so Carbon has managed to stand out in more ways than one.
To explain its popularity quite simply, here’s a question: have you ever met a person that doesn’t like cocktails? As in, they can’t stand any form of expertly made cocktail, be it Manhattan, Cosmopolitan, or even one of those surprisingly tasty non-alcoholic conceptions? Even if the answer to that question is yes, one of the quirky international beers from the list could probably tempt them, as could a tipple from the thoughtfully chosen wine list. The chances of not being drawn in are unlikely, which is why you’ll be hard pushed to find a person that isn’t going to enjoy a night out at Carbon.
It’s fast becoming one of London’s best bars – weekends find the venue brimming with people sipping on cocktails, soaking in the music provided by a mix of DJs and watching the very alluring barmen / good-looking waitresses (delete as appropriate) doing a very fine job of keeping everyone happy.
The cocktail menu is quite a tome, but aforementioned waitresses prove handy for those that need help navigating exotic creations such as the Rio Fuego or the alluringly named Addict.
Weekdays, however, are quieter affairs, when finding a free seat and table isn’t tantamount to finding the Holy Grail but is a much more manageable task for people who like their tipples without fuss, without waiting and without too much fanfare. The soundtrack hums along in the background, not quite masking the snippets of interesting conversation emanating from the surrounding tables peopled by professionals, tourists and the young and glamorous.
Your improved chances of getting a table also bring an opportunity to sample some of Carbon’s very decent food. Sandwiches, nibbles and a few pizzas pretty much sum up the food available but what’s there is done well and at a reasonable price considering the location (Around 6 to 13 pounds). The Cajun Chicken sandwich was suitably spicy and perfect when washed down with an exotic and utterly delicious Rio Fuego cocktail.
Many of the evening’s visitors looked like they’d settled in for the night, and who can blame them – the waitress kept on bringing the cocktails – and flicking through page after page of the menu, we kept on ordering.
Carbon is a rare London jewel, a high quality drinking and dancing joint that avoids being pretentious. So whether it’s a Saturday night party or a few mid-week snifters, get yourself down to Carbon – a classy must-do on any Londoner’s calendar.
Julianna Barnaby (03 11 2009)
Carbon London Description
Carbon is a 500 capacity late night bar launched in April 2007. Situated behind a huge metal door on Old Quebec Street, Carbon features an interior inspired by industrial glamour and brings low-key, yet sultry Shoreditch style to the West End.
The interior of Carbon is a fusion of concrete, brick, steel, mesh and leather; contrasting against the inviting, outsized Chesterfields, bevelled mirrors and sketches of 21st century industrial living that wittily pepper the walls. Elegantly architectural, Carbon has been designed to maximise space, privacy and the ability to be seen all at once. The venue has a large 14 metre bar, as well as a mezzanine champagne bar which hangs suspended over the lower ground floor. To access the mezzanine, guests climb the stairs adjacent to a two-story champagne wall, filled with some of Taittinger’s most expensive and rare bottles, including the Comtes de Champagne; a stunning champagne made from 100% Chardonnay and named in honour of Thibaud IV, the Count of Champagne (1201-1253).
Music is integral to the Carbon experience; with dance, rock and chill out mash-up DJ’s playing live until 1am every night of the week. The DJ booth is one of the most sought-after in the UK; its prominent position above the bar placing each DJ at eye level with champagne-sipping guests on the mezzanine floor. The interior design also includes a Chain Room, with giant, fixed steel chains hanging from floor to ceiling, creating the effect of a room within the main bar area. VIP’s inside the Chain Room can be seen from the outside; but not touched.
The toilets continue the theme of industrial glamour and excess. The walls are adorned with mock blueprints that explain how to handle 20th century tools. The ladies’ washrooms feature scribbled instructions detailing how to handle heavy-duty machinery, including drills and sanders. The gentlemen’s toilets show similar instructions; but on second glimpse, the instructions scrawled on to the walls are from the operating manuals for ovens, irons and household objects.
As much care has been taken with the drinks and bar snacks at Carbon as the intricate design details that make the venue unique. The bar menu is as inventive as the space itself, with house cocktails and bar snacks. Hosts and hostesses are dressed head to toe in workwear inspired get-ups.
Carbon has a 1am license and is open daily from 4pm til 1am
Customer Reviews for Carbon
The following customer reviews are not endorsed by Fluid London and are simply those of users who wish to publish their independent experiences of Carbon.
“Inside this place is ok once you're in, however... I have a massive problem with a place that says there is free entry before 10pm if you've gone to the trouble of putting yourself on their guest list. Then, when you arrive 20 minutes prior to 10pm they keep you waiting in line until exactly 10.01 so you have to pay the £15 cover charge.
Their reasoning that it takes 20 minutes to set up a till to enforce this rule is more than laughable.
On principle I'll never go back. It's not a bad place but not better enough than many others to get over that.”
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timmy, London (6 months ago)
“Luckily we didn’t have to pay the extortionate £20 entry fee because we arrived just as the place opened so rather than going to another bar 1st we just went straight in.
The venue nice, very dark & mysterious kinda has an old factory or warehouse feel (The darkness I found out later was probably to distract you from the pricelist) It’s very spacious however the space made the venue very cold.
The prices for drinks are ridiculous. We brought a bottle of Rose wine which cost £18. That would have been ok if it actually tasted decent. It was awful. A small bottle of sparkling water cost £3 & a shot of Wray & Nephews Rum was £10 plus 50p for a dash of coke. The whole bottle was £140.
The staff at Carbon are quiet rude and a bit up themselves. Some of the bouncers were very selective however there was one who was very nice. One guy who claimed to work there kept trying to move our group of 20 so he could seat some drunken wanna be WAGS in our seating area claiming it was reserved when there was no RESERVED sign anywhere. When I asked him who he was & why he wanted us to move he started talking down to as if I was stupid. I soon put him straight and told him our group was going nowhere. Here’s a tip for the staff. If you are going to work in hospitality look up the meaning and work from that.
The toilet attendant demanded that I gave her a tip for what I don?t know. She was all up in my face and actually tried to stop me from leaving the toilet area. Here?s another tip”
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[ Unknown ], London (6 months 19 days ago)
“Had an excellent nite...no problems getting in, music was good!!! (",)”
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[ Unknown ], London (1 years 4 months 16 days ago)
“Absolute nightmare, had to queue for an hour, then face intellect-free imbecile bouncers who let in only people they choose regardless of who's in the guest list. The mood is ruined even before you get in!
Skip this place for there are many worthy places around the area.”
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[ Unknown ], London (1 years 4 months 22 days ago)
Show all user reviews for Carbon
“What a disappointment! I went to carbon last week on a Friday for a friend's birthday, we decided to go there last minute, but out of all the girls we went with I was the only one who hadn't been there before.
I couldn't believe that we had to pay £15 just to get in, (but oddly enough some ppl only paid £10 even though they were NOT on a guest list!). Before I had even entered the building I was already annoyed, the girls on the door were so rude I really had to stop myself from slapping them. What’s with all the attitude? If you really don't like your job why are u doing it? And don't even get me started on the bouncers who were just letting in the girls they liked the look of.
And the cloak room! I mean honestly simple math skills were lacking, she couldn't work out the change and was charging some ppl £1 and other £2 to hang their coats and that’s after about 20 minutes of waiting in line!
The only thing that saved the night was the music - the Djs were very good and we got to shake a leg, which was the whole point of going! But overall I would really think twice before going there again!”
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Josephine, London (1 years 5 months 6 days ago)
“Stylish!”
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Niki Paksi, KT113AX (1 years 9 months 7 days ago)
“This should be a great bar and it was but the inevitable has happened unfortuantley i.e. guest lists + unreasonable entry charge. The guest list kicked of at 10pm on Saturday (way to early and should only be for the private function not the entire bar) and £15 was too much IMHO for this place. Anyway we managed to get in without paying anything - would rather not say how ;) - and once you're in its a great place. Sam”
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Samuel Daly, London (2 years 6 months 17 days ago)
“Christian Rose Day is talking out his be-hind, Carbon is nothing like the White House. The guys that approach you are friendly. Carbon has great and cheap cocktails (£6!), friendly staff, and excellent service, the best I've had in London at a bar EVER! Even the manager was exceptionally helpful when I called up to ask a few questions. All in all this is the best bar in London, it just needs more people. I would definitely go back. ”
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Tanya, London (2 years 8 months 4 days ago)
“Hot staff, check. Good cocktails, check. Selection of champagne, check. Great music, check. Someone on the phone all day to answer my calls about tables and guest lists and openeing times and how to get there and where is the nearest taxi rank, how much is the food, you get the point, actually check! 5 checks, 5 stars!”
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james bacon, london (2 years 8 months 7 days ago)
“What a bloody good night I had on Saturday. It was my birthday and everything about carbon made my night the door staff were great, the bar was packed but everyone was so friendly and chatting you didn't mind the wait. Everyone in there was just really friendly. I will be definitely going again. Maybe Funky Buddha, Paper..etc. should take a leaf out of carbons book it is a really good bar/club but not pretensious and the music was excellent. Cannot wait to go again!”
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Claire Curran, Kent (2 years 9 months 15 days ago)
“Fabulous... the drinks, the atmosphere, and the service. Carbon has alot of style.”
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Sarah Elliott, Maidstone (3 years 2 months ago)
“Lovely place, great cocktails fantastic staff and managers!! It's the place to be...”
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Alexandre Zune, Bordeaux (3 years 2 months 6 days ago)
Complete!
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Additional Information
- DJ
- Food
- Non-Smoking Area
- Cloakroom
- Dancing License
- Security
- Cuisine Type: Bar
- (Unknown)
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