High Drinks

Went for a drink tonight in the Gong bar on the 52nd floor in the new Shang-ri-La Hotel in The Shard. Needless to say, the views were great and it was such a clear night you could see the boundaries of London and the countryside beyond - a new experience for me. Its strange to see a familiar place from a new angle.

It's a really impressive operation; all of the staff were so good, really professional but very friendly and with no attitude. So often in London, the newest "in" places have such a terrible disregard for their customers. I can think of one other rooftop bar where you're made to queue outside on the street to give the impression that they're oh so popular and really busy, then you get inside and find its really quiet with loads of empty tables! (never again - once bitten twice shy). You're in no doubt that they're doing you a favour letting you in and make you feel privileged to be spending money there, not them being grateful for your custom. Anyway, rant over, I know this is Blipfoto and not TripAdvisor!

So, I shoved the compact in my bag before I left for work this morning. I caught a beautiful sunset shot but it was spoiled by the reflection from the windows and I decided to go with this cleaner one from earlier in the evening instead. There's still bit of reflection from the external steelwork which is difficult to avoid. I'll return sometime with the Canon and hopefully get some better shots.....when I've saved up - ouch, the drinks are a bit pricey! But worth it, there's a bit of theatre with the way they present some of the cocktails - for instance "The Big Smoke" - it comes with an infusion/smoking bowl of herbs and spices and I was told its a sniff and sip experience! It might sound a bit pretentious but in fact it was great fun and served up with a lot of charm.