Room for improvement

My visit to Southwark Rooms coincided with a staff noshow, leaving the genial manager to run the whole shebang on his lonesome.

Beseiged by thirsty punters, the poor bloke battled heroically in his role as greeterwaitercocktailshaker. Sympathetic to his plight, we patiently awaited our food and drink order - burgers (moist and meaty), Dirty Martinis (briny and ballsy) and Lemon Martinis (flat and Fanta-y).

Long hiatuses between his fleeting visits to our table left us with time for interior deconstruction. The main problem is that the shell still speaks of the dull 1970s local it once was. Tired brown shopfront windows are at odds with the clubby eclectic chic.

Green cut-out shapes and a hideous animal skin rug are applied to white walls, in a small room overstuffed with dark tables, chairs and chocolate leather sofas. It's like sitting in a box of Matchmakers, another bad 1970s idea.

The basement Lotus Lounge looked much more fun - a traditional flagstone-floored cellar tarted up with reds and oranges, cheap and cheerful Chinoiserie trimmings, and some Chesterfield sofas. Sadly, it was shut - even SuperManager couldn't work two floors.

Southwark Rooms
60 Southwark Street, SE1 1UN