Found tucked away in the Broadgate corner spot that used to be occupied by the Barracuda Bar, The Alice is a laid back spot right in the heart of the City. A bit less upmarket than some of the areas other bars, The Alice has a nice neighbourhood feel to it, coupled with the extensive food / cocktail menus and reasonable prices it’s easy to see why it’s such a popular after work destination.
The Venue
The first thing that strikes you about The Alice is the sheer size of the place. Even on a busy Friday night it is still relatively easy to find somewhere to sit, add to this the fact that The Alice boasts one of the longest bars of anywhere in the area it makes a great destination for after work or lunchtime drinks. While quirky it does also have the feel of a classic pub to it, with the wooden furniture and top bar promotions; but it is definitely at the higher end of this spectrum, and does not feel like some chain pubs tend to do.
The Alice is a quirky-cum-homely drinking spot in the City.
The Atmosphere
My visit was on a Friday night, so inevitably the place was buzzing. There were an abundance of groups crowding around each table and it had the distinct feel of a place where people were looking to let loose a bit after a long week at work. The DJ was playing a decent mix of old school hip-hop and R&B classics that went down well with the crowd, whilst the generous cocktail jugs seemed a popular choice, creating an atmosphere that went quickly from casual drinks to ‘night-out’.
The clientele consisted mainly of over 30s, most wearing suits or smartwear after having come straight from the office, but there was no pretence here, everyone seemed to be there simply to enjoy themselves.
Generous portions and a varied mix can be found on the Alice's menu.
The Food and Drink
The food at The Alice was reasonably priced and ample in size. The menu is fairly extensive, comprising of a varied burger selection, British classics like fish & chips and bangers & mash and a number of tasty wood oven pizzas. We opted for a 10oz Sirloin steak burger with herb butter and a pepperoni pizza. Both were cooked well and generous in size, the pizza especially seemed as though they had worked on perfecting the base, soft, yet still with a bit of crunch, just how it should be.
The drinks range is decent, a big selection of beers and wines is to be expected, whilst the cocktail jugs are both reasonably priced and strong in alcohol content, you certainly cant go wrong with one of those.
The Alice is perfect for groups of any size.
Summary
All in all The Alice ticks the boxes for an after work drinking hole that serves food. It combines all the aspects of a good pub whilst offering some of its own unique twists.
