Glo Glo’s

I’ve never eaten here, why have I never eaten here — they have a rack of ribs on the menu?!
So this is purely a booze review… I know, you’re shocked. Try and contain yourself.
Glo Glos fills me with mixed feelings. Maybe, because on a Saturday night it’s filled with Sloaney Poney type blondes with hair extensions. Yeesh. How did they get over the East London border crossing? The hipster gestapo clearly aren’t as freehanded with their scornful looks as they used to be.
But the Yokohama Collins is incredible. One of my favourite cocktails ever, Grey Goose pear, raspberries and ginger. According to the bartender, they creep up on you, but I remained unfazed. Not my first time out of the paddock, darling. Have you tried Polish vodka? No, well order yourself an Applegrass, you’ll thank me later.
I’m not sure how we were charged £15 for 4 cocktails, I guess us chatting up the American bartender about being Irish helped. GGs doesn’t have the warmth and appeal of some bars in the area, in fact it would fit in well in Soho, but it’s a good stop on your night out.

Un bar où le BAR est enfin au centre des attentions et de la salle. Toute la soirée tourne autour de ce bar ce qui donne un ambiance originale où l’on peut facilement discuter avec nos voisins ou communiquer avec d’autres clients à l’autre bout du bar.
Les serveurs sont super cools (offrent des verres, vous font des cocktails selon vos envies). Les prix sont un peu élevés mais on y passé vraiment une excellente soirée.
Une mini cuisine peut vous faire des petites brochettes super bien présentées histoire d’éponger un peu votre cocktail.
Une belle trouvaille.

Oh dear GG, what has become of you? From the exciting cocktails and Star Trek set up it was all ready to be my new favourite drinking den. Yes there were teething problems, the service was slow and not very attentive and the cocktail menu was small but we let that slide. Not when I come back and it gets worse though.
Entering in we sit at the bar. At least this way I’m more likely to get served in a reasonable time. Not so lucky. The staff were so busy fooling around and tapping themselves on the back that they didn’t even notice me waving with thirst right in front of them. Another bad sign was when I asked for an Aviation. No they have never heard of it before… YOU CALL YOURSELF A COCKTAIL BAR? This is just plain silly. So I get a bramble which comes out all syrupy and no fruit or gin flavour left to identify. It was tragic.
The place is also crammed full of idiots. Painfully thin girls hanging onto the bar, flicking their hair extensions and gents in vests, cut lower than my own. There was so much hope for GG’s and it’s all gone to pot. Sorry guys, you’ll have to try harder if you want me back drinking in here.

Another matchy-​matchy accessory review to Vicky L’s one on this page (we hang out too much).
From the guy who bought you the restaurants E&O in Notting Hill, X O in Belsize Park and Eh O in Teletubbies land, restaurateur Will Ricker introduces his Japanese inspired cocktail lounge to Shoreditch.
To enter Glo Glo’s locate the orange door by the Great Eastern Dining Rooms and follow the stairs downstairs. Fear not, lost friends will still be able to find you as usefully one does get a phone reception once down there.
We went to Glo Glos as part of my birthday celebrations and it was the first week after it opened. I arrived very early straight after work and it was quite empty, however after a few hours the place did fill up. I reserved a very comfortable booth with leather seating that we could have kept for the whole night if we didn’t have further plans (aka if we could actually afford to). Food is an option as there is a Japanese grill sizzling away on the side serving yakitori dishes. The staff are really helpful and friendly — and quite flirty with the guys in our group. I loved the fact that they bought us a big jug of water for the table without us having to ask (and not being made to feel a shameful pauper in asking for tap water rather than bottled).
I did have a good time but overall I was slightly disappointed with the Glo Glo’s experience — for the price of the drinks, I would expect them to be a bit stronger. I wasn’t even mildly tipsy by the end of the visit and it was my birthday after all. Plus I would like more consistently with the tacky plastic toys in our drinks — there was much disappointment within the group when some friends who ordered the same drinks got toys, whilst others did not — this wouldn’t happen at Trader Vics!

Yikes. When you spend a bomb for a few many drins and all walk away discussing «WTF how did it come to that» then it’s totally not worth it. 3 cocktails later and I wasn’t not giddy from the quality or the quantity of drink. For the amount we spent; we should totally be high on alcohol and giddy from the ammmmazingness of the delights of drinking cocktail. Case in point? Once, at the Trailer of Happiness, I was nearly refused service for my second drink because it was a) so alcoholic b) so unbelievably good that it was like some sort of drug. At that price range they are shooting for? Please, Drug cocktails not Blah cocktails.
The service was super attentive though. After they found out we were pretty much OBSESSED with animal decorations on our cocktails, we got a little animal on our drinks for the next round.
Oh yeh and Lizzie is right. It looks like a space ship. Either that or some sort of mental hospital arranged in booths. It was all very white and shiny.
(PS we had a fabulous time because it was Zara L’s BDAY and she is totally fabulous.)

This is a new place, which I visited just a few days after it had opened. Unfortunately, the whole place reeks of pretentiousness, which just seems vastly out of place in it’s Shoreditch location.
The actual bar area is rather cool, with a nice ambience and I liked the seating that goes all around the bar, but there seem to be a few simple design faults.
For example, when you come in you are greeted by a hostess in a reception area, but because of where the toilets are situated, anyone coming out of them whacks you with the door should you be standing at the desk.
There is also a small open grill-​style Japanese kitchen in the actual bar area, which meant that we could smell a strong smell of fish the whole time we were in there.
The staff were vary welcome and accommodating, as well as attentive, but the biggest let-​down were the drinks.
I didn’t see any cocktails served the whole time that I was there that weren’t served in martini glasses or champagne flutes, and my rather average £8 cocktail (one of the cheapest on the menu) was all over in about 3 mouthfuls. It is obvious they want you to spend a lot of money (and tip as well on top of that), but it would’ve been nice to have had the option of a long drink as well.
I don’t think I’ll be going back!

This place is super chic. Way too chic for a fancy dress pub crawl but I’m sorry. We didn’t know! We came in our massive group of 11 and were given seats at the bar. Unfortunately there weren’t enough seats for everyone so some of us had to stand. Note: these are not normal bar seats. They’re actually leather couches that are connected to the bar kind of like a booth. While it looks cool, its not very practical for large groups and resulted in us raising the ire of the Ginger bar Nazi.
Ms. Ginge was not happy that our large group was blocking the service area. Again, not really our fault as the bar isn’t designed for people to stand around. We tried out best but were told off at least three times. She even told me off for standing near the service area, while I was taking a picture, mid-​flash. I think that fact that we were spending a chunk of cash in the place slipped her mind.
Aside from the service area antics, our bartender was super nice and made an *amazing* Singapore Sling. It tasted like candy and if it wasn’t for me seeing her pour the spirits into the shaker, I would have questioned whether I was given a virgin cocktail. The atmosphere also was very cool and I would defintely come back just in a smaller group.

I have to say, I never get this far east without a good excuse, as it’s a royal pain to get from Camden to Shoreditch via public transport. However, I now have a reason and it is this hidden little bar here. Minimalist yet super inviting with cocktails that sounded and tasted straight out of a Mad Men episode. the Singapore Sling went down smooth as kool-​aid and I wanted more! More, I tell you!
I was also apart of the fancy dress party (sorry, Glo Glo… we didn’t realise how out of place we would be) however, every staff member/​bar tender that I spoke to embraced our outlandish outfits.
Will I be back? Without a doubt. I’m bribing my friend to make the commute with me simply so I can bask at the bar again and watch the very talented bartenders whirl their bottles.

This bar screams for stars, (in an orange-​y, space age-​y way) and after certainly being up for the ‘most annoying patrons’ award, I’m happy to report the service, the cocktails, the atmosphere did not falter.
It’s small but not claustrophobicly so, it’s uncomplicated but not simple, it’s minimalist but not boring, and above all — it is all about the cocktails. (And the meat. Seriously, there was a pork chop sighting that brought animalistic cravings to even the most omnivorous of our motley crew, but that’s beside the point…) This is the type of establishment where you can name your favourite spirit and be introduced to your new favourite cocktail. It may even have a plastic giraffe in it, because really, who’s above plastic animal garnishes? This type of mixology-​forward venue is exactly what is missing in the London bar scene, and I’m happy to now include Glo Glo’s on my list of this exclusive and growing community.
Find the orange door, descend the stairs, and meet one of London’s most innovative cocktail bars. You won’t be disappointed. (Fancy dress however is NOT advised.)