Pitcher & Piano

You can have a drink, you can eat something — nothing special. But there is one really annoying issue: despite the bouncers, you are always begged for money if you sit at one of the tables close to the entrance. And it is not just for charities …

I was strolling past this place on the way home when a pal I haven’t seen for about a year accosted me. I’m not sure if I’ve been here before, but I will come again. Despite being a huge bar it somehow seems to create a certain intimacy.
The service was efficient and quick, the ambience is classy but cosy. The lighting is subdued and the acoustics are fine, in a lot of bars you end up shouting to make yourself heard, not because it’s too loud, but because no-​one can understand what anyone is saying due to sound ricocheting off every hard surface.
The clientelle is very City but not snobby (which is actually the rule rather than the exception), if you are a guy you are probably wearing a suit, if you are a girl you are probably wearing a posh frock, if you are not, that’s OK too.
It’s strictly wine, lager and cocktails, real ale zealots need not apply, I didn’t eat here so I can’t comment on the food.
I know that this is another chain, but there is a fair variation in the P&P places and certainly in terms of interior, customer base.
I’ve worked about 300 metres from here for 3 years and at most this was my second visit, I am sure that it won’t take another 3 years to double that visit count.

HATED IT.
Came here for after work drinks and nibbles with some colleagues and I have to say, from the crappy atmosphere to the poor service to the bad food, I hated almost every moment of my time here.
Worst part of the evening? I ordered a steak sandwich for dinner, famished after not eating all day. I was delivered a cold, soggy mess with orange flavored onions on top. When I finally found our waitress to send it back (30 minutes later), it came out again the same way. What part of cold didn’t compute?

This Liverpool Street branch of national chain Pitcher and Piano is cleverly located to attract City Workers whose commuting station is Liverpool Street. The crowd is definitely predominantly workers from the Square Mile. The music is super cheesy, the house wine is cheap (£14 a bottle and surprisingly it doesn’t taste of vinegar) but be warned that the bar gets very busy, particularly on a Thursday and Friday night. It’s lucky then, that there’s a huge amount of seating inside on the two floors this bar occupies. The food menu is very good, especially for sharing. I tend to opt for the baked Camembert and bread — just the ticket with a glass of Vin rouge. I’ve been removed from here at some godforsaken hour because the bar was closing, singing my little heart out, Funnily enough, the more you drink, the better the music seems. Last time i was there my evening peaked with the playing of Depeche Mode ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’. Fantastic.
I would never insist anyone go here, but Pitcher and Piano is the kind of bar that people seem to find themselves in far too frequently (is that just me?!). A good venue for a works night out, just watch out for wasted, lecherous, suited blokes with illusions of grandeur!

The moment I walked into the Pitcher & Piano I was struck by how immediately out of place I was. This place reeks class and is a very popular haunt of businessman throughout the day, appearing from their offices for some upmarket pub nosh or a quick shot of something strong.
I sat down nearest the front door and just soaked up some of the atmosphere… in front of me, a middle-​aged man was being comforted by a merciless looking woman. It transpired through (an accidental eavesdrop) their conversation that she was his divorce lawyer and they were meeting for a coffee and a chat. To my left, a woman who could well of come from the front covers of Vogue was having a lunch with a man who looked like he couldn’t quite believe his luck. In front of the bar, you could hear the raucous banter of about six colleagues, looking to enjoy their lunch. This IS London.
There is a cloakroom for the weekend nights when the place turns into a bar-​cum-​club (the dancefloor being on the floor beneath the bar), and little alcoves where people can sit and have moderate privacy. though I imagine when it is busy this is where guys brings girls to drink and to whisper sweet nothings. a little sunken seating area with red leather sofas is a nice touch, perhaps for VIP’s at nights. The pub food looks scrumptious and the range of food available is large without being too expansive. The place is already preparing for Christmas with a host of Canapé and XMas menus available at each table. A very interesting place. somewhere I will be taking my girlfriend, no doubt.

Although Pitcher&Piano is a chain, it does depend on its location as this changes the scene of people and what the bar has to offer.
Bishopsgate Pitcher&Piano is a place for those whom enjoy the city types! Always packed on a Thursday and Friday evening with all the city workers en mass after a busy and stressful day in the office. A big venue with the choice of segregated areas depending on your needs. As you walk in the door to your right are tables with only two fixed singles sofas either side, where as on your right are a mix of larger tables and movable chairs. As you enter up a few stairs to the bar the music gets a bit louder and groups of people standing around the bar are just as interested in people leering as they are in their conversation. Downstairs is a whole area that is a dance floor when it is not being hired out to private parties or functions.
Food is definitely a must. The ultimate sharing platters of houmous, olives, breads and cold meats and if you just fancy some chips they are delicious too! Definitely a venue for a night with a group of work mates whom you might not know very well as the atmosphere is quite lively and there are plenty of antics to watch! Also being situated opposite Liverpool Street tube is an added bonus to anybody who needs to travel home. A conveniently situated bar.