Yager Bar

Now tell me I’m going to a sports bar and I will laugh in your face… However this was not bad. I went for a quick cocktail with a friend on a very quiet Monday and the service was friendly, the place tidy and light. The cocktail was okkkk however insanely sweet. For the Euros this place would be great to catch the game but otherwise I probably won’t be back!

went there to watch the soccer world championship finals 2014
— conveniently located just a few steps from St. Paul‘s Cathedral
— the pub comprises two floors with modern architecture and a balcony/​terrace (it was so crowded that I cannot describe it better :-))
— since it was absolutely crowded and exceptional circumstances for a pub/​bar I cannot really assess the food offered (on this evening there were only sausages offered and it took as more than 30 minutes in the queue to get a sausage and there ought to be pretzels, but no one sold them?)
— the screen outside was not the best (pretty fuzzy), the atmosphere was okay, but not overwhelming
Conclusion: It was okay, however, there are better «German pubs» to watch soccer in London!

I will try my best to not be bias as this meal was complimentary after our poor experience during our first visit. After our second visit we can say it is not their usual standards but probably because our first visit coincidentally collided with the Lovestruck dating event so they were extremely busy that night. However it does show they still need to work on service and coping with busy nights as I don’t think this place would be a first choice during Christmas season.
Some people might differ as they do have a very attractive cocktail offer Monday-​Friday from 5pm-​8pm where a good selection of cocktails are 50% off and plus a large TV screen to enjoy football on the big screen.
On our second visit we found the place substantially busy around the bar area but reasonably quiet in the seating area. It is a place more for drinks than a formal dinner as the noise level is still quite high with loud music in the background. It’s not a place suited for everyone but we did not mind. I mean it is a beautiful venue just beside the Millennium Bridge on St Pauls side going across the Thames. Blues and violet filter lighting against dark wooden tables, a very cool and funky look and all very well maintained.
It was definitely more organised this time with a front of house member present at the entrance to tick off bookings and greet you in. We were immediately attended to and service remained attentive, friendly and very efficient throughout our meal.
After our first visit I decided to stick to their burgers as sampling from their sharing platters most of their foods are just reheated pies and fried foods. It’s more suited for nibbles whilst eating rather than a meal on it’s own. But the good news is that a new menu will be launching in May with more wholesome and fresh food which we have been invited to try. Another review will follow then.
Although very generic tasting, among the sharing platter we did enjoy the honey and mustard sausages which had a good sweet kick of spice and a good bounce. Breaded mushrooms were my favourite being quite light and juicy inside with a thin layer of batter. The rest of the fried stuff on «The Yager» platter was all very well fried and grease less and although the wings were a bit small they were succulent and smoky and sticky. The things that did let us down were the pies and the mini burgers which were awfully dry and hard. The buns for the burgers were rock solid whilst the burger itself was overcooked.
We did find however the larger burger itself was much more successful on both visits. Although the bun was still over toasted as if it came from frozen, it was of a better brioche quality so the slight sweetness in the denseness pulled it off. It was very average but the combination of onion rings, bacon, cheese, mushrooms and guacamole gave it the flavour and texture it needed and with a bit of ketchup too it became a decent burger. I do hope they start to import fresh buns soon as it does have potential.
My friend ordered the hotdog and once again it was the bun that let it down as it became crunchy after being toasted rather than airy. the sausage itself and the onions were fine though, nothing outstanding.
From both of our dinner experiences I would still say that the chicken nachos and curly chips are the items I would reorder if I was to revisit. The chicken part of the nachos were incredibly tender, well seasoned for average slices of chicken. The nachos were also generous with a lovely topping of mozzarella cheese, good zingy salsa and guacamole. The curly fries were crispy, a nice kick of sweet paprika, fluffy inside made it all very moorish. It brought back childhood memories and I was happy it was part of every burger meal.
As cocktails is what people go in for we did sample a few and among them all I particularly enjoyed the negroni, mojito and Caipirinha which all had a good punch to it and nice bitters. The sweeter and fruity varieties such as Sex on the beach and Mai Tai were not so successful, not fruity enough, watered down and weak on the alcohol. But they were very considerate in taking our comments and exchanging my Sex on the beach for another Mojito instead. I ended up having 3 and highly recommend it. Not bad when it’s 2 for 1 as well.
I have to give a thumbs up to Yager Bar for online customer service too and feedback response. Prior our first booking via email they were very responsive and organised in arranging our table. It is clear they take their customers seriously and value every comment, bad or good. They have all the intentions to improve especially with their plan in introducing a new menu in May and I think they understand that food is just as important as drinks in a bar. Even after our meal they were keen on getting some feedback.
For now I would just stick to a drink at Yager and my nacho platter until May where a new food adventure beg

This should really be firmly in the middle– 2 and a half stars– but I have rounded up to 3 as I had a really good time here which counts for something.
What was good– the music was really good (obviously subjective) lots of crowd pleasing r & b old and new. And a good size dance floor upstairs. There was also happy hour until 8 with 2 for 1 on cocktails, even on Fridays. The location is really easy to get to, and to get home from. There is free entry before 10pm and you can book tables for groups with a small deposit– I would definitely recommend this as it was very busy when I was there on a Friday night, luckily we did have a booked table/​area.
What was not so good– the service. Every time we went to the bar it took a very long time. Sometimes due to the fact that there is some form of table service which seems to result in staff who were already serving stopping mid way through making your order to make a LOT of other drinks and not telling you so you just watch your empty glasses waiting, then waiting some more. There was also other jobs that always seemed to need to be done mid way through preparing an order. And getting back your card and closing your tab– lets just say you may want to bring something to read. there must be a better system, and the bar would be greatly improved if the service was sorted. The staff were all very pleasant though.
One thing that was really lovely was when leaving, close to closing time, they handed us all a bottle of water on our way out. This was such a nice touch and I am sure my liver is very appreciative!

Just across from the historic St. Pauls Cathedral, Yager Bar is a distinct contrast: modern, sleek, Vegas-​like. It’s got a sports bar theme, with big screen TVs and a menu full of burgers, wings, nachos, and more traditional «pub» faves like bangers/​mash and chicken curry.
There’s a bar area, dining area, and some other sections with booths and a DJ stage.
The only thing lacking was customers. I was only one of three in the whole place on a Saturday afternoon, which should be a prime time for sports bars. Despite the lack of people, the waiter was pretty absent and the food was simply o.k.
I think London could use some more sports bars and hope this place finds its crowds… and character.