For my 21st birthday, Jack and I visited London for a little weekend getaway. Whilst there, we treated ourselves to a relaxing afternoon at London’s highest cocktail bar, GONG, at The Shard. As Western Europe’s tallest building, The Shard is a premium visitor attraction with incredible panoramic views of the city of London.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the welcoming hotel staff who showed us the lifts to take us up to GONG on the 52^nd floor. There was a minimum spend of £30 per person, but we thought this was reasonable considering that general admission for the viewing platform alone would have been £25.95 each. The bar itself had an intimate feel about it, with a mix of traditional and contemporary Asian decor. We were lucky enough to get a seat by the window where we were able to sit back and take in the spectacular scenery.

Now, onto the cocktails. The cocktail selection was not what you’d typically expect and at first glance we had no idea what to order. The menu is arranged around four themes signifying different stages of life: The Wonder Years, First Kiss, Grown-Ups and Old School. After much deliberation, we decided on our cocktails as outlined below.

My First Painting

Star of Bombay, Cocchi Rosa, lime, Peychaud, chamomile, whisked eggs

As a lover of gin, this was an instant winner. It had an aromatic taste and was presented beautifully with delicately placed petals, a touch of froth and a sprinkle of glitter.

Kinder Candy

Zacapa 23, Swedish Punsch, chocolate, peanut butter, balsamic, milk reduction

This rich rum-based cocktail had a real element of indulgence. It came in a giant egg-shaped cup with an edible dark chocolate lid and a store of sweets hidden underneath.

Velvet Dreams (Mocktail)

Apple juice, grenadine, lime, sugar, raspberry, basil

This mocktail from the First Kiss section of the menu was more classic than unique, and reminded me a bit of being on holiday. I liked that it was light, fruity and very refreshing.

Elixir of Success

G’Vine, Isake classic, lemon juice, plum wine, oloroso, violet soda

From the Grown-Ups section of the menu, we expected this to have a quite a strong, distinctive taste. Although true, the fruitiness of the plum wine complemented the floral flavour and made it very pleasant to drink.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed spending an afternoon at The Shard. It was a pleasure to experience London from such a breathtaking birds-eye view. The cocktail menu is unique and impressive, and we would love to return on another occasion to try some more.