Place rating: 3 Shoreditch, London, United Kingdom
Despite its exterior which is somewhat reminiscent of the inside of an appliance, the Corney and Barrow is not a bad place to have a drink. That is if you’re in the market for bottles of wine at upwards of £25 and cigars imported especially from Cuba. I presume — no, I know — that this is the place where the City’s beleaguered bankers are drowning their sorrows which makes it even more difficult for me to muster any sympathy whatsoever for this rarefied group. The Corney and Barrow is pleasant enough with a great selection of wines, beers and ciders. Just don’t venture anywhere near the toilets which are accessible via a particularly vertiginous spiral staircase when inebriated. They’re riskier than an Icelandic savings account and similarly best avoided.