Buddha Bar London

Address: 145 Knightsbridge, London, London, SW1X 7PA, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)203 667 5222
Door: Open door/walk-ins
Style: Cocktail bar
Food: Set menu
Established: 2012

Review

Buddha Bar returns to London with a lavish two-floor venue along similar Asian-themed lines to the rest of this international chain. Following a short-lived opening several years ago on the commercially barren north banks of the Thames, Buddha Bar's new home is in the rather more convenient spot of Knightsbridge (on the former site of, respectively, Chicago Rib Shack, Mocoto, Isola and before that Chicago Rib Shack, first time around).

Think atmospheric darkness with its own brand of best-selling chill-out music filling the air, supper club style. Expensive-looking Asian-influenced geometric-patterned decor is centred around the requisite Buddha - now rendered in a more modern wire form, seen initially back-lit against glass, compared to its more familiar statuesque form.

With the restaurant on the lower form, and the bar on the ground floor, the venue follows the interior format of its sister sites (now in 15 countries), as it does in the menu. Cocktails are in the vein of gently influenced Asian flavours - think Wasabi, kaffir lime leaves, shiso, tamarind and the like. Don't expect out-and-out Asian concoctions - sake, umeshu and shochu play supporting roles and drinks are mainly in the longer, over-ice and sweeter domain. We found all, however, proficiently made and nicely presented, though there's less for those that prefer more spirituous, shorter drinks. What's there is inoffensive, though it's a little disappointing that the list does not seem to have evolved much since Buddha Bar was last seen in the capital. PS. No excuses for a menu that's littered with grammatical and spelling errors.