Shangri-La The Shard boasts a view of London line no other.
Plenty of destination cocktail bars sell themselves as the pinnacle of a particular drinking scene. Gōng is the one place in London where this is not hyperbole: you’ll find it on the 52nd floor of the city’s tallest skyscraper, The Shard (only David Attenborough gets to go right to the top). And, there is, in fact, no higher hotel bar in Europe.
Being a cocktail bar at the tip of a skyscraper, you might imagine a sprawling room and warehouse-like acoustics, but The Shard tapers dramatically as it rises, so Gōng has quite a small footprint. This means you’re never that far from the room’s outer edge and its floor-to-ceiling glass. Meanwhile, the interior is conservatively decorated, with dark woods and nods to its Chinese theme via a splash of red here, an orchid there. In other words, everything is designed to showcase the view.
This is wise, because the view from up here showcases London in all its glory. From our table, we could see the Tower of London – a pristine castle that originated in the 11th century – sitting squat in the foreground of the financial district’s eccentric ‘Walkie Talkie’ skyscraper, a bulbous colossus completed in 2014. The contrasting sights and snaking thoroughfares below continually offer ant-sized intrigues. There is nowhere else like this in the world, and Gōng wisely capitalises on it.
After opening in 2014, Gōng’s sheer height has ensured its place on must-visit lists for years to come. Cocktail connoisseurs are spoilt for choice in London, because fantastic drinking dens spray out in all directions. This means Gōng has never leant lazily on its trump card and produces a reliably creative drinks list.
The bar’s flagship list changes on a regular basis, but during our visit it was a tight menu of 10 named Hues of Colour. Inspired by “the historical use of colours to convey messages and emotions”, each drink was dedicated to a shade of the rainbow. The collection did a good job of offering something for everyone, from a floral, deep lavender Champagne sip featuring clarified butter, to a short and smoky orange number that balanced bourbon and black cardamon. We also found that the bar had no trouble producing solid examples of whichever classics we requested. There’s also a shorter Deluxe Cocktails list that showcases top-shelf spirits and, naturally, no shortage of Champagnes.
When drinkers’ spirits start to mirror the altitude, Gōng is on hand to soak them up with a collection of Japanese classics, including a maki roll menu and platters featuring gyoza, chicken karaage and tempura morsels. We found these fresh staples to be as satisfyingly fresh, succulent, crunchy and sauce-splattered as you could hope for when you’re two (strong) drinks in. And if you order the pick-and-mix Chef’s Choice platter, you won’t go hungry.
As for the vibe, Gōng feels relatively diverse. Yes, the corporate contingent working away on lower levels are inevitably up here, lubricating business deals and doing some office bonding, but at the next table you might spot a pair of dressed-down, wide-eyed sightseers. Then there’s the Shangri-La set – moneyed hotel guests who’ve seen it all before, but still appreciate a well-made Martini – rubbing shoulders with glam dates, and dressed-up Brits kicking off a special night out in the capital.
Gōng is a dizzy-heights destination bar, but the sips reveal the substance behind this awe-inspiring perch.
GO: Visit www.gong-shangri-la.com for more information.