Excellently positioned directly opposite St Pauls Cathedral, The Happenstance is a stylish bar & restaurant that boasts a bountiful deli, mixology table and florist, and invites you to “immerse yourself in a world of curiously good times & happy coincidences”. The incredible floor to ceiling panorama of the iconic landscapes outside also adds an extra element of audacity to what is a unique and innovative space.
Having opened in the summer of 2013, The Happenstance is the most recent addition to an extensive line of great London venues from Drake and Morgan, whose other properties include The Drift on Bishopsgate, The Folly on Gracechurch St, The Refinary in Southwark, and The Anthologist on Greshem St.
Open 7 days a week, with Thursday and Friday as club nights – probably best to avoid romantic meals on these days – there is plenty to keep everyone pleased at what truly is a diverse night and day spot.
Weekends are ideal for a quiet lunch or dinner, and can be a great way to end a romantic day strolling around one of the city’s most impressive areas. The elegant decor, candlelit tables and open kitchens create a pleasant atmosphere, and the wonderful waiting staff, mouth-watering menus and creative cocktails provide plenty for the taste buds to savour.
We were lucky enough to visit this great venue last week and kicked off proceedings with two splendid cocktails – London’s Burning (Kamm & Sons, peach bitters, spices & mescal) and Skinny Lovely Bubbly (Pampero rum, a handful of mint, skinny agave, fresh lime, topped with bubbly).
For starter we decided on the Bloody Mary mussels, which were delicious and beautifully presented to us by Julia, our delightful waitress. For the main course, after much deliberation, we opted for the Chateaubriand 16 oz steak for two, cooked medium rare and was beauitfully tender, this came with a half lobster on the side. We chose to accompany this with some Macaroni Cheese with leek and bacon along with some sweet potato.
Having found it difficult to select from the fine array of available desserts, we instead took the rather indulgent step of sampling the mini pudding shots, which covered the best items on the menu. This included the Winterberry crumble with vanilla ice cream, Chocolate Brownie with vanilla bean ice cream and a Wagon Wheel toasted meringue, with raspberry sorbet and shortbread.
We signed off with two further dessert cocktails – Cranberry Brûlée (Tanqueray gin, cranberry sauce, egg white, sugar, lemon & a dash of danger) and Tiramasu Martini (Espresso, martini, gingerbread, Ketel One vodka & mascarpone) – and made our way, more than happily, into the night.
On top of everything else, The Happenstance too offers unique experiences, including mixology, butchery and flambé lessons and a special Superfoods class. There are numerous special offers and plenty of events to keep things fresh. Whether for after work drinks, a night out with friends or a romantic meal for too, The Happenstance always has something happening to please all comers.
