The Refinery Bankside, Southwark, SE1

Official site of The Refinery Bankside - drakeandmorgan.co.uk

Official site of The Refinery Bankside - drakeandmorgan.co.uk

Large modern bar / restaurant, with the longer leg containing smarter furniture set aside for dining but also having a fair amount of more basic tables and stools nearer the counter. High ceilings and full-height windows give the place an airy (but not cavernous) feel. For the better weather, there is also a patio area along one side. At first glance, it looks like a keg-only selection, but Woodforde's Wherry (£4.50) is available from one of two metal-handled handpumps hidden away in the array of shiny founts.

This is a large L-shaped bar and restaurant situated in one of the many ugly, modern glass and steel buildings that are still springing up in this part of London. We visited because of its proximity to the Tate Modern, which we had been visiting that day, and were keen to find a bite to eat. The place is vast inside, with minimal partitioning which had the unintended consequence of making the place look unpopular as there were so many unoccupied tables, despite there actually being quite a few people in. The bar area is to the right, with the left hand side looking more like a formal restaurant. Bare floorboards run through most of the room and there is an L shaped servery with a white tile counter to the rear left. Seating is a mix of canteen style tables and benches and standard tables and chairs. Floor to ceiling window on two sides allow a decent amount of light in and there are lots of exposed pipes, vents, ducts and the like running around the place which contrasts with the image the place seems to be aiming for. There are a few stylish light fixtures around the room and bare light bulbs have been suspended over the bar counter. The restaurant side is nominally partitioned by a lattice screen and offers plenty of formal seating plus some nice padded banquettes and a few sofas and armchairs. An open kitchen can be viewed to the rear. There is also some outdoor seating down the right side of the building, where a large TV screen was showing Davis Cup tennis. Against all expectations, there was one real ale at the bar - Woodfordes Wherry - which clocked in at an unacceptable £4.50 for a pretty ropey pint. Several mainstream keg lagers and ciders were also available at similarly extortionate prices. The food was pretty hit and miss and didn't really live up to the appetising descriptions in the menu. Needless to say, it was also badly overpriced. This is probably a lively venue during the week, as I can imagine it would be popular with nearby office workers and folks with more money than sense. We found it a bit lifeless on a Sunday afternoon and whilst the food was passable, there was little else to recommend and we left feeling pretty disappointed with the whole experience.