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Green Carnation
Neighbourhood: Soho
5 Greek Street
London W1D 4DD
020 7434 3323
5 Greek Street
London W1D 4DD
020 7434 3323
- Nearest Transit:
-
Tottenham Court Road (Central, Northern)
Leicester Square (Northern, Piccadilly)
Covent Garden (Piccadilly)
2 reviews for Green Carnation
I've had good and bad experiences at Green Carnation. One of the bad involved waiting nearly 20 minutes for the barstaff to make us shooters after we ordered them and he kept making drinks for everyone else inbetween adding ingredients to a shaker glass... infuriating...
Some of the better are involving the bar itself. The walls, seating, floors, etc are all very plush and inviting. It comes off as a bit more posh alternative to the typical pub and has some nice areas you can lounge around in. It can be a little pricier than your typical pub, and I think on weekends they charge 3 pound cover for entry after some time at night. The thing that gets me is that they have those swarms of people on some nights shouting at you in the street "NEED A PLACE TO GO?!? GREEN CARNATION 3 POUND ENTRY!" I know a lot of Soho places do that on weekends, but I think one night they shouted at me at least 6 times when we were wandering around the area and it's like, alright alright, I get it, I know it's there, ease up, ease up..
It is nice if you want to skip away from the Soho scene and get away from the go-go dancers and etc while still not having to submit to a dingy typical pub (especially if you're dressed well, hate to waste an outfit). I have a group affiliation that lets me get in for free, so I don't mind going on weekends, but I'm not sure I'd want to pay cover charge. I hate paying cover for places that really aren't that exclusive/members clubs. I guess it keeps undesirable people out though, and that's probably worth the small investment. Though I'm pretty sure its free during the week, so pop in then and give it a look and see what you think.
All in all though, it's a decent bar, and a frequent stop of mine on a night out. They do a really good happy hour drink special if you're in early enough.
Oh la la! What a lovely lovely bar. I usually prefer dives for the comfort factor, but I'm giving Green Carnation five stars for what it is- a very froufrou, lounge-bar which I really enjoyed. Cozy seats, dim lighting, elegant décor and the most incredible wallpaper I've ever seen! We sank into some very comfortable velvet armchairs and chatted away for a couple of hours without having to yell at each other over other noise. We were there early in the evening, but I was told by some regulars that it never gets too loud in there despite the prime location.
The staff are not as stuffy as I would have expected and seemed to be very attentive and kind. The prices were not especially high either, and well worth it considering the incredible vibe.
The name is a reference to Oscar Wilde, whom the bar is inspired by. To be perfectly honest, I'm not quite sure what makes it so 'Oscar Wilde' other than the high brow element, but I love it either way.