Having only ever glanced into All Bar One through their huge glass windows, I didn't realise quite how large the place is! It goes back and back and back, with two bars and various seated areas for dining. We went there for dinner on a Friday evening for a friend's leaving do and were led right through to the back dining area to a table that had our reservation name on it - a nice touch.
The atmosphere on a Friday evening is lively, and there's certainly a mix of people eating and those having after-work cocktails. It's not intrusive though, in fact it was much more enjoyable to have a bit of a buzz going on around us as we tucked into drinks of our own.
The deal of the night was a £15 bottle of Chiarli Pignoletto so we couldn't really help but order a bottle. It went down a treat and we ended up getting another! To eat, All Bar One offer main dishes or a selection of small plates for dinner. You can get three small plates for £16 or five for £26, which are great for sharing. The little mezze and feta and spinach bourek - which came with a smoky-tasting chilli jam - were particularly flavourful and it was definitely a good idea to order the patatas bravas to bulk out the meal. We ordered parmesan and rosemary fries on the side just in case we didn't have enough and I was so impressed by how the simple act of adding a cheese and a spice can spruce up a side so much! The only slightly disappointing plate was the wild Patagonian prawns, purely because the prawns were quite small and there were only a few of them. Our final plate of the five was the houmous and favetta, which, although maybe not as full of Moroccan spice as I would have hoped, was creamy and delicious. This came with some lovely, soft flatbread.
The waiter met our every need but was a bit over-attentive if anything. Having your drink topped up every time you take a sip is a little unnerving but I completely understand the urge to fish for tips at the end of your Friday night shift so that you can be the one sipping Prosecco instead of pouring it.
The décor is very swish and we definitely felt like we were in the right place to be celebrating. If you're after a quiet meal then I suggest looking elsewhere but if you have some partying planned and want to start the weekend in style, then I recommend All Bar One for a fancy meal without the fancy prices.