Swan at The Globe - London Bridge, London

Let's face it. Many Londoners tend not to go to the Southbank. Its narrow walkway is often congested with tourists, and tourists are anathema to Londoners. When was the last time you knocked back a nice bottle in Leicester Square, for instance? However, where Southbank differs is its immaculate scenery, with vistas that take in the Tower Bridge, the City, Parliament, you name it… It also differs in that it has a few incredible destinations to stop off at, like the Tate and Shakespeare's Globe. Swan is the restaurant and events space linked up with the Globe, and it is most definitely a spot where we'd recommend knocking back a nice bottle. 

Playing on their strengths, Swan utilises enormous windows to capture the Thameside scenery. As the sun goes down and the city become luminous, it's truly a site to behold. The venue is spread over three floors with a relaxed bar downstairs, private events spaces on the top and the eponymous restaurant on the first floor, which is ideal for a casual lunch or dinner with fantastic scenery.

There are five separate areas within Swan, including the Balcony Room perched across from St Pauls and ideal for exclusive parties, the elegant glass-panelled private dining rooms within the restaurant; the River Room and the Bullroom, the Snug in the bar, and the Underglobe, a large-scale events venue that can host up to 450 guests. All are perfect for meetings or that special soiree which might just go down in office history.