In the run up to Valentine’s Day, PA Life’s Toby Cruse was invited down to The Listing, a newly opened venue in Cannon Street that’s offering rich flavours, affordability and killer cocktails…
Cannon Street, and the train stations that sit on it, aren’t known as a location of peace and quiet, so walking to The Listing on a weekday evening and finding it sat almost directly beside one of the square-mile’s main travel destinations, I was apprehensive of what I’d find within. Having left work and travelled into London, my ideal evening consists of an oasis of fun flavours, friendly faces and a low-energy wind down. It’s the perfect way to end a workday, but it’s a feeling rarely found in a place as electric as Central London. The Listing is that oasis.
Having only opened the bar and restaurant at the end of last year, it has already become a go-to place in London for after-work drinks if that’s the kind of evening you fancy, but if like me you want something more relaxed at the end of the day then you’ll find what you’re looking for at The Listing. The floor-to-ceiling windows, stone floor and cold surfaces accented by warm lights, fur throws and potted plants on each table are the perfect metaphor for the venue; finding life in the cold city.
There are venues nearby depending on if the aim of your evening is exclusively focused on the dining and rich food, or if you’re simply looking for a good atmosphere for drinks, but The Listing sits comfortably in the middle, the ideal place to take a friend or colleague for some drinks and food. The venue itself doesn’t overpower or take centre-stage, it’s quiet enough and open enough for you to take out of it what you want, and that’s its greatest strength.
When it comes to the food, it certainly delivers. Personally, I found it excelled when dealing with finger-foods, desserts and salads; typically smaller dishes that don’t take up all of your time. Perfectly summing this up is their steak, it wasn’t really to my taste but its accompanied peppercorn sauce was delicate and rich, and it’s those accents and small details that make the venue feel special in a city where businesses tend to outdo each other on the big points and leave the subtleties behind.
Don’t’ think that you’ll end up paying through the nose for an empty plate, however. All of our portions were generous in food and flavour, especially when it came to desserts, which were enough to feed us on their own. Where The Listing truly excels, though, is in the cocktail list. From classics like the Old Fashioned to more experimental beverages like the Earl Martini – an Earl Grey-infused vodka martini – the drinks are expertly made, delicately served and the most fun you’re going to have on a Monday night after work…
The verdict
The height of London trend for a fraction of the typical London price. PA Life Club members will already know that the venue is also available exclusively for private hire every weekend, and the atmosphere is certainly designed for those kind of events. If you want to give your clients, your boss, your colleagues or yourself the feeling of drinking and dining in a London penthouse, this is the way to go about it. London’s very own oasis, a warm glow in a see of concrete, this is definitely a venue to watch as its prominence grows.
What we ate:
Crab Bruschetta £7.95
Salt Szechuan Pepper Squid £6.75
Rib-Eye 10oz £19.95
Crispy Duck £9.95
Mixed Berry Crumble £5.95
Chocolate Brownie £5.95
