Simmons Bar

Simmons Bar on Kingsway is the Holborn branch of a group that now runs fourteen bars across London, and it is one of the biggest, spread across two floors with room for up to 400 guests. The decor is retro fairground, complete with oversized disco balls, one of which houses the DJ booth, and the bar describes itself as home to London's best happy hour. It is built for after-work drinks that turn into a late night rather than a quiet catch-up.

Simmons started as a single bar and grew into a London-wide chain on the strength of a simple formula: cheap, long happy hour deals, a notoriously varied playlist and a party atmosphere from early evening onwards. The Kingsway site follows that template at scale, with a large upstairs bar, a semi-private area and a private room that can be hired separately, and a Simmons app that unlocks an extra hour of happy hour.

Happy hour bar in Holborn with cocktail teapots

Happy hour runs from 4pm to 9pm Sunday to Friday and 4pm to 9pm on Saturdays, with 2-for-1 on all cocktails. During the week the deals extend to spirit and mixers at £2.50, bottles of beer and glasses of wine at £3, pints of lager at £4, bottles of wine at £12 and prosecco at £20. The signature serve is the cocktail teapot at £18, shared from the pot, and Teapot Tuesday keeps that price all night long. Margarita Monday does the same for 2-for-1 margaritas, whether Tommy's, classic or spicy.

What to expect on a visit

The bar opens at 4pm every day except Sunday, running until 2am on Monday and Tuesday and 3am from Wednesday to Saturday. Karaoke, sports screenings and private events are regular features, and the venue can be booked in full (141 seated or 450 standing), as a 200-capacity private room or as a semi-private space for up to 50, with wheelchair access throughout. Holborn is the nearest tube. It sits on the eastern edge of the district, so if you want something more intimate afterwards the cocktail bars of Covent Garden proper, such as The Escapologist in Seven Dials, are a ten-minute walk away.