Rupert Street

I am writing to raise a concern regarding an unpleasant experience I had at your venue on Rupert Street on 26 January, from around 5:00 pm onwards. I was with a small group of friends, one of whom is visiting from another country. We were in good spirits and genuinely interested in discovering your cocktail menu. Unfortunately, the service we received from the bartender, Mathew, was disappointing. His attitude came across as rude, arrogant, and dismissive. When we asked about cocktails, we were spoken to in a condescending way and told that we “should know” that cocktails are available. This response felt unnecessary and unwelcoming, particularly towards a guest who is not familiar with local venues. The interaction left us feeling uncomfortable and, frankly, discriminated against. This was especially sad for me, as I truly love Rupert Street and have always associated it with warmth, diversity, and inclusivity. This experience was completely at odds with that spirit. I wanted to bring this to your attention because I believe staff should represent the values of hospitality, openness, and respect. A more welcoming and less arrogant approach from Mathew would make a significant difference to customers’ experiences. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope this feedback is taken constructively and helps ensure better experiences in the future.I am writing to raise a concern regarding an unpleasant experience I had at your venue on Rupert Street on 26 January, from around 5:00 pm onwards. I was with a small group of friends, one of whom is visiting from another country. We were in good spirits and genuinely interested in discovering your cocktail menu. Unfortunately, the service we received from the bartender, Mathew, was disappointing. His attitude came across as rude, arrogant, and dismissive. When we asked about cocktails, we were spoken to in a condescending way and told that we “should know” that cocktails are available. This response felt unnecessary and unwelcoming, particularly towards a guest who is not familiar with local venues. The interaction left us feeling uncomfortable and, frankly, discriminated against. This was especially sad for me, as I truly love Rupert Street and have always associated it with warmth, diversity, and inclusivity. This experience was completely at odds with that spirit. I wanted to bring this to your attention because I believe staff should represent the values of hospitality, openness, and respect. A more welcoming and less arrogant approach from Mathew would make a significant difference to customers’ experiences. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope this feedback is taken constructively and helps ensure better experiences in the future.

Went here back in September when I was in London for the first time ever. I’m not from a place with a gay district so I knew I wanted to get the vibe of Soho when I visited. I’m a queer Black woman who was traveling solo and I felt right at home! Great music, warm staff. Excellent people watching out of the window around 5pm as the theatre district and the streets started to liven up. I’ll definitely be swinging by again next time I’m in town!

First night in town and we asked a simple, honest question of what kind of vodka they had (Tito’s, grey goose, etc). The bartender decided to be jerk and said we don’t have any of that and said that’s how I know you’re American and the rest of the staff giggled. Talk about making someone feel like an outsider. Not inclusive, not friendly

I felt genuinely offended because I was not drunk, yet I was treated in an almost aggressive manner by your employee without any explanation. Every time I come here, I bring several people who are visiting London, and my friend was horrified by the attitude of your waiter. I will not be bringing anyone else to your bar again. If there is a policy that customers can only be served three beers, then that should be explained politely beforehand — not by throwing a glass of water onto the counter without any explanation. I found the whole situation offensive and completely unnecessary. My friend left feeling embarrassed because the people around us witnessed everything, and the way the situation was handled was simply unacceptable.

I’m not going back. Been going for years and the last few visits it’s more miss than a hit. The staff are rude and abrupt. Apparently this is because they are focussed on serving everyone during busy happy hour offers, but surely it’s in their job description to be good mannered and friendly at all times. They don’t even look at you unless you leave a tip, then they might. I’ve usually been happy having a few drinks, but enough is enough, one was enough and now I’ll go elsewhere, there’s enough choice in Soho.