Vertigo 42

This place is amazing! We came right before sunset and the views are beautiful!!! Highly recommend!

Great view of London that’s all. Reservations only and your credit card details are taken while booking. Limited seating area. Staff is unattended no wow factor!

Great place for evening drinks, watching the sunset. Booked in advanced and got really good seats. Not squashed at all, bar finger food was tasty and overall the service was on point. Went on the hottest day of the year and loved it, was perfect.

We got there 15 mins after our booking started so got seats in the corner by the door. Make sure you get there on time as a seat in the middle has views that really are great! Champagne and cocktails are great and so was the food. Bit pricey for me to make regular visits but a very impressive date night if you really like someone! :)

Top floor of Tower 42 with and amazing view over the city any time of the day…
However take the view away and it is a slightly dated looking cocktail bar. Considering the competition in town for venues with views it is disappointing especially considering the price of drinks and food.

The menu at Vertigo 42 is very Champagne led with plenty available by the glass or bottle as well is it being used in most, if not all of the cocktails (wines and spirits are also available). Glasses of Champagne start at £14 with bottles going in to the hundreds. All cocktails are priced at a steep £14. Vertigo 42 is very much a bar, not a restaurant but they do offer a selection of snacks including chicken skewers, pork pies, tiger prawns, bread & olives.
We arrived at the base of Tower 42 and after checking in at reception were given Vertigo 42 cards to get through the security turnstiles and were directed to the lift up to the bar. The lighting in the bar gives it an air of class and you have a sneaking suspicion your wallet is about to take a pounding. The layout is slightly odd here but it works. There is a narrow corridor that goes round 3 sides of a square with seating and full height windows on one side and mirrored walls on the other, which gives each table plenty of privacy.
Unfortunately, we were given pretty rubbish seats when we arrived right on the end by the reception. The view was still fantastic but hardly the panoramic vista we were hoping for. We ordered a couple of drinks — the inventively named Classic Champagne Cocktail served with Cognac, and sugar cube soaked in Angostura bitters and The Royale Hendricks — Hendricks, Elderflower cordial, Lemon juice, top up with champagne and lemon zest.
Our drinks arrived in classic Champagne flutes and after doing a quick bit of recon, asked if we could move deeper in to the bar. The staff obliged and we took our pick from a couple of empty spaces which gave us the views we were after, which really are spectacular. We kicked back and ordered another round of cocktails. I had a Crystal Lychee — Crystal head Vodka, Lychee pure, Fresh Lime Juice top up with Champagne and Antonia had a Bellini served with peach purée and crème de pêche. All the cocktails we had were perfectly made.

The concept sounds great, but. .. having used Amazon Local to book we were sat on little squashy footstools instead of chairs, which were empty for most of our stay. Would not have been so bad except I have arthritis. Was told to sit there, no argument. Booking was a challenge with a rather aggressive employee who was keen to vinidate their unhelpful on-​line booking system. My suggestion: Save the money, go to any other, free, high place in London for the view and then enjoy a dinner (which would cost about the same as their champagne and hors-d’oeuvres). If you must go, do it once for the view, pay over the top for middling champagne, but at least you can say you did it.

Pas mal mais honnêtement à part la vue et encore quand on n’est pas placé sur le côté ça né mérite pas le détour !
Bar a champagne avec quelques cocktails très moyennement exécutés et servis sans cacahuètes ou olives.
Aucun cocktails sans alcool né figure sur la carte, peut-​être peuvent-​ils en proposer à la demande mais c’est un peu dommage.
Ambiance sortie de bureau extrêmement bruyante et peu distinguée. Même si cela
est une partie de la façon d’être des anglais c’est assez moyen. On né s’entendait pas.
Service correct mais c’est juste la moindre des choses, non ?
Il y a sûrement mieux ailleurs mais je vous laisse voir.

View gets FIVE stars, Drinks get FOUR stars on quality, TWO stars for the price. Food gets TWO stars for quality but FOUR stars for the price. We ordered the Blini and my wife (who is Russian) and I thought they were like cold, tasteless McGriddles from McDonalds, not what real Russian Blini are. Understandably it’s an interpretation but not a very good one. The pork pies we ordered after were pretty good. In the end we spent less than you would buying standard walk-​up tickets for 2 on the London Eye and then buying a souvenir, AND we had champagne cocktails, some food, and were higher up than the London Eye. So we enjoyed it and would recommend it if you don’t go there hungry and don’t mind over 14 pounds for a mixed drink or champagne.

I got engaged here! Nuff said!
Just kidding. The view is spectacular and the lychee champagne I had was delish although way overpriced. If you look at it more like paying for the view, then its worth every penny. I felt we should have just went to Vertigo instead of paying to go on the London Eye.

breathtaking views of London, overpriced drinks with a minimum purchase necessary for entry

Oui, c’est un gros spot à touristes, oui c’est un peu kitschounet les bars en haut des grands buildings, oui c’est cher… Mais c’est à faire au moins une fois, parce que :
1) Ça vous donne une occasion de sortir à la City et de découvrir l’afterwork des cadres qui hantent ce quartier des affaires.
2) Si vous êtes à plusieurs, faites péter la bouteille de champagne luxueuse pour savourer des bulles en hauteur.
3) Parce que la pression ressentie dans l’ascenseur pour parcourir les 42 étages est marrante, et que la vue vaut quand même son pesant de cacahuètes.
4) Parce que vous accompagnerez ça de mignardises à grignoter délicieuses, ou encore du saumon fumé à déguster qui est excellent, ou de la soupe de poireau au goût renversant *si, si, je vous assure: c’est une tuerie!*
5) Parce que le service est impeccable et attentionné, et qu’on aime se faire traiter comme des gens importants.
J’ai testé l’apéro entre amis, j’espère y revenir en amoureux plus tard pour un diner à la hauteur de cet avant-​gout.

4 stars for the view alone! The breathtaking views here are some of the best you will experience in London.
I came here yesterday for afternoon tea which was disappointing itself but let’s face it if you’re expecting top notch afternoon tea you’ll go elsewhere that’s renowned for it. You come here for the views and man do you get those! Although the weather was grey and dull, it didn’t ruin the experience at all as the views are just so stunning (I can’t stress this enough,)
As others have said you have to go through airport style security after checking in at the reception desk. The security guys were really friendly though, the girl on reception was a little surly though and gave very confusing instructions /​directions for the lifts.
The staff at Vertigo were friendly and polite too.
Situated in easy walking distance of tubes /​trains and bus stops right outside so very convenient just expect to part with a lot of money!

With the extraordinary efforts I had to go to to book a place here I was expecting something better. Basically having to sign a contract, hand over my bank details and two phone numbers before even setting foot into the venue I thought they would have had the service down to a T. First off we had to wait in a queue to go through a security check wasn’t specified on the website. Then the fact I could have been charged for being 15 minutes late, it didn’t seem to stop the waiters let the people in our space have it for an extra 15 minutes while we stood behind them.
Once having selected our champagne the waiter kindly showed us the bottle before walking off and returning with five filled glasses. This could mean we were given any old champagne and when we asked for a top up we were told the bottle had been finished, could have meant it was any old measurement we were paying over the odds for.
Its a tourist trap and its sad because many people go up there to celebrate special occasions and I don’t feel there is any room for poorly run venues.

Amazing place to have some cocktails or champagne and eat some gourmet food. You can enjoy the amazing views of a lovely city like London, great experience in that place that I recommend to everybody! It’s a bit expensive but It’s a must to go at least once.
Take notice that is very important to book a table before going there. I’m sure that evrybody will enjoy to stay there just for drinking some cocktails or to celebrate any special event.

I’m giving it 2 stars because it is one of the very very few places in London that is kind of high-​up in a modern building. Although in my opinion their operation would be much smoother if they reduce the size of the place to half. The reason is that only a quarter of the venue offers an interesting skyline view (the East and South east quadrant is completely flat and boring). And since the space is quite narrow, the wait staff don’t have enough space to move around hence the slow service. Which brings me to my 2^nd point, the price. When you’re paying 80 pounds for a bottle of very average champagne you would be inclined to expect more attentive services. One simply should not charge more than the Mandarin Oriental for ordinary champagne without offering the service. They may also want dim the light slightly when night falls, as the lighting is quite blinding if you are sitting near the windows. Ventilation also needs improvement as there isn’t enough fresh air going around the circular room.
My overall advice is, Vertigo 42 is good for ONE sunset drink if you’re in the neighborhood. Although if you’ve been to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Bangkok, Dubai, New York, Chicago, or whatever metropolitan cities out there with ample supply of big tall buildings, then you will find Vertigo 42 nothing special, if not rather disappointing.

The only reason to go there is the view. 2 stars purely for the view; the staff was ok as well, but the food and the drinks are just horrible. You would expect to pay a premium but the quality was really bad.

I tend to like these places that tower above the rest… and Vertigo 42 didn’t let me down (no pun intended).
I booked an area (You can’t get in without a reservation) for my friends for after work drinks and to admire the gorgeous view of London.
Note: there’s a security search before you are permitted to enter Tower 42.
The venue is on the 42^nd Floor of Tower 42 and is a very expensive champagne bar. I can’t stress that enough — it IS expensive. It’s one of these places where you simply must go to see the stunning views, sip some bubbles and ponder what your life would be like as Richard Branson for the day.
As expected it’s a 360 venue, so you can walk around and gaze at all 4 points of the city below. It is however, smaller than similar places like The Attic. Time is limited in the venue to 2hrs (yes, they will boot you out after your reserved period expires), but it is well worth going at least once.

Overpriced, cramped with rude waiting staff. We went there expecting something special. Instead there is a curved corridor with just enough room for a few bar stools. The drinks are outrageously expensive, plus tip. We were placed near the toilet with no seats and views of the roof. The waiter was rude and obnoxious. This is a tourist trap, plain and simple. The only good bit is the view which is spoilt by the cramped conditions.

What a venue — the sights across London are superb. We had a bottle of Bollinger ready for our arrival and two glasses waiting. We were never without a topped-​up glass, but all done very discretely — just the way waiting service should be.
We had booked to be there for 45mins (just enough time for my partner to propose!), but we were not moved on after an hour and a half, as the staff had recognised it was a special occasion — and other parties were relocated to other free areas.
The toilets were a bit gross however — only one for the ladies (which is never enough), and it felt like a shabby service station toilet. But hey — Im not complaining — everything else was perfect.

For some time I’ve been trying to overcome my fear of heights, so when a work colleague invited me to Vertigo, I initially wasn’t too keen to join, but sought inspiration through the famous French Spiderman, Alain Robert, who overcame his fear… and decided to suck it up and face one of my (many) demons.
On entrance there’s a security search, with bag screening and a metal detection arch — similar to what you’d find at the airport — which I’m guessing is for the security of the other office residents on the remaining 41 floors as well as the bar. There’s a designated lift (with a comfy chair nearby) that takes you all the way up without interuption — I was impressed by the smooth ride, but not impressed by my colleague who decided to count the levels out loud!
On exiting the lift you’re greeted by a chaise longue, along with a couple of soft chairs. Now many may think this is for décor. Oh, no no no! It’s for the likes of me whose legs turn to jelly when they get out of the lift. Yes, I made use of it and can report it was comfortable.
The panoramic view of London is BREATHTAKING and worth the visit if you wish your breath to be taken away. And you can’t miss this view as the bar has mirrors going along the entire facing wall… nice!
I got my colleague to take pics (didnt want to push my luck too much), but I did catch a glance of Canary Wharf (at a part of the bar where there is a level of the building that doesn’t have the full drop — see pics — I was more comfortable here).
I was slightly numbed by the price of the drinks — A glass of wine starting at £8.50, which helped take my mind off the view.
Did I overcome my fear of heights? Did I ‘eck!
Note to self: Don’t go to Vertigo if you suffer from vertigo :-p

Went to Vertigo 42 for champagne with my SO after our dinner at Rhodes 24 18 floors below since she had never been to London before, where better to take her than the best view in the city?
The place is expensive, but it’s a champagne bar atop the tallest building in the city; if you’re expecting anything less than high prices you’re kidding yourself. I spent 89 pounds (~$ 150) on a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, which was about middle of the road for what bottles were priced at and the cheapest glass of champagne I saw was 13 pounds if memory serves.
Service is on point, attentive but not annoying, my glass was never empty and they assisted me in getting a car service back to the hotel at the end of the evening.
Ambiance is swanky, elegant and trendy, but not as upscale as I would have thought or hoped. It seemed people were going there as a destination and not as part of a nice evening out (not that I can completely blame them) but this lent to people being more casually dressed than they would have been had they also been going to a nice dinner as we had. Honestly though, who cares about the people around you? You shouldn’t be looking at anything but the view which is amazing from all sides but particularly good facing the Thames (the first maybe 8 – 10 seats from the entrance moving around clockwise have a view of the Thames with the best views from the first few seats). The view of the Tower Bridge is particularly amazing which is best seen from the first 4 seats nearest the front desk.
This place was more or less exactly what I wanted — a spectacular view of an amazing city. If you want to impress someone, take them here.