This venue has now closed.

Central & Co is a contemporary stash of hedonism close to Oxford Street tube station offering small bites of heaven and taste so good they must be bad’ cocktails.

The Venue:

Dancing candlelight shines from every table at Central & Co, and these flickering flames help create an undeniably sexy vibe. Pine and mahogany tinted tables are mapped neatly around the venue and there's a simplistic décor, sprinkled with a few quirky and contemporary pictures hung to bling up the minimalistic walls. The jaw dropping fridge behind the bar is something of a centrepiece, standing as tall as the ceiling and housing hundreds of bottles of wine. Such an impressive display makes the mission of drinking the place dry impossible, but gosh it's a wino's beauty to behold.

Light and airy in the day, there's a broody vibe to this central London retreat come sun-down.

Food and Drinks:

We settled on having the Jerusalem artichoke hummus and flatbread, followed by sautéed prawns, melon, mint mooli and duck croquettes with blackberry compote. The hummus starter was thick and quite heavy but left our palates tingling from the variety of spices, while the prawns were so fresh they might easily have been plucked from the ocean minutes earlier. However, the duck croquettes definitely had the x-factor and stole the show, accompanied by tiny gherkins which complemented the sauce so well I had to stop myself from swivelling my finger in the tiny pot.

Drinks wise, Central & Co boasts some truly lip-smacking cocktails. I eased into a wonderfully crafted clementine and mango fizz, which was so good I couldn't resist a cheeky second, while my companion had a gin-based elderclub cocktail followed by a single measure of monkey shoulder, served neat.

Variety is a strength at Central & Co, where these mouth-watering delights are up for grabs.

Clientele and Atmosphere:

For a Tuesday night there was a mish-mash of people here - couples on dates, friends having a good old fashioned gossip and work-wearied colleagues retreating from the day's worries. The place was alive with vibrant chatter and friendly vibes, which lifted the spirits of our visit untold! The ambience was light and airy, far removed from many pretentious venues around Central London.

A diverse clientele and a friendly bar-team combined to put us at ease from the get-go.

Summary:

Central & Co is an in-demand West End venue just bursting with personality. It's almost guaranteed that it'll never leave you short of a snappy bite to eat thanks to the superb efficiency of the staff, and the mixed drinks were worth the visit alone.