Ain't Nothin' But — Restaurant in London

I’m an Asian-Canadian visiting London on vacation and I came to this spot (05/04/24) on a Saturday night around 8:55PM with a friend. We paid for entry which was £8 each and proceeded to make our way into the bar. The next set was to start at 9:30PM and at this time the bar was quite packed and all seats were taken so we decided to stand near the stage while we waited. We were both incredibly excited to see live blues in London for the first time and had seen some videos online of some of the performances. Unfortunately there was a man in front of us who made us very uncomfortable. We overheard him pointing us out and saying “look at them, they’re not drinking and they think they can stand here” once we heard this comment, we looked around and saw several other guests standing near the stage not holding drinks. We were however the only visible ethnic minority in the bar and it was clear that his comment was racially motivated. This made me incredibly uncomfortable so I proceeded to go to the bar to purchase a drink (solely because I felt pressured and unsafe due to this man’s comment) I thought, maybe if I purchased a drink that he would no longer make us feel unwelcome. I get to the bar counter and order an old fashioned. I unfortunately heard another comment from a couple standing nearby. One of them said “how did she get in?”. I went to get my friend to leave because I felt beyond uncomfortable at this point. We both left without seeing the live music and without finishing our drink. I don’t blame the establishment and I’m aware they are not able to control what their guests say/do. However, if you are a visible minority, I would keep in mind that the crowd that tends to frequent this bar seems to be quite racist and if you have the stomach to go anyway, I suggest going in a group. It’s unfortunate that this even needs to be kept in mind. I was not expecting to experience this kind of...

I recently had a rather unpleasant encounter at Ain't Nothing But the Blues Bar, and I feel compelled to share my experience. As a frequent visitor to London, I've always enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere and unique charm of this bar, particularly its dedication to the blues. However, my recent visit left me disheartened.

I approached the bar and politely requested that the server pour my wine into the same glass. Unfortunately, this simple request led to a rather unpleasant interaction with one of the managers. Instead of accommodating my request, I was met with rudeness and condescension. To make matters worse, I was abruptly told to leave the bar with the remark that I had no right to dictate how and where the wine should be served.

This unwarranted treatment was not only surprising but also deeply disappointing. It's disheartening to see such a beautiful establishment tarnished by such poor customer service. As someone who has consistently enjoyed the ambiance and music at Ain't Nothing But the Blues Bar, I expected a more welcoming and respectful atmosphere.

While I understand that different establishments have their policies, a simple and respectful explanation would have sufficed. Being treated with disrespect and told to leave was not only unnecessary but also disrespected the spirit of hospitality that one would expect from such a venue.

In conclusion, it's regrettable that my experience at Ain't Nothing But the Blues Bar took such a negative turn. I hope that management takes this feedback constructively, as addressing customer concerns is essential for maintaining the positive reputation and appeal of this otherwise...

Friend and I went last night after reading the reviews on here. Were we disappointed with the “blues” - no, the music was fantastic and created a wonderful atmosphere in the bar! HOWVER….the reviews told us to get there early to grab a table/ seats and also expect to wait in the queue - all fine with us. So, when we arrived last night at 20:10, we had to wait in line about 8 people in front of us, the queue moved quickly so after 15mins we were at the front. This is where two consecutive things happened that was just absolutely poor. Firstly, the bouncer signalled for us to enter (I know other reviews say the bouncer was rude, but that was not our experience) so we walk towards the door and it’s at this moment a man, who the bouncer later identified as the manager, speaks to him and says there are too many people in the bar don’t let anyone else in. Bouncer relays this to my friend and I, and we are 100% fine with this and make our way back to the queue - this is when the manager walks past us and says “don’t walk in without permission”?! A needless comment as we weren’t, passive aggressive. We were not loud, did not complain, not drunk! So we wait, probably another 5mins or so BUT by this point there are charging a £6 fee for entry!! Couldn’t believe it, did we pay - yes. We didn’t have a choice. Did this put a dampener on our night, truth be told yes (hence this rather long review). The music was worth it, and in large the staff were very polite and...