So Bar Richmond — Restaurant in London

I recently had the pleasure of hosting my birthday party at SO Bar in Richmond, and I cannot praise this venue enough. We booked the lounge area upstairs, which turned out to be the perfect setting for an unforgettable celebration.

From the moment we arrived, the entire team—Tom, Paw, Brian, and all the bartenders—were incredibly attentive and ready to support us in any way they could. Their exceptional service made everything seamless and stress-free, allowing me to fully enjoy my special day.

One of the highlights was the flexibility the venue offered. I was able to decorate the space exactly how I wanted and play my own music, which really personalized the experience. The ambiance was perfect for my group of 30-40 friends, creating an intimate yet lively atmosphere.

The cocktails were simply outstanding. Each drink was crafted with care and precision, making our evening even more enjoyable. Whether you’re hosting an event or just looking for a place to enjoy some high-quality cocktails, SO Bar is the place to be.

Thank you to the entire team at SO Bar for making my birthday absolutely fabulous. Your dedication and hospitality are second to none. If you’re in Richmond and need a venue for a celebration or just want to enjoy a great night out with excellent drinks, look no further...

Came here on Saturday night, 25th August. So much potential, but not good. Such a let down. Repeatedly told in a slightly patronising way "it's a table service bar" when we had to go to the bar more than once, despite literally waving staff down trying to get their attention, after civilised attempts were blanked/went unnoticed. Drinks were decent but nothing special. Ordered the olives and chorizo. Chorizo came in small fat little sausages, but so dry and no flavour, it was like trying to eat a flipflop. Olives are okay but very rich for a bar snack. Having been blanked, at one point I went up to the tall, white, young, barman in the waistcoat for a glass of water. It was a completely polite request. Said water never showed up. I don't get how it works if the staff aren't even looking at you or checking in, how the hell it's table service. Feel pissed at paying the service charge but having asked for it once and the waitress then disappearing to serve another table, and asking for it again, we just wanted to get the hell out. The only plus was the wonderful doorman. *Edit to add that the wait staff with the afro hair and smiley face was also brilliant. On point every time and super friendly. Shame everything else...

On arriving to our 6.45pm Friday night booking, we were disappointed to hear that the pop up Tapas & Paella had stopped making the seafood paella for the day, as this was the main reason we'd booked our visit. Instead, we had a chicken and chorizo (with red pepper and mange tout(?!!)) paella, and some tapas prawns, bread with tomato, and croquettes while we waited for the 30min paella lead time. On reflection, it was simply too much food and, I'm sad to say, largely disappointing. The croquettes were tasty, but the prawns hadn't been deveined, and the paella arrived (huge pan, tiny table) with a skin on to that have the impression of having say under heat lights for a while. It was tasty enough, but we were bored of it and full before half way through. The bar itself is nice enough, definitely going for a young and high volume crowd. The service was very friendly, although we did have to chase some things. And the drinks menu, whilst would appeal to some, had little to keep me coming back. That said, the one smoked cocktail I had was good, and two non alcoholic cocktails were surprisingly tasty albeit a tad sweet. The music was louder than my preference, but standard for a bar...