Pharmacy

This was probably London's most talked-about bar and restaurant towards the close of the last millennium. It came a cropper with the authorities for using the name Pharmacy, who presumably feared that it would confuse little old ladies who might be popping in for a tube of Anusol. So it was 'Army Chap' for a while before reverting to its original name and satisfying the relevant authorities by clearly stating it was a 'bar and restaurant'. It also became a talking point for its invidious Damien Hirst artwork but, despite this and other problems, it became a fashionable destination for those on expense accounts or those to whom money doesn't matter. Late last year, it merged with the Hartford Group - owners of Montana, Canyon, Dakota, Idaho and Utah - but its pharmaceutically themed interior remains intact. Cocktails were good in the old days but a recent visit proved they are no panacea to the dark and dingy surroundings of the ground-floor bar.

Pharmacy
150 Notting Hill Gate, W11 3QG