Yum: Cheese, tomato, spinach and egg pizza at Bounce

Bounce is a unique London night out – combining drinking, eating and Ping Pong. Having opened in late 2012, I had the Holborn venue on my wish list for a while, so recently I finally got round to going with a friend for meal, drinks and a catch-up. For those who want to play Ping Pong, I highly recommend booking a slot on a table in advance. We only decided to go Bounce a few hours before our meal there on a busy Saturday night and weren’t fortunate enough to get a Ping Pong table booking.

Hatton Garden Spritz: Vodka, elderflower cordial, fresh raspberry and rhubarb, lemon, topped with Prosecco

Located a short walk from Chancery Lane tube station, Bounce is an expansive underground venue, featuring a restaurant at the back, 40 foot cocktail bar and 17 Ping Pong tables. Although subterranean, the large space and high ceilings mean the space feels far from claustrophobic or gloomy, in fact, quite the opposite. Upon arrival, we headed straight to our table and ordered one of the original cocktails from the menu. I opted for a Hatton Garden Spritz – named after the nearby road famous for its jewellers – a fruity, long drink consisting of Vodka, elderflower cordial, fresh raspberry and rhubarb, lemon topped with Prosecco, which was refreshing and light. My friend was in the mood for something a bit harder – and definitely not for the faint hearted – a Daddy Mac – a concoction of Chivas 12 year Scotch whisky, Stones ginger wine, Havana seven-year rum, agave syrup, fresh lemon and mint. The Daddy Mac has a sub-heading ‘not for girls’, which obviously gave my (female) friend a challenge, who managed to finish the drink, while admitting it packed a punch!

Although there was a selection of pizza breads, antipasti and other starters, we went straight for the pizzas. I ordered a Mozzarella, spinach, egg, parmesan, nutmeg and black pepper pizza. Cooked in proper Italian style with a crisp, thin base. The pizza was nicely floury and tasty and swiftly vanished from my plate, a good sign! After a whole pizza each, we felt pretty full and decided against a dessert and headed to the bar for some cocktails. Being a Saturday night, the bar and Ping Pong tables were packed. It made for quite humorous scenes when the odd Ping Pong ball bounced off your leg as you stood drinking. As the night wore on, we went off the cocktail menu and ordered simple spirits and mixers and cider from the extensive bar selection. The service both at the restaurant and bar was friendly and swift, despite the busy night. I am looking forward to returning and getting a game in next time! Bounce is a great place for a bit of mid-week fun, or a Friday or Saturday venue to unwind after a long week at work.

To find out about Bounce’s New Year’s Eve party and other ‘welcome 2014’ events in the capital, click here.

Play a game of Ping Pong in between cocktails

• Bounce, 121 Holborn, EC1N 2TD. Tel: 020 3657 6525. Nearest tube: Chancery Lane. The Ping Pong tables are bookable in 30 or 60 minute slots, starting from £10-£18. For more information and booking, visit the Bounce website.

To read Metro Girl’s other restaurant and pub reviews, click here.

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