London’s nightlife is embarrassing – I’m raising a glass to later opening times

I was at Gordon’s Wine Bar in July, on the kind of night that makes you fall in love with London.

My friend and I had squeezed into its greenery-clad courtyard, where every table was packed and everyone was smiling. But just as things were peaking, the waiter called last orders shortly before 11pm. 

Instant disappointment. It felt like we were being made to leave a gig before the band had played their greatest hits. We were out on the pavement 15 minutes later, stewing over whether to tough the Tube or swallow a £35 cab. 

I opted for the latter and, determined to keep the evening alive, took a swerve to Mr Fogg’s, a great venue, with vintage interior and excellent cocktails. But on a Friday in central London, it seemed the only place open – and not nearly full.

Leaving less than an hour later, I thought about Barcelona, a city I’ve visited often, where anyone up for a night out wouldn’t have left home yet. But in the heart of our capital city the party was already over.

That’s why I’ll raise a glass to the long overdue plans that were announced by the Government to overhaul licensing rules in England and Wales. 

Keir Starmer said that venues will be allowed to open later, serve food easier, and find it cheaper to apply for license changes. 

In London, we need those changes.

In September, I heard a bell at the Duke of Sussex, Waterloo, at 10.30pm. I’d arrived barely an hour earlier. It seems like a pattern, and not a good one. 

And it risks becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. Bars won’t risk higher outgoings to stay open for fewer customers, customers adjust their behaviour because they know bars will close earlier, and an entire chunk of the economy suffers.

After my evening at Gordon’s, the wine bar’s business manager Amanda Whiteside told me their 11pm closing is down to the cost of late-night travel for staff and customers, licensing restrictions and concerns about safety in the evenings. 

The bar, open in the daytime, also needs sufficient time to prepare for the following day, and to avoid disturbing local residents. I hope the new licensing overhaul can change this.

London is unrivalled in so many areas. The best bands play here; we host the best names in sport in some of the world’s best stadiums and a selection of the world’s best restaurants call our capital home. Theatre dates are an embarrassment of riches.

Yet nightlife isn’t thriving. In my thirties, I have no wish to leave clubs at the same time I go to work but 11pm closing times at pubs, bars and restaurants kill spontaneity. We’re not playing as hard as we work.

The alternatives – crowded, sweaty nightclubs with an entrance fee – feel like a relegation from the cosy pubs and wine bars where people just want an hour or two longer.

As the autumn draws in, I’m crunching leaves around Victoria Park on the way to People’s Park Tavern, gorging on pizza at Crate Brewery in Hackney and clinking a Guinness at The Ring in Southwark. But all that can be spoiled by the ‘last orders’ bell at 10.30pm. 

A few weeks ago, at Renegade Wine Bar, Bethnal Green, I joined guests enjoying wine from the brand’s own vineyards. That closed at 11pm on a weekend – another vibe killer for the list.

This is not about the booze – it’s about time with people important to me being cut short. Conversations that could have been had, gossip shared and laughs enjoyed, all sadly lost.

In New York, venues are permitted to serve alcohol up to 4am all week; according to London City Hall’s own research, licensing in London that was more similar to New York’s could increase the city’s economy by roughly £2billion per year.

Part of London’s problem is that venues are not incentivised to keep longer hours. Warwick Smith, founder of Renegade Urban Winery called on the government to help ‘save businesses like ours from closing’ as they deal with rising costs. 

I sympathise with the reasoning and late-night safety is a genuine concern – but it’s a sad state of affairs when a flagship London venue can’t keep its customers smiling and spending. 

There is hope, however – and today’s announcement could be a vital first step. 

We await the details, but it looks like the Government could offer incentives to venues to apply for later licences, by helping with costs.

Many, like Renegade, sit across residential buildings that make applications difficult – but plenty don’t. They need confidence to keep doors open longer. 

The Government could also offer relief to customers who spend cash late at night. Londoners put up with some of the most expensive taxi fares in the world, not to mention the cost of beverages and entry fees, so a planned cut to alcohol duty on draught pints is a small, but vital, first step. 

Finally, I propose an experiment: For one Friday and Saturday night, let all venues in central London stay open and ensure the Underground is fully operational until 2am. 

Assuming this pilot weekend works,  incentivise it for punters perhaps with an ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ style scheme. 

Let’s weigh the benefits and downsides and see if more and more venues can be encouraged to stay open later. 

Keir Starmer said today pubs are ‘the beating heart of our communities.’ As nights draw in on our greatest city, it’s time to prove him right.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk. 

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