Mac Rating: 5.00 | Votes: 1 | Date: 20/06/2026 18:27:00

Occupying a prominent corner of Paternoster Square, in the shadow of St Paul's Cathedral, The Happenstance is an all-day bar and restaurant in the City of London. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame views of the cathedral dome, while the interior pairs a long main bar with a restaurant, a deli counter and a flower stand. The venue is part of Drake & Morgan, a London hospitality group that operates a string of bar-restaurants across the capital. Its City location aims squarely at the area's office workers and visitors, opening from breakfast through to late-night drinks seven days a week. Food runs from morning pastries and brunch to seasonal lunch and dinner menus, with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients and a long wine list. The drinks offer leans on cocktails, including a lighter low-calorie range, alongside craft beers and spirits. Several distinct spaces give the venue flexibility for private hire. These include a subterranean private dining room, a hidden speakeasy area, the main bar and two outdoor terraces, one of which opens directly onto Paternoster Square. The terraces are a particular draw in warmer months, offering al fresco dining and drinks with the cathedral as a backdrop. Inside, the lighting and floral styling shift the mood from daytime meetings to evening gatherings as the working day ends. Its position next to one of London's most visited landmarks, and within a busy pedestrianised square ringed by offices, gives The Happenstance a steady mix of corporate trade, after-work crowds and tourists. The result is a polished, centrally located venue that trades on both its setting and its all-day flexibility. The venue sits within a wider cluster of City of London bars and restaurants, but its direct line of sight to the cathedral, unusual among the area's offerings, is one of its strongest selling points. Drake & Morgan use the space to showcase the group's house style of polished, design-led all-day hospitality, and it has become a regular fixture on lists of central London spots for both relaxed brunches and after-work cocktails.