In a city where cocktails are more popular than water Prohibition helps restore some class to fancy drinking.

The Venue
Prohibition is a sizeable bar spread over a long room facing Greek Street. There's a wall to wall window which lets in loads of light but the spaghetti screens help keep things private. There's a sexy renaissance style painting covering the wall and the whole place looks a bit illicit. Think New York bar during the Prohibition but with more showiness than the depression would allow.

It's furnished in black and burgundy, with a faint Oriental theme with Japanese style wooden divisions. There are couches, red and black chandeliers, gauze black curtains and presidential leather armchairs. The place looks elegant and expensive but not high sheen glamour.

The People
The crowd in this upmarket venue is well-heeled. Prohibition is a favourite with city workers so there's a fair few suits in here after working hours. You'll see plenty of people in their thirties, with smatterings of 40-year-olds and a few younger faces.

The music is chilled and this is somewhere to while away a Friday night. Its decadent decor invites you to strike a fashionable pose while clutching a martini. Sip slowly and look cool.

The Food
Prohibition serves man-food with gourmet burgers, fajitas and fish finger sandwiches. Small plates go from £2.50 to £6 while the burgers cost between £7 and £9. Platters are between £12 and £25 and the fajitas are £8 to £10 while mains are betwen £7 and £11. Most of the food is a better version of the slightly stale menu of any bar or pub. They still serve the ever popular fish and chips, a classic burger with cheese and bacon and nachos and potato skins with dips. However they also serve The Aussie burger which is topped with pineapple, beetroot, fried egg and cheese as well as a meze platter of marinated olives, feta, hummus, falafel fritters, tomato and herb couscous and flatbread.

The Drink
Prohibition is a cocktail bar with all the trimmings. Forget about sugary syrups, cheap spirits and fruit concentrate, here they serve the real thing. And the skillful moves of the bartenders will leave you in no doubt that your drink is of the highest quality.

Cocktails cost between £4.50 and £7 and include classics like sours, Tom Collins, martinis, Bloody Mary, Champagne cocktails or you can opt for their own concoctions. Try the Northern Monkey which is made from vodka, creme de banana, grenadine, fresh lemon sours mix and ginger beer. Or how about a Jamaican Sunset with rum, orange curacao, fresh lime, orange and cranberry juice. If you like Red Bull you should try the strong Bullmeister which, for £5, is vodka, Jagermeister, cranberry juice and Red Bull or there's the Long Bull made from vodka, Bacardi, triple sec, gin, fresh lemon sours mix and Red Bull.

Prohibition also offers ice cream cocktails for £5, like the sweet FBI made from vodka, Kaluha, Baileys, milk, cream and ice cream. And their signature cocktails are as fresh as their ingredients and they only cost £6.50. There's the cucumber and elderflower Martini, the Fiery Jeeves made from Ketel One Citroen, gin, Chambord, strawberries, blackberries, lemon juice, sugar, Tabasco and black pepper or the Bikini Martini made from cachaca, limoncello, fresh lemon juice and passion fruit.

If you're bored of the cocktails go for the quick hit with their list of shooters which cost £2.50. They serve the classic B52 and Slippery Nipple together with their own Suki (limoncello and Jagermeister), Kill Bill (limoncello, black sambuca and chambord) and others. Mocktails cost £3 and hot drinks are £2.

Bottles of spirits are in the £75 to £120 range (with exception of the Cognacs which start from £80 and go up to £800 and even £2,500). Champagne is £35 to £150 (£6.50 to £8.50 by the glass) and there's a good list of wines to go down with your meal. These cost £12.50 to £35 a bottle with glasses at £3.25 to £5.25 and £4 to £7.25. Try the Salterio Albarino Bodegas Martin Codax or the Chianti Ruffino for an excellent white and red. Finally, if all of the above sounds too fancy or if you don't have the cash to splash opt for a beer. They stock Sol, Peroni, Tiger, Cuscquena, Pilsner Urquell American Budweiser and Koppaberg cider.

The Last Word
Prohibition looks slick and serves some of the best cocktails in town. It's got a slightly pretentious attitude but just enjoy your drinks over a platter to share. Passing up this place would be a real shame.

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