Looking for the fanciest place to grab a pint in London? Here it is, ladies and gents!

What does London need more of? To be honest, ‘bars’ wouldn’t really have been our first suggestion, but nevertheless, it’s just been announced that 222 Strand—known to many as the most beautiful bank in London—is being transformed into the height of sophistication: a whacking great Wetherspoons.

Now, we’re no stranger to a pint and a packet of chips, a greasy fry up the morning after, or a few doubles after work — but, we have to say that we were initially a bit disappointed that this Grade II-listed building, featuring ornate interiors and sumptuous stained glass windows, was becoming a Spoons.

Granted, its ability to cater for almost 600 hungry Londoners will come in handy, and we’re always grateful for somewhere to stumble into when we’re hiding from the rain or one of our exes — but surely everyone will be too blurry-eyed to appreciate the gorgeous interiors? What are they going to do about the stunning fountain that’s in there at the moment? And how many people will projectile on those swanky pillars?

That said, after the plans for the 27,000 sq ft dining area were released, we had a little nose around in the building’s history. What we found actually really endeared us to the new development.

As it turns out, before the building’s infamous stint as the most lovely Lloyds bank in London, 222 Strand was built as a restaurant for the Royal Courts of Justice. Catering solely to the city’s hottest hotshots and the super-elite, we think it’s rather nice that the building’s doors will now be open to absolutely everyone. Londoners and swanky-lawyers alike can rub shoulders with one another and rejoice in the very reasonable prices that Spoons has to offer.

To be honest, who wouldn’t want to enjoy a pint surrounded by ornate tiled friezes and towering pillars? We certainly know we’re up for a couple of rounds here, at least.