By Catherine Leech, Director of 101 Holidays
Despite the recession, London’s hotel cocktail bar scene is booming. On a recent Saturday afternoon I sampled some of the capital’s most prestigious boozers to find out which is best.
The advantage of visiting hotel bars on a Saturday is they are not full of corporate suits on expense accounts. The clientele are real people, spending real money, often up in town for a splurge.
There were six in our party and we turned up at each hotel without a booking. Nowhere did we need to queue, but every bar was virtually full. I can remember when it was considered unthinkably naff to drink cocktails at a London hotel. Those days are most definitely over.
The Coburg Bar, The Connaught
Service 5/5
Cocktails 4/5
Nibbles 5/5
Buzz 2/5
Total score: 16
The Bloody Mary was sublime and the nibbles superb (mini fruit kebabs as well as the usual nuts, cheese straws and olives), but the ambience was a bit flat. There were several Hooray Henry types, some cooing tweed-and-twin-set couples up from the country and a far-too-obvious pair of illicit lovers (get a room!), but the atmosphere was hushed. A great place to take Granny for a racy Martini.
Claridge’s Bar
Service 3/5 (perhaps we weren’t wearing enough Prada)
Cocktails 4/5
Nibbles 5/5
Buzz 2/5
Total score: 14
The famous Tea Room was bursting at the seams and the bar humming with frosty-chic East Europeans and celeb-hunting shoppers surrounded by Selfridges bags. It was designer label central and we had the distinct feeling that’s how they like it at Claridge’s Bar. Fun if you like a side order of glamour with your cocktails. And the cheesy/olive straws were outstanding.
The Mandarin Bar, Mandarin Oriental
Service 5/5
Cocktails 4/5
Nibbles 3/5
Buzz 4/5
Total score: 16
We loved the laid-back but stylish feel of colonial gentleman’s club meets contemporary chic. This is the sort of place where the staff remember you – and this visit was no exception. Nice. The flowers in the lobby are worth a visit in themselves – never short of spectacular. Shame they were a bit stingy with the nibbles. Warning: the bar gets very crowded on weekday evenings.
The Blue Bar, The Berkeley
Service 4/5
Cocktails 5/5
Nibbles 5/5
Buzz 5/5
Total score: 19
The Blue Bar (pictured above) was our runaway favourite: calming, chic, cool and potentially addictive. There was a cool, but unostentatious, crowd and the “Lutyens Blue” decor by the ubiquitous David Collins remains as beautiful and unique as the day it opened at the turn of the century (21st that is). My Sex & The City cocktail (a cliché, I know) cost an outrageous £16 but was relatively good value when you realise you are served the entire contents of a cocktail shaker, more than enough for two. We tried to take a photograph of the décor, but were unceremoniously asked to desist (for which we deducted a point).
* We did pop in to The Dorchester but the bar resembles a glitzy ’70s bordello and the clientele screamed Eurotrash. We exchanged looks and – without a word – walked straight out.
** I really ought to mention the stunning new Connaught Bar. With its understated Art Deco decor, it’s far more glamorous than the Coburg. It doesn’t open until 4pm and is closed on Sundays, but will be on our list next time.
So, our award for Best Hotel Cocktail Bar in London goes to the Blue Bar at The Berkeley. But what is your personal favourite? Do you know any other great hotel bars elsewhere in the world?
To book any one of these London institutions, check out Travel Intelligence’s selection of luxury hotels in London.
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Tags: London, Mandarin Oriental
