Old Fashioned: The Bars Fit For Hollywood Stars
The only places to (not) be papped with a cocktail in hand.
By Charlotte Sutherland-Hawes
The Coral Room
The Coral Room in the Bloomsbury Hotel is invitingly eclectic: high ceilings and large windows are offset by colourful walls crammed with Luke Edward Hall's illustrations. Most importantly, the drinks are excellent. There is focus on English sparkling wine (the Coral Room even has its own vintage) and an extensive cocktail menu that pairs classics with innovative new ideas. Mezcal gives Big Smoke its lingering taste, and Square Life is the liquid form of an amaretto biscuit. With salty olives, herbed nuts and a selection of sharing plates as accompaniments, it's worth taking the time to work your way through the menu.
Kettner's Champagne Bar
It's all in the name—champagne is the wunderkind at Kettner's plush new bar. Furnished in signature Soho House style with leather bar stools, French glass lights and a marble bar, it's dark enough to not be spotted as you pop corks from the numerous bottles on offer. Whether you choose bubbles straight up or in cocktail form, this is a champagne lover's paradise.
There's a stiff drink, and then there's a martini at Duke's. Never has the aperitif been treated with such respect. A dedicated trolley is wheeled from table to table to revive clients with properly made martinis; bottles and glasses are kept in the freezer to ensure ice cold temperatures without dilution; oranges and lemons are freshly peeled table-side and rubbed around the rim of the glass. Duke's is a classic, old-fashioned bar that does things by the book and respects the history of mixology. You won't find any dry ice here, only a crowd of discerning drinkers.
Manetta's
On a side street off Piccadilly, Manetta's is in the basement of Fleming's hotel, and is invitingly dark, cool and quiet with soft jazz twinkling in the background to the alluring clink of ice. Its menu reflects its 1930s heyday, when the literary cognoscenti gathered alongside the art crowd. Order a drink to honour Agatha Christie, Gertude Stein, James Joyce and Stein's partner, the critic and collector Alice B. Toklas, who look upon drinkers approvingly from the portraits hanging on the leather-lined walls.
The Green Bar at Hotel Café Royal
For a bar less than a stone's throw from Piccadilly Circus, The Green Bar at Hotel Café Royal is a surprisingly relaxing environ to while away the time. So relaxing, in fact, that it can be hard to peel yourself away from the soft lighting, green tiles, atmospheric lounge music and fragrant menu of botanical drinks. The green element originates in the bar's history with absinthe and it still reigns strong on the menu. Go classic with a shot delivered to your table with accompanying sugar and water, or try a lively cocktail from the excellent menu. Gin and tonics are also a big focus, with sparkling twists like the Pink Pepper, served with Sicilian lemon tonic and rosemary, or the Elephant, which is tonic laced with gin, lemongrass and ginger.
Claridge's Fumoir Bar
Walk in through the famous revolving door at Claridge's, through the marble lobby and bear slightly to the right. Here, you may notice a discreet glass door with intricate metalwork. Push it open and you leave the light-flooded lobby and step into the inky wonder of the Fumoir bar, a temple to expert cocktail-making, the very best ingredients and impeccable service. Every tipple on the cocktail list contains an intriguing ingredient list and the glassware is almost as delightful as the liquid it contains. It is the perfect spot to sink into some serious drinks in the velvet, marble and etched-glass surroundings.
The American Bar at the Savoy
For the second year running, the American Bar was voted best in the world at the Spirited Awards, this year because of the updated menu. The Savoy's famous drinking den has long been the place to go for a classic mixed expertly (and still is—there is no finer Manhattan in V.F. London's book) but it's the new additions that each correlate to a Terry O'Neill portrait on the wall that are bringing this bar fresh acclaim. Arrive at 6:30pm to hear the piano keys start as you sip your chosen libation.
The Connaught Bar
In a nutshell, the Connaught Bar is sexy. The lighting is dark, the interiors are a mix of leather and glittering tabletops, and the drinks are strong. It feels like a bar where you can get up to some mischief, encouraged by the experimental mixology on offer. The Vieux Connaught cocktail feels very Alice in Wonderland, and comes in a little bottle filled with smoke—the longer you leave the drink in the bottle, the smokier your potion will be. The bar snacks are excellently concocted to soak up the spirits; you will certainly have more drinks than you planned to, with deep-fried sushi, samosas and truffle croquettes on offer.
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