This post lists our favourite 10 London hotel bars (which our bloggers have personally visited) and provides contact information for each.
London has a reputation for some of the world’s best hotels and also some of the best bars. So we’ve come up with our own list of top 10 London hotel bars which our bloggers personally know and love, in the hope you will too.
There’s a mix of atmospheric, cosy, modern and traditional venues. But one thing each has in common is a special something, a unique “x factor”. Here then are London’s top 10 hotel bars (in no particular order)…
For Tradition…The American Bar @ The Stafford Hotel
http://www.thestaffordlondon.com/English/american-bar
Reservations: 020 7493 0111
The American Bar is steeped in history and owes its name (and some of its drinks) to a time when travellers from the United States of America began flocking to London en masse.
Check rates at The Stafford
The history on the bar’s walls is a treat. As legend has it, the global collection of memorabilia that adorns the walls began when long-serving Head Barman Charles Guano was given a carving of an American eagle by a guest, followed by an Eskimo from a Canadian and a model kangaroo from an Australian. The collection snowballed and today barely a surface remains untouched.
Even more history lies below the floors in The Stafford’s wine cellars, which you can delve down into for free if you enquire at the bar. The cellars are 380 years old and were used as air-raid shelters during World War II.
For Personality…The bar @ The Egerton House Hotel
http://www.redcarnationhotels.com/egertonhousehotel/food-and-drink/bar
Reservations: 020 7589 2412
The best bars are about much more than the building and the décor. They’re also about the people and characters who serve you.
Check rates at The Egerton House Hotel
One figure currently makes the Egerton House Hotel’s bar an absolute joy to visit – head barman Antonio, who always pours his martinis meticulously to the brim, whilst regaling you with interesting anecdotes and uttering inimitable catchphrases. Remarkably, he never so much as spills a drop.
For Innovation…Artesian @ The Langham
http://www.artesian-bar.co.uk/
The bar has a no reservation policy.
For the past three years, The Artesian Bar has been awarded the coveted title of ‘World’s Best Bar’ at the Drinks International World’s 50 Best Bars ceremony. This accolade is a testament not just to the venue itself and the amazing staff who run it, but to the inventiveness of the bar’s cocktail menu.
Check rates at The Langham
Look beyond the standard wine, spirits and champagne and you’ll find wonderfully experimental drinks like Time, Space and Honey (keep an eye out for the parsnip), the guava-infused Dream Within a Dream and the decadent How Do You Say Banana Daiquiri, complete with caviar. You can check out more intriguing cocktails here: http://www.artesian-bar.co.uk/#/cocktails/
For Time Travel…The Booking Office Bar @ St Pancras Renaissance
http://www.bookingofficerestaurant.com/
Bookings: http://www.bookingofficerestaurant.com/london-restaurant-bar-st-pancras-renaissance-lonpr/Reservations-2.html
Since its grand reopening, the St Pancras Renaissance hotel has injected a delightful element of Victorian charm to the King’s Cross area.
Check rates at the St Pancras Renaissance
This is continued by the hotel’s Booking Office Bar & Restaurant, which can be found in the original station’s ticket hall. Within a grand venue replete with 19th century splendour, you can sample genuine Victorian punch recipes.
What’s more, because the bar has a late licence you can continue sipping these tastes of yesteryear till 3am should you so choose.
For Ultra Deluxe…Bassoon Bar @ The Corinthia
http://www.corinthia.com/hotels/london/dining-and-bars/bars/bassoon-bar/
Reservations: (0) 20 7321 3200
The first thing most people notice about the Bassoon Bar is the bar itself, which is dominated by an actual piano that is often put to good use.
Check rates at The Corinthia
Aside from that though, the whole setup just exudes elegance and understated art-deco style. Turn your attention to the cocktail menu meanwhile and you’ll find an everchanging seasonal selection of concoctions, such as the current ‘A Night at the Opera’ and ‘My Way’.
For Quirkiness…The Cocktail Lounge @ The Zetter Townhouse
http://www.thezettertownhouse.com/cocktail-lounge
Reservations (limited): 020 7324 4545
Quirky townhouses-cum-hotels are all the rage in London at the moment, and they don’t come much quirkier than the Zetter Townhouse.
Head to the boutique hotel’s Cocktail Lounge for a unique fusion of cocktail experimentation and cuisine light. The cocktails are created by expert mixologist Tony Conigliaro, who is renowned for his use of molecular mixology, while a variety of tasty bar treats have been cooked up by chef Bruno Loubet.
For Intimacy…The Luggage Room @ The Marriott Grosvenor Square
http://luggageroom.co.uk/home/
Reservations: 020 7514 1507
Your first challenge is just to find this hidden gem, housed within the former luggage room of the luxury hotel the bar is associated with.
Check rates at The Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square
Once you’re there, expect a Roaring Twenties atmosphere, creative retro cocktails and service which is attentive but never intrudes. During our own visit we fell in love with their signature cocktails, characterised by imaginative combinations. The Luggage Room has Mayfair style without pretensions.
For People Watching…The Long Bar @ The Sanderson
https://www.morganshotelgroup.com/originals/originals-sanderson-london/eat-drink/long-bar
Reservations: 0207 300 5588
There’s often something in a name, and in the case of the Long Bar at the Sanderson Hotel this is very true indeed.
Check rates at The Sanderson
Measuring in at some 80-foot long, the Long Bar is nonetheless often packed with hotel guests and non-guests alike chatting and drinking the night away. If you’re one for people watching, prop yourself up at the lengthy bar, grab a seasonal cocktail and perhaps a sharing platter for you and your friends.
For Classic Recipes…The American Bar @ The Savoy
http://www.fairmont.com/savoy-london/dining/americanbar/
The bar has a no reservations policy.
No relation to the American Bar at the Stafford, apart from being one of only two London hotels to have retained a name that was exceptionally common for hotel bars in the early-mid 20th century.
Check rates at The Savoy
The Savoy’s American Bar has a rich heritage stretching all the way back to this era, through Ada Coleman’s creation of the Hanky Panky cocktail here and Harry Craddock’s compilation of the renowned Savoy Cocktail Book. The décor is suitably elegant, following an extensive refurb a few years ago, while the bar’s cocktails continue to draw in punters from around the world.
For Martinis…Duke’s Bar @ Dukes Hotel
http://www.dukeshotel.com/foodanddrink-dukesbar.php
The bar has a no reservations policy.
One for anyone who’s ever fancied themselves as a secret agent or Bond girl.
Check rates at Dukes Hotel
Legend has it that it was at Duke’s Bar that author Ian Fleming used to have the ‘shaken not stirred’ martinis that would be become a hallmark of his most famous character, James Bond. Today you can sample a modern take on the creation with Alessandro Palazzi’s ‘Fleming 89’.
That completes our top 10! Have we missed out your favourite London hotel bar? Do let us know your preferred haunt in the comments below.
Search for a London hotel – Book Now, Pay When you Stay
Photo credits: The Stafford, The Egerton House Hotel, The Langham, St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, The Corinthia, The Zetter Townhouse, The Luggage Room, The Sanderson, The Savoy, Dukes Hotel.
Liked this post? Get on our Secret Deals Guest List!