London's best hotel bars
We've rounded up all the best hotel bars in London. So put your glad-rags on and take your pick!
Oddly, hotel bars frequently go under the radar when planning a night out. You may choose to start with a swift one at the hotel bar when meeting up with others in your party to plan your assault proper on the city... but snuggling in for the night is rarely on the cards.
Well, that's just missing out.
Hotel bars have a charm and sophistication which echo the history and character of the hotel itself... and London does a particularly good line in charm and sophistication... so you're in for a good time.
We've rounded up all the best hotel bars in London. So put your glad-rags on and take your pick!
Glamour and celebrity go hand in hand at Refuel Bar at the Soho Hotel. Relaxed yet knowingly desirable, the bar is split into a formal dining area and an informal lounge where the cocktails flow.
Tradition would suggest that any Park Lane hotel should have a bar that’s up to scratch and in the case of The Dorchester, it’s no lie. The ground floor cocktail bar has a thing for Vermouth but whether you’re prepared to pay upwards of £50.00 for an aged rarity is up to you. If you’re not then the service, more modestly priced vermouths and luxurious surroundings should do just fine.
ME is a newbie for London but thanks to its location in the heart of Covent Garden, along with the views from the Radio Rooftop Bar, it is bound to become a classic. Gaze down on Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s and Tate Modern from the 10th floor bar that oozes with star quality.
Yikes is all you can say when you step into the Artesian Bar at the Langham. It is a hotel bar that has thought of everything. Waiters match the décor, the drinks are masterful and the level of luxury is what you’d expect in a place like this. Mixology and architecture undeniably make it one of London’s most attractive hotel bars.
The first thing about the Lanesborough is that it overlooks Hyde Park, which automatically makes it a worthwhile trip in our eyes. However, when you make your way into the Library Bar at the Lanesborough it won’t be Hyde Park you’re interested in anymore. Low lighting, leather bound books, heavy wooden shelves, sofas and thick rugs contribute to a Regency look that is upper-class sophistication personified. Try a bespoke cocktail or settle for the done thing and opt for a vintage cognac or two.
If it’s sheer opulence you’re in need of then the Connaught is the answer. Marble floors, towering mirrors and imposing leather armchairs closer in size to two-seater sofas, it is the place to bring someone worth impressing. Cocktails are exquisite and in our opinion it always has to be Connaught over Coburg at the Connaught Hotel.
The thing about hotel bars is that they’re often a total juxtaposition to the venue that they slot into, which is why they are so interesting. At the Zetter Townhouse the opposite is true as the bar in the lobby area presents the penchant for contemporary style that continues up into the hotel’s rooms. With cocktail king Tony Conigliaro consulting, the stuffed animal heads and modern art won’t be the only things to talk about.
Continuing the contemporary theme we have the bar at the St. John Hotel in Chinatown. A minimal space, the sensory teasing is left to the cocktails (all classics) and the elegant bar menu – or as elegant as nose to tail eating gets. If you want a hotel bar without the glamour, glitz and gaudiness (to some) then this is it. A strange choice perhaps but there are plenty of classic hotel bars in London to choose from and the food here is too much to ignore.
If its sky-high ceilings and impeccably dressed doormen that do it for you in a hotel bar then the Lobby Bar at One Aldwych is going to impress you. Tables are spaced out amongst towering pillars, complimentary nuts find a home on every table and the cocktails are a fitting tribute to one of the grandest of five-star hotels in the city.
The Blue Bar
Wilton Place SW1X 7RL
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This David Collins-designed bar is a see-and-be-seen place. Cocktails are a masterclass in sophistication and the staff treat all-comers like royalty. You may regularly spy the odd A-lister and big prices on the drinks list are guaranteed.
