Blue Bar offers the elegance and quality that you’d expect from one of London’s best five star hotels, mixed with an upbeat atmosphere and celebrity crowd.

The Venue
Located on one of the plushest streets in Knightsbridge, the experience of visiting Blue Bar begins the moment you step through the marble-clad doorway of the Berkeley Hotel. The hotel itself is immaculate and a real homage to classic British design whilst the bar itself - designed by David Collins - is surprisingly modern. Decked out entirely in subtle blue hues that cover everything from the walls and ceilings to the tables and chairs, you’ll be struck by just how well laid out this relatively small space is.

The bar is spread across three areas, filled with everything from tables for two to seating for larger groups. The chairs range from leather to wood and the dim lighting helps to create an atmospheric setting. The otherwise small space is made more airy thanks to the high ceilings and you’re unlikely to pay much attention to the immaculate main bar as the table service is seamlessly efficient.

The Atmosphere
Hotel bars are a strange breed. Whilst their quality often can’t be faulted, the atmosphere is sometimes lacking as they quieten down towards the weekends as their business clients clear out. Blue Bar is not like this. At all. At the weekend it almost has a party feel as the moneyed and the glamorous head here in their droves to pose in their Armani and McQueen outfits, flick their perfectly coiffed hair and pout at cute members of the opposite sex. The soundtrack helps to perpetuate this with a choice of upbeat party tunes and don’t be surprised if you spy the occasional celebrity, blending in with the beautiful people. However, underlying all of this is the seamless, excellent service of a five star hotel bar, which helps to keep it feeling special.

The Drink
Although they offer a large choice of fine wine, champagnes and over 50 whiskies, including shots worth well over £1000, it’s the cocktail list that really steals the show. The drinks are expensive, priced at £16+, quickly rising to well over £20 for martinis with premium spirits, but the quality is second to none.

There’s a good choice of champagne cocktails, and the French 75 is highly recommended, a classic drink made from gin, champagne, lemon juice, and sugar. The balance is spot-on, delicately mixing the cucumber notes of the gin with the dry fizz of the champagne, sweetened by the lemon and sugar to make it very palatable. However, it’s the martinis that really steal the show here, although they’re only for people who really enjoy a strong kick of alcohol. Their gin-based Gibson is exquisite. Clean and clear, a silverskin onion adds a slight vinegary note and it’s an excellent example of the drink. And if you want to round it all off with a dessert-like cocktail then their White Russian is perfectly layered so you drink through the cream rather than have it drown out the vodka and coffee liqueur. This produces a well-balanced cocktail that mixes sweetness with a strong kick of alcohol.

The Last Word
The Blue Bar may laugh in the face of the economic downturn, but sometimes we all need to do that. Save it for a special occasion and you're in for a real treat.

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