Claridges,
Brook Street,
London,
W1K 4HR
0872 148 2971
The ViewLondon Review
Not really the kind of place for kicking around in your trainers or complaining about your overdraft, Claridges attracts the internationally moneyed, the universally beautiful and the globally famous.
If excellent cocktails and a sumptuous bar menu served up by professionals in a classic, Art Deco setting is your scene, then look no further. David Collins’ marble, leather and mirrored interiors provide a suitable backdrop to the regular clientele, which comprises the local Mayfair contingent alongside the international jetset and such names as Madonna, George Clooney, Sting and the Jaggers.
Bring your blazer, light a cigar and keep the shouting to a minimum. The austere yet ever so professional bartenders set the tone, though you’ll be served by a bevy of international gals so beautiful that they somehow manage to pull off maroon tunics that would look more at home on a care assistant.
The seafood heavy bar menu is simply delectable, though if you’d rather save your cash for something stronger then the complimentary nibbles are amongst the best in town. The venue gets packed – particularly after working hours – so you’re best advised to book a banquette in the bar area, main room or back alcove, as you’re otherwise unlikely to find a seat.
The cocktails are delectably old school and include the bracing Afternoon Tea-Ni with cucumber, Pimms and honey vodka and the Red Berry Sour featuring Stoli Razberi and egg white, although the tenders here can make you anything you could possibly wish for.
Match this with a positive and engaging atmosphere and you’ll discover refined drinking at its best.