Pure, unadulterated class. The Coburg Bar is stunningly sexy and beautifully executed.

The Venue
The Coburg Bar was famously opened in 2008 as part of the Connaught Hotel’s assault on London’s drinking and dining scene and the results are suitably gorgeous. It emits a feeling of refinement without being the slightest bit stuffy – no mean feat for such an upmarket hotel bar.

This is the place to ease yourself into a plush velvet armchair and feel the cares of the world melt away. Let them eat cake you think as you peruse page after page of mouthwatering cocktails. The walls are a dark grey colour, which sets off the white plaster ceiling. The room is bookended with two large black fireplaces, each propping up a sizeable mirror. The lighting is kept low with candles, low level reading lamps and overhead chandeliers, and the overall effect is dark and soothing.

The Atmosphere
The Coburg Bar is quiet and luxurious with plenty of well-dressed and well-coiffed staff on hand to attend to you. Fellow patrons are spread across a range of ages, but tend towards well to do couples and small groups engaged in deep conversation. The noise is kept to a minimum through lots of plush fabrics that dampen sounds, and a musical soundtrack kept perfectly balanced in both volume and selection – you are aware of it without being overwhelmed by it.

The Food
Drinks are served with delicious free finger nibbles in the form of olives and vegetable crisps and lovely sweet cookies with coffees and teas. There is a small bar menu with hot and cold choices including plates of chorizo or asparagus, but as finger food goes, it’s on the expensive side. With the Helene Darroze restaurant located within the same hotel, the emphasis here is firmly on drinking.

The Drink
The Coburg Bar drink menu goes on page after page after page. Vintage and non-vintage Champagne lead the choice (how many people really know the difference?), followed by a vast choice of wine, spirits, cognacs, whiskies and the like. However, their cocktails are truly notable. Arranged chronologically, it is like a history lesson in mixology. If you can afford it, you can merrily drink your way through each decade of the 20th century - although you would need a small fortune to settle the bill given that each cocktail costs upwards of £12.

The Last Word
If you are looking for a place to take someone special, The Coburg Bar is a class act of a cocktail bar.

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