Sitting opposite the rear of Fortnum and Mason on Jermyn Street, Mayfair, the Cavendish Hotel foyer is home to the Lobby Bar, an open-plan bar that fluctuates between busy and animated and low-key and lacklustre.

The Venue
If you want a taste of old school British style, head down Jermyn Street in Mayfair, it’s a relatively quiet artery off the bustling St James’s with gentlemen’s fashion straight out of The Chap magazine. Along this historical stretch of the capital, you’ll find the Cavendish Hotel, and immediately to your right as you enter, the Lobby Bar. As it’s open-plan, the comings and goings of hotel residents is very tangible and the seating is limited to a couple of turquoise leather booths (grab one of these if you can) and a few tables and chairs scattered around the rest of what is a fairly transient-feeling space. In addition, you can, if you wish, grab a high seat at the bar where you can watch the bar tenders at work.

The Atmosphere
This hotel bar hums with the banter between groups of middle-aged patrons in evening-wear before they head to one of the function rooms; once they’ve moved on, though, it’s noticeably quiet and you’ll only tend to see hotel residents and the odd local worker in attendance. Staff, however, save things from becoming overly stifled by engaging in banter, checking back to see if everything’s alright with your order and injecting some life into the room.

The Drink
A comprehensive wine and champagne list is supplemented by a solid list of premium spirits which sit primed on shelves at the back-lit bar. Cocktails, including the usual suspects like mojitos and bellinis, also feature a selection of remixed martinis. A whisky high ball, served long over ice (£8.50) using Woodford Reserve bourbon, nutty Amaretto refreshing ginger ale and lime, is a reviving drink with a well-balanced flavour.

There’s also a commendable homegrown element – Meantime beers (£4.50-£5 a pint) and Sipsmith’s vodka and gin can be found alongside Sacred vodka (Highgate) and Oxley gin (Clapham). While the Lobby Bar is not going to trouble the many world-class hotel bars in the capital, the prices are noticeably cheaper – up to half the price in terms of cocktails - than you’d pay in any number of the big boys.

The Last Word
It may not have the stunning design of the Beaufort Bar or the razzmatazz of Wyld, but the Lobby Bar does offer good value for money – especially considering its address.

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