If you normally shy away from soulless hotel bars, try the chic Vertilon – a glamorous hideaway within the Hotel Verta in a secretive corner of Battersea.

The Venue
Although it has prime position on the Thames, adjacent to Battersea’s heliport for the rich and famous, the modern Hotel Verta takes some seeking out. Once you find it however, it’s a treat to enjoy its stylish bar, the Vertilon. Clamber up the shiny, winding staircase in the foyer to enter the mezzanine bar. Its alluring décor, with velvety couches and flashes of emerald and black, oozes appeal and opulence as well as offering a deliciously tempting cocktail menu. Low tables and cushy chairs are set up in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, offering elevated panoramic views over the river – an idyllic and romantic setting.

The Atmosphere
The isolated location of the hotel means that the bar has a relaxed, peaceful ambience. By night, Vertilon is moody and seductive – the perfect spot for cosy couples having a pre-dinner drink or digestif. Sophisticated, well-versed wait-staff offer top-class service and are on-hand to recommend their favourite tipples from the impressive, extensive menu.

The Food
If you’re not dining in the hotel’s fabulous and refined restaurant, Patrisey, then you can choose bar snacks from Vertilon’s ‘Jet Fuel’ menu. It offers savoury bites from around £4-£5, like deep-fried whitebait, char-grilled flatbread with babaganoush and corn fritters with spiced tomato salsa. For a taste of greater luxury (more in keeping with the surroundings), there are also oysters, foie gras terrine with toasted brioche and muscat jelly (£7) or 28gm mottra caviar with blinis and sour cream (£65).

The Drink
The extensive, elegant menu has upmarket champagnes, cocktails, mocktails, beers, wines and spirits, with ritzy price tags to match. Cocktails in Vertilon are not to be missed – the passion fruit and basil caipirinha (£11) is delightfully sweet and tangy, topped with mountains of shaved ice garnished with discs of oozing passion fruit and a pep of basil. There are alluring champagne cocktails made lovingly with Laurent-Perrier Champagne and fun elixirs like the rose and rhubarb fizz with egg whites and cream. All cocktails are around the £10-£12 mark – quite pricey considering you’re in Battersea but suited to the elegant hotel environment.

The Last Word
Perfect for champagne at dusk, an afternoon tea or decadent pre-dinner drinks, this contemporary destination bar and the state-of-the-art hotel it is housed within have livened up a drab corner of Battersea.

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