A capital guide to the best cocktails in town
By Robin Dutt
There’s no doubt about it. Cocktails have become the capital’s dernier cri. Of course, they were always enjoyed in specialist bars and such immaculately magnetic environs as Claridges, The Ritz or The Connaught – these and other bastions of almost impossible elegance, synonymous with the strident precision and tradition of ‘cocktail hour.’
The cocktail concept has been readily embraced by many other establishments appealing to a jolly crowd seeking liquid inspiration, soon after the work stable door has shut. But you don’t bolt a cocktail, so it’s hard not to drink responsibly.
Cocktails are all about experimentation, personal choices, adaptability and oh yes…the salient advice of your ever attendant cocktail shaker/dream maker.
Apart from its sheer 18th century elegance, a confection of master architect Robert Adam, the Home House Members’ Club’s comprehensive cocktail list is reason to join alone. With three bars offering a staggering variety of classics and home grown favourites, the cocktail creators are adept at providing taste adventures from a classic Mojito to the signature Black Bison – dark and fruity sprinkled with vanilla sugar.
Any analysis of cocktail choices could, would, should not be complete without the appearance of a Bloody Mary. For many, a restorative pick me up. For others, a soup in a glass, the classic Bloody Mary does not exist – unless of course you are in a pub and being asked – “How spicy?” as the limp demi lemon slice slides in apologetically and the Tabasco sauce bottle is proffered.
That is certainly not a classic – as such. The secret of a Bloody Mary is… well, should be exactly that. The basic ingredients are obvious but it’s that extra unusual ingredient that gives character and uniqueness, as personal as your DNA. I often add a splash of soy sauce and sometimes wasabi. Actually, Marmite too. Oh yes… and a large chilli. Hot. And definitely no ice.
The Grenadier’s version has for years been praised as the best in London and it is not difficult to understand why. Smooth, spiced and satisfying, the secret recipe remains secret but much enjoyed in this historic and elegant London venue. Who knows exactly why it tastes so good? Perhaps the bartenders slice the lemon with a regimental sword or whisper a Mason-esque spell as the drink is being created. The appearance of a celery stick however is apparently down to one New York socialite who wanted something to stir her favourite cocktail with and, if needing a bite of lunch, had it to hand.
The Grenadier, 18 Wilton Row, SW1
020 7235 3074
An atmospheric cellar experience, Purl is a real find. Ancient booths are set into brick caverns and the cocktail waiters are so experienced that you feel instantly that you’d like to ask their advice before plumping for something you normally imbibe. Sharing plates of nibbles are the perfect partners to the alcohol and you can choose from all the classics. But do consider the Ballpont Fizz – Ketel One vodka, lemon, egg white and sugar that comes with a stash of flavoured ‘ink’ pipettes, which offer several taste experiences.
Or you may be brave enough to try the Cerez Joker – a cunning mixture of Jack Daniels, sloe gin, ginger bitters and a detonated lemon twist. The drink comes with a respectful note to inform the waiter if you have a weak heart. When my friend Dan Thompson was the manager of a cocktail bar in Soho, one cocktail he expertly prepared was accompanied by a waiver you had to sign before tasting. Are cocktail bars sensory laboratories? Fantastic! Purl. Blandford Street. W1 020 7935 0835
For many, a cocktail is not a cocktail unless it involves champagne. And it must be champagne – not something fizzy from anywhere in the world which is a sham and usually a pain. There are so many to choose from – the classic champagne cocktail comprising a sugar cube, angostura bitters and brandy, the delicate peach Bellini, Stolichnaya and Bollinger (Stoli-Boli) and a particular favourite, champagne mixed with tasty and nutty Amaretto.
If you like the idea of experimentation, the Experimental Cocktail Club, sprawled over three floors of a townhouse in the heart of old Chinatown, is more than fit for purpose as a purveyor of unusual cocktails – perfect for a pre-theatre tipple or post-opera drench. But such is the demand for evening libations here that booking is more than strongly recommended. (13a, Gerrard St., W1 020 7434 3559).
Classics, naturally, but let your bartender suggest something. Just tell him a few signatures tastes and styles you like or indeed the very texture from crisp and clean to gooey and gloopy.
You can make a cocktail out of any drink – well to be precise, a cocktail cannot be called such unless it has at least two alcoholic ingredients. Several other examples feature many more, such as the Long Island Tea – what’s not in it? And of course, you can have a non-alcoholic cocktail. Home House has a palatable virgin Bloody Mary but they hint at what they feel in its title. It’s called a Bloody Shame!
One of the capital’s latest on the cocktail scene is The Whip (50 Davies Street, W1 020 7493 1275) situated above Mayfair’s oldest pub – The Running Horse – and so, reasonably named. With a backdrop of jockey-silk upholstery, racing themed images and antique furniture, which used to grace The Ritz in Paris, the adventurous cocktail list is worth sampling. All of it. Perhaps make a pledge with a friend to sample a different cocktail every night and perhaps keep a spirits diary.
Drinking cocktails makes for times well spent and happily remembered. Most of them look so well dressed, have been prepared with such love, and designed to please, that you have to look the part yourself. Happy drinking!
By Robin Dutt There’s no doubt about it.
Arms and Armour have a huge tactile quality. To enjoy them hung or displayed on a wall, or worse behind glass, is to miss so much of the pleasure in them. Handling the item, its feel and weight and balance, is as much an experience as any visual pleasure. Like a good suit, armour is enjoyed as much for its aesthetic appeal as for anything else.
Ski posters, like many advertising posters, were originally produced to entice holidaymakers and winter thrill-seekers to resorts and alpine areas. The early to mid-century skiing posters were often designed by notable artists of the time and are colourful, dynamic, glamorous, nostalgic and stylish, sometimes also fun and quirky.
Maps appeal for their historical importance. It is interesting to observe how the layout of the continents and countries has changed over time. In general, collectors look for the earliest printed maps of a particular area, and then concentrate their collection on these early examples, or they collect maps of a certain place through the ages – enjoying the stages of development. For some, finding an unrecorded state of a map turns into a lifelong quest. Others concentrate on a cartographer, trying to accumulate a complete collection of maps in all different stages.
Of particular appeal are the vintage sports paraphernalia that bear the name of great sportsmen of the past who endorsed the equipment they used and helped to develop it. Buyers like the fact that you can actually still use a great deal of sports equipment like croquet sets, billiard tables, football tables and amazing vintage and classic cars, and motor bikes. Some equipment is still used by traditionalist and enthusiasts professionally, such as the split cane fishing rods or the 1920s hickory gold clubs at the English, Welsh and Scottish Hickory Golf Championships.
However, they are not standard pieces of furniture, and have the added ‘surprise’ function of folding or dissembling for ease of travel, and out of this practical necessity often ingenious design was born. It might be a portable shower that packs into a box, or an oak briefcase that turns into a table.
Over the last decade, aviation pieces have become increasingly popular, especially with men. People are drawn to the aesthetics: their sculptural forms and good design. There is an adage in the flying world that says: if it looks good it will fly well. The pieces are made to the highest standards, in order to pass rigorous security tests, with high-grade materials such as titanium, rare alloys and hard laminated wood.
There are dealers scattered around the globe and in the UK – but curiously, for a few years there was not one in London. Last year, London-based dealer Anthony Barrell happened to be looking for a quality name to take into his South Kensington premises and, as a life long Morgan fan, thought of Morgan.
The classic entry model is the 4/4 with 1.6 litre engine, the world’s longest running series production car. Though it has undergone many changes over the years since it was launched some 78 years ago, it retains its classic appeal and is instantly recognisable. Drive around London in one of these and suddenly even taxi drivers are accommodating, others politely give way and pedestrians stop to admire.
