The Five Best Martinis in London by Nadia Latif
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For me, a cocktail should be sip-able and not too sweet (my fall-back is the Bloody Mary, more like a meal than a cocktail, really, with the added bonus of being acceptable before noon)
My cocktail of choice needs to impart an air of sophistication that does not come, to me at least, that readily. The Martini is one grown-up beverage. Drinking one makes me feel like something of a Bond Girl — although sadly, the reality really couldn’t be further from the truth.
So, in honour of this wondrous confection, here’s a round-up of, in my humble opinion, the five best Martinis in London:
Duke’s Bar, Duke’s Hotel, St James’s Place
Duke's Hotel: home of the classic dry. Ian Fleming (author of the Bond series) used to drink here, and rumour has it that in this very space he conjured up ‘shaken not stirred’. No doubt with the help of the very potent Martinis.
Bourne and Hollingsworth, Rathbone Place
The Martini doesn’t actually feature on the menu of this chic little basement hideaway. It doesn’t, however, have the air of a speakeasy for nothing: whisper ‘dirty martini’ to the barman and he’ll whip one up faster than you can say ‘olive on a cocktail stick’.
Dorchester Bar, The Dorchester, Park Lane
Of London’s grande dames, The Dorchester houses the best hotel bar. It’s inviting and pretty informal – staff always look after you impeccably and the nibbles are divine. The Martinis are something else, made better by the own-recipe gin (Old Tom) that’s been developed from an 18th-century recipe.
Calloo Callay, Rivington Street
An Alice in Wonderland dreamscape of a bar, in trendy East London. The cocktail menu is as kooky and cool as the antiquated velveteen interior. I’m not quite sure what’s more fun — partaking of one of the very best Martinis in London, or playing out Narnia fantasies with a little help from the helpfully placed wardrobe out back.
Nobu Berkeley, The Berkeley, Berkeley Street
The Berkeley is another Big Smoke grand dame, but if you’re going to choose to sip Martinis of an evening, you may as well do it in style. Head barman Flavio Carenzi has whipped up a truly inspiring array of cocktails for this haute-couture of drinking stations, and his Martinis are no different, endowed with capers and anchovy slices.
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And for more tips on where to eat and drink in the city, check out Emyr Thomas's post on the TI Blog about the best gastropubs in London.