Cocktail hour at Dukes Hotel
Here at Handbag our love of cocktails is no secret and so we couldn’t resist paying a visit to Dukes, where Bond creator Ian Fleming famously devised the Vesper Martini. This beautiful old hotel is tucked away down a quiet street in London’s swanky St. James neighbourhood and walking up the steps and through the front door feels like stepping back in time to a more elegant age.
Before trying the legendary Martinis though, we started our evening with a glass of bubbly in the hotel’s new PJ Lounge. That’s PJ as in Perrier Jouer, not pyjamas. This elegant little room feels more like a salon in a private home than a bar – chairs and sofas are dotted about in cosy clusters and the mint green and rose pink colour scheme is restful and very chic. As well as serving glasses of Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque, they will expertly mix you excellent champagne cocktails.
We then had dinner in Thirty Six, the hotel’s restaurant where chef Nigel Mendham uses quintessentially British ingredients (venison, mutton) and techniques to create inventive, delicious food. Quirky touches like a ‘Margarita’ palette cleanser give the traditional dishes a modern edge.
And so onto the last act – Martinis in the legendary Dukes bar. Surprisingly, these were neither shaken nor stirred – the glasses and alcohol are kept frozen and the drinks are mixed at your table. The crowd is an eclectic mix of elderly gents and fashionistas and while the dress code is ‘smart’, that can mean anything from tweed suits to Louboutins and posh frocks, Handbag opted for - what else? - cocktail trousers.
Visit www.dukeshotel.com for more information
Christmas CocktailsHot cocktail recipes
Perfect 10: Cocktail trousers
Post Your Comment