The joys of a 'tini tipple

10 April 2012

Someone recently, and rather foolishly, invited me to one of those celebrity love-ins which people off the telly love so much. It was a glittering occasion, very swish, and wall-to-wall with famous people. I got put next to some old bird whose name I missed and got twittering away with her like old friends.

I couldn't guess her age due to the collagen implants and facial stretch marks, but I knew she must be very old because she smelt old. After dinner people who had the advantage of years on me remarked at how well we seemed to get along:

'How was she?' and 'Isn't she wonderful?', that sort of thing. She was OK, said I, but who the devil is she? To gasps of horror from her adoring fans, they explained that she was the most famous actress in the land back in the Fifties.

Lost on me, I'm afraid, and I can't tell you her name for fear she'll sue the arse off me. But when I returned home later that evening, flicking around the TV channels looking for something naughty to watch, there she was, romping around in all her black-and-white glory for all to see.

By putting a full bottle of gin to my lips and staring at the telly through the bottom of the bottle, I could, by the time the bottle was empty, see a vague similarity to the old dog I'd been chatting to earlier on. I remember her prattling on about Martinis and how nobody knows how to make them these days. I agreed with her, as you do with old people talking bollocks. So here are the ten best venues in town to enjoy the world's favourite tipple.

Click on links for previous Evening Standard/ ThisIsLondon bar reviews

THE AMERICAN BARS

Two American bars, two entries in my Top Ten list. The American Bar at the Savoy has become something of an institution in London's drinking circles since Americans fleeing prohibition first brought it to fame in the Twenties. And it's as good today as it ever was. Elegant, sophisticated surroundings and with excellent Martinis (from £10.10) which are prepared by head bartender Peter Dorelli, who's been practising his art at the Savoy group for nearly 35 years. 'Running this place is like performing in the theatre,' he explains. 'The bar is my stage and the customers my audience.'

The dress code is much more relaxed these days but at its sister-bar, the American Bar at the Connaught, where the Martinis maintain similar standards, a jacket and tie is preferred for the gentlemen.

The Savoy Hotel, Strand, WC2 (020-7836 4343). Pub hours. The Connaught Hotel, 16 Carlos Place, W1 (020-7499 7070). Mon-Fri 5.30pm-10pm, Sat & Sun 6pm-10pm.

THE ATLANTIC BAR & GRILL

This was essentially the first of the Nineties generation of style bars, and just about the only one to have stood the test of time. Bar and restaurant guru Oliver Peyton created this majestic recreation of a Thirties luxury cruise liner several years ago and the tide of popularity hasn't ebbed for a second. The quality of the food has improved dramatically of late and the cocktails are difficult to fault. Dick's Bar, which is presumably the first-class lounge, is the comfort zone. This is the place to sink a few Martinis chased with the occasional glass of champagne. Getting into the venue can also be quite tricky, so don't turn up in large gangs or late at night.

20 Glasshouse Street, W1 (020-7734 4888). Mon-Sat noon-3am, Sun 7pm-10.30pm.

CHE

Marxism resurrects itself in St James's. In the guise of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara's name, at least. But Guevara himself might be just a tad embarrassed that this bar and restaurant is in the premises of that former powerhouse of capitalism, the Economist building. And unlike any Communist regime, this place is a true testament to modernism. The main bar is bright, stark and awkward, but the cigar room at the back is much more welcoming and far more comfortable, boasting, I am told, 'the largest cigar collection of any bar in the world'. The drinks list, which comes complete with its own contents page, reads like an encyclopaedia of alcoholic ingredients and all the cocktails are freshly created to order by the expert bartenders. Mr Guevara might not approve of such New Labour decadence, but he'd surely say power to the people responsible for this centre of drinking excellence.

23 St James's Street, SW1 (020-7747 9380). Mon-Fri 11am-11pm, Sat 5pm-11pm.

DUKES

The grandeur and opulence of this early 19th-century hotel is reflected in the comfortable, mellowing atmosphere of the Dukes Bar. Regular customers come here because they reckon that head bartender Gilberto Preti makes the best Martinis in town. And few would doubt them. Preti prepares drinks at your table from a small serving trolley, and even at £9.75 a time they're worth every penny. For his Martinis, he sprays each glass with a light coating of vermouth before adding the ice-cold gin or vodka. There are few better places to while away a few stolen hours in the middle of the afternoon or for a late-night tipple.

Dukes Hotel, 25 St James's Place, SW1 (020-7491 4840). Pub hours.

LAB

This is one of the relatively recent newcomers on the Martini circuit and, being limited for space, the two floors fill up quickly with devotees of the freshly prepared drinks. It is owned and operated by Douglas Ankrah and Richard Hargroves, who back in 1996 founded the London Academy Of Bartending (LAB) - a much-needed training programme designed to equip bartenders with the skills and drinks knowledge necessary to mix the perfect cocktail. Although the drinks aren't especially cheap, you get what you pay for: excellent cocktails served by knowledgable bartenders such as Jamie Terrel, who joined the team following a stint at the Atlantic.

12 Old Compton Street, W1 (020-7437 7820). Mon-Fri noon-midnight, Sat 3pm-midnight, Sun 3pm-10.30pm.

THE LIBRARY BAR

Few head bartenders take the art of preparing a Martini as seriously as does the Library Bar's Salvatore Calabrese. 'There are three senses to be satisfied when presenting the customer with a perfect drink,' explains Calabrese. 'The eyes by its appearance, the nose for the aroma, and the palate for taste, of course.' The Library Bar is as calm, quiet and sophisticated as any library should be. Until the evenings, that is, when Calabrese positively encourages his customers to let their hair down and have a good time. And apart from the classic Martinis at £9, you should try the sublime breakfast Martini - which is a smooth mix of Bombay Sapphire gin, Cointreau, lemon juice and orange marmalade.

The Lanesborough Hotel, Lanesborough Place, SW1 (020-7259 5599). Pub hours.

THE MANDARIN BAR

When you spend £86 million buying and refurbishing the former Hyde Park Hotel, the very least we expect is a quality cocktail bar. And we have it here in this testament to modernity, where drinks are served under the expert eye of bar manager Phillipe Guidi. Try the Molon Martini at £7.80 (Molon being an acronym for Mandarin Oriental London) ? a selection of three different classic mini Martinis served in chic little glasses that wouldn't look out of place in a chemistry laboratory. Or the Cold Step is worth a try for those who like vodka: three flavoured vodka shots served in equally dramatic glassware.

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, SW1 (020-7235 2000). Mon-Sat 11am-3am, Sun 11am-2am.

ZANDER

Boasting London's longest bar at 47 metres, Zander is the current holder of the Evening Standard Bar Of The Year award, which it won due to the quality of its cocktails. The guys and gals have their work cut out remembering the recipes for the 95 different cocktails on the list - and what bloomin' good cocktails they are. Alongside the traditional classics and creations generated in the new wave of cocktail euphoria that was the Nineties, Zander's list boasts some interesting new breezes and the average price of the entire list runs in at a remarkably accessible £5.50. Grant Collins - whose name could easily be lent to a drink creation - is your man in charge of the drinks. He's the chap who transformed the fortunes of Bank bar and restaurant - Zander's sister-bar - on The Aldwych when he joined the team three years ago.

45 Buckingham Gate, SW1 (020-7630 6177). Pub hours.

ZETA

One of the new generation of hotel bars in London, which has its own entrance around the side of the Hilton hotel. Zeta is so cool it can give you chilblains, and the young, impossibly good-looking clientele create a party atmosphere late at night. They might pour some of the cheapest Martinis to be found in hotels (£6.50), but this bears no reflection on the quality of what are outstanding drinks. The Lemongrass Martini is the creation of bar manager Jason Fendick - Ketel One vodka shaken with ginger and mixed with fresh lemongrass - and is simply sublime. I'm assured that it has similar properties to Viagra.

35 Hertford Street, W1 (020-7208 4067). Mon & Tue 11am-1am, Wed-Fri 11am-3am, Sat 5pm-3am, Sun 5pm-10.30pm.

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