Best Cocktails in Mayfair

1 Kwant

Kwant pronounced Qwaint has recently located to Stratton Street (2 mins walk from Green Park). It will be interesting to see how this former “The World’s 50 Best Bars” member settles into its new home. Erik Lorincz’s bar was famed for its great vibe & of course, its cocktails.

Don’t expect too many changes on that front. There is a new cocktail menu, but they will have the same impressive DNA as the original Kwant. There will be a focus on UK-sourced liquids such as English Wines, vermouth & spirits.

Our recent visit confirmed that Kwant, in its new home, will be a venue for cocktail lovers for years to come. The impressive steel bar lets you view the action from close quarters; we found the staff knowledgeable & keen to help explain their large menu of cocktails. I chose a See by Sea Martini style with a base of gin with, as its name suggests, flavours of the sea, including langoustine oil, which was an ideal aperitif for me.

2 Mr Fogg’s Residence & Mr Fogg’s Apothecary

I love Mr Fogg’s Mayfair concept bars & these two Mayfair cocktail bars certainly pay homage to Phileas Fogg. The bars are individually themed & the designers deserve many plaudits. The decor is fun & takes you back to Mr Fogg’s era.

Mr Fogg’s Residence

(Credit Johnny Stephens for the photographs)

Mr Fogg’s Residence has an eclectic menu of cocktails, introducing rare spirits mixed with ingredients inspired by Phileas Fogg’s travels. 

When you enter via Bruton Lane, you immediately think you have taken a wrong turn. It feels like you have entered a service road and not the sort of place you would find this larger-than-life cocktail bar. As the name suggests, the decor is themed to the home of Phileas Fogg.

On a recent visit, I went for The Royal Albert Hall, Bombay Sapphire, Chambord black raspberry liqueur, pineapple tepache, pomegranate juice and fresh lemon juice, topped up with Moët & Chandon Impérial Blanc N.V. Champagne at £18. I have not won the Euro millions lottery yet, so I have resisted the temptation to indulge in the Vintage Cocktails starting at £65.

Don’t be put off by the “vintage Collection” prices, as there is a full menu of cocktails at far more reasonable prices, and Mr Fogg’s residence is well worth a visit.

Address 15 Bruton Place, Mayfair W1J 6JD.

Mr Fogg’s Apothecary

(Credit Johnny Stephens for the photographs)

Mr Foggs Apothecary, as the name suggests, serves cocktails that resemble latter-day potions with names like Quacks compound, featuring Bombay Bramble gin, Herbalist on Brook Street introducing Slient Garden Apothecary Rose gin & the fantastically named Opium for the Masses, which uses Santa Teresa rum, Cascara vermouth & Wray & Nephew White ovenproof rum amongst the ingredients.

It’s worth going just to read the menu.

You will find Mr Foggs Apothecary in the basement of 34 Brook Street, Mayfair W1K 5DN.

Hotel Bars

Hotel bars & cocktails are best friends & you will find many of the very best Cocktail bars in Hotels. Mayfair is no exception. Put your feet up and dream of a perfectly mixed cocktail in any of the following recommendations.

3 May Fair Bar

I have always liked the May Fair bar; it has a great buzz & is an ideal meeting place for Pre-Dinner drinks. However, it is advisable to book a table beforehand. The bar has DJs at the weekend and mixology classes if you want to brush up on your cocktail-making technique. 

This summer, they introduced the ever-popular Whispering Angel cocktail range, 

Le Tropique This tropical take on a Martini blends Belvedere vodka, blood orange and passion fruit syrup, and fresh lime juice, finished with a Whispering Angel & passion fruit foam. 

Blossom Martini Light and floral, this elegant cocktail marries Roku gin, Mancino Sakura, Whispering  Angel & cherry blossom cordial, and a few drops of Peychaud’s Bitters to finish.

Rosé Margarita May Fair Bar’s Provence twist on the classic Margarita, combining Olmeca Altos tequila, Cointreau infused with chilli, fresh lime juice and Whispering Angel citrus cordial.

4 The Connaught Bar

Iconic is an overused word, but in the case of The Connaught Bar, it’s so appropriate; add in opulent, & chic, and we are getting close.

Whilst for most of us with modest means, it is not going to be your local, it is something that all cocktail lovers need to experience. We know it will not be cheap, but it’s worth it. From the level of service, decor & the cocktails themselves, it’s an experience that will stay with you for a long time.

As for the cocktails, there are several  “collections” on the menu, but I will give you a concise overview.

Vintage Collection, for the high rollers only, cocktails using vintage spirit

 For example, Vintage Martini Cocktail. A homage to the history of the Martini and also the heritage of the Connaught Bar, this classic combination stirs the senses with its beguiling simplicity: Gordon’s Dry Gin 1970s, Martini Extra Dry 1970s. 

Masterpieces, a range of Connaught popular cocktails, plenty of choices here & within budget

Then, a collective of cocktails called a transition from our inner self to the outside, to meet the other. Culminating into a collective experience that is understanding, unity and empathy, Synergia translates the Connaught Bar’s approach to hospitality.

This manifests itself into three separate collections—self, Other and synergy. A look at the menu will give you a better idea, but suffice it to say there is plenty of choice.

The Connaught Bar is very much a British Tradition.

5 Claridges Bar

Claridge’s has remained one of the most esteemed addresses in the British capital ever since it opened in 1856. It welcomed the rich & famous, including Winston Churchill, Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant, and Audrey Hepburn and, more recently, Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham, and Gwyneth Paltrow. 

So, like its sister hotel, The Connaught, Clariges bar is very special. The nice thing is that both hotels and bars, despite having the same owners, have their own identity.

Claridges bar is an experience in itself with its famous art deco interior. You could be sipping your drink on a bygone day.

Onto the cocktails, with two collections of cocktails, Claridges Cocktail book & Signature Libations.

From the Cocktail Book collection, I have highlighted a couple that caught my eye;

The Royal Stag

Dalmore 15yo, Campari, Sweet Vermouth, Bénédictine, Chocolate Bitters, Roasted Almond 

The Mayfair

Hennessy VSOP, Carpano Antica, Laphroaig 10yr, Amaretto Dissarono

From the Signature Libations list

Apple of My Eye

No 3 Gin, Cocchi Americano, Dry Vermouth, Honey, Vanilla 

Fort Nelson Sour

Michter’s Bourbon, Grand Marnier, Orgeat, Citrus, Egg White

Polishing 

Belvedere Pure, Cocchi Americano, Ginger Ale, Pineapple, Passionfuit

If your tipple is champagne, I should mention that Claridges Bar has the largest Champagne menu I have ever seen.  Add to this the Claridges Martini collection and wines & spirits; choosing your tipple could take a while.

6 Donovan Bar (Browns Hotel)

Nestled in Brown’s Hotel, in its luxury Mayfair location, Donovan Bar provides a taste of luxury for central London drinking spots. Named after legendary Swinging Sixties photographer Terence Donovan, his fascinating works adorn the bar, and the theme continues through the cocktail list. The man behind the menu is none other than Salvatore Calabrese – AKA The Maestro, inventor of the Breakfast Martini.

Salvatore, with Director of Mixology Federico Pavan, has created the Evoke cocktail menu, which is visually stunning & features new favourites “Red”, “Deep Blue”, & “Big Smoke”.

33 Albemarle St, London W1S 4BP

Restaurants

Virtually every restaurant in Mayfair will serve cocktails; however, to narrow down the search & to help with the search for a fantastic cocktail, please see our choices. FYI, I have only included restaurants where you can walk in for just a cocktail without buying a meal.

7 The Glade at sketch

We knew we had to include a sketch in this feature, but which bar area would we choose? In the end, we chose the beautiful Glade as our preference to enjoy a sketch cocktail.

The subtle lighting of the Glade provides an atmosphere of a natural habitat, which emulates the sun breaking through branches of trees, in keeping with sketch’s playful approach. Given the interior ‘green’ feeling, The Glade provides an ideal setting for cocktails.

Check out the Glade during London Cocktail Week, 12th-22nd October.

8 The Bar Below at Hide

As the name suggests, Hide’s cocktail bar is in the basement of the 3-storey restaurant, the restaurant is blessed with a stunning view over Green Park.

I asked Bar Manager Oskar Kinberg to do my work & describe the most popular cocktails in the bar, 

“The drink our guests come back for the most is the ‘Cross-Eyed Mary’ – as the name suggests, this is an interpretation of the better known ‘Bloody Mary’. A lighter version that’s less of a meal and more of a drink with the hope that you’ll still have an appetite after consumption. We use Ketel One vodka, olive oil, tomato, herbs & spices. This is the only drink that has been on the menu since opening. The rest of the menu changes pretty frequently, but some of the most popular drinks right now are ‘Surge Protector’ – Tanqueray gin, seasonal melon, nettle, a fresh and fruity highball. Holy Water – Macallan 12yo Sherry oak, Companero rum, amontillado sherry and palo santo, being another one. “ 

9 Hush

We have featured Hush as a restaurant on our website. It also works perfectly as a cocktail bar as well. With three separate cocktail areas, in the day, the secret garden & downstairs bar, and in the evening, “The Bar at Hush upstairs is a great venue for a cocktail. 

Hush offers an exclusive range of signature cocktails plus a full bar drinks menu.

To launch their new courtyard, Hush has teamed up with Silent Pool distillery with a range of six unique Silent Pool cocktails; I had the pleasure of tasting the White Peach Negroni & the Hedgerow Sour before lunch recently.

10 Langan’s

The restaurant went through a major makeover when new owners took the reins of this iconic restaurant. As well as the restaurant & adding private dining, the downstairs bar was transformed, and it looks stunning. If you fancy popping in for a drink, you can enjoy ten house cocktails plus an impressive range of spirits & wines by the glass, and I counted over thirty different gins on the menu.

You will find Langan’s on the corner of Stratton Street & Piccadilly, opposite Green Park Station.

Pubs

This is a tricky category, as I’m not sure pubs & cocktails go well together. A pet hate of mine is seeing cocktails on draught in a pub. Also, drinking a cocktail in a traditional pub does not seem right.

The pub has to be “cocktail” friendly. At this point, you are probably thinking, what is he rambling on about? So, I will shut up and list the pubs that serve a decent cocktail.

11 The Barley Mow

The award-winning Barley Mow has an interesting seasonal cocktail selection & even has a barrel of their signature London Negroni on the bar.

Among my summer favourites

Peach & Rose Cup, Hayman’s Peach & Rose Cup, Lixir Lemonade, Blossom Bitters

The Ginger Prince, Respirited Vodka, The King’s Ginger Liqueur, Lime Juice, Angostura Bitters

Smoky Paloma,  Banhez Artesanal Mezcal Joven, Honey Syrup, Lime Juice, Three Cents Pink Grapefruit Soda

Bees Trees, Sapling London Dry Gin, Elderflower Cordial, Lime Juice, Gosnells Wildflower Sparkling Mead

12 The Audley

Our final recommendation.

The Audley is a stylish gastro pub focusing on art and design. The Audley serves classic pub grub and pints but also offers a great selection of cocktails. The Audley is famed for its stylish interior, which mixes art & design. A prominent feature is the hand-painted ceiling by celebrated London artist Phyllida Barlow. All of which makes The Audley the perfect bar to enjoy a cocktail.

You can find The Audley on the corner of Mount Street & South Audley Street.

Finally…

That ends our recommendations for “Best Cocktails in Mayfair.” I hope you agree we have found some excellent suggestions; however, I would recommend not visiting all of them in one evening. Please let me know your favourite cocktail & bar.

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