The Imbibe Hotel Bar Awards 2009: Round IV - best new hotel bar

With the titles of Best Boutique, Classic and International Hotel Bar already in the bag, this issue brings us to the fourth and final round of our UK-wide competition – Best New Hotel Bar 2009. Awarded in association with pioneering new super-premium gin Zephyr, the original elderflower gin, this heat was open to any hotel bar opened since January 2008.
So without further ado, the winners are…

BEST NEW HOTEL BAR 2009

WINNER

THE GARDEN ROOM @ THE LANESBOROUGH

Hyde Park Corner, London SW1X 7TA; 020 7259 5599

Bar manager: Giuseppe Ruo

With this award, simply being launched in the last 18 months was not enough. We were looking for a bar that really brought something new to the table, that had responded to the changing needs and desires of guests in the late noughties. And in this respect, The Garden Room at The Lanesborough left the rest of the competition standing.

Technically a smoking terrace, this sumptuous outdoor space was created in the wake of the smoking ban to accommodate smokers of The Lanesborough’s top-notch cigar collection. With not a soggy ashtray in sight, the space (complete with heated flooring and noise-absorbing panels) had a sexy, hideaway feel, screened by foliage and lit with candles – ideal for a special date or a spot of solitary contemplation. Service was exemplary – personal but discreet – and drinks beautifully presented, from our simple gin and tonic to a more elaborate Mai Tai. The classic cocktail selection was on the short side, making room for the hotel’s excellent brandy and whisky selection – a decision our judges felt was right for the cigar-oriented clientele.

The £25 minimum spend per person is a bit stiff, but we imagine this wouldn’t be an obstacle for the average guest at The Lanesborough. Either way The Garden Room stood out as a shining example of a bar that has taken an obstacle – the smoking ban – and turned it into a real opportunity.

RUNNERS UP

1901 COCKTAIL BAR @ ANDAZ, LIVERPOOL STREET

40 Liverpool Street, London, EC2M 7QN; 020 7961 1234

Bar manager: Joris Beijn

A really close contender for the top spot, this bar had us from the moment we arrived, when we were met by welcoming staff. 1901’s innovative design takes the form of a central island bar, with bartenders and guests arranged around the outside – it sounds strange, but we liked it. Drinks from the white leather-bound cocktail list were well-made, with lots of original twists – an aperitif-style cocktail of Zephyr Black gin, raspberries, blueberries and champagne served in a dramatic, outsized flute was particularly good. This is a bar that combines excellent service and attention to detail with
a dash of quirky flare.

CHAMPAGNE BAR @ GRAND JERSEY

The Esplanade, St Helier, Jersey, JE4 8WD; 01534 722301

Bar manager: Stan Kropiunik

The revamped Grand Jersey has introduced a fresh take on the traditional idea of the ‘seaside hotel’ – and key to this is its glossy new Champagne Bar. Flanked by huge plate glass windows, it affords uplifting views out across the water, while décor is airy and modern, with white leather, gun metal grey upholstery and fuschia wing-backed chairs clustered around an elegant mirrored bar. On our visit, staff were welcoming and attentive, although in need of a bit more cocktail training. But that can be fixed – in the meantime this has all the right ingredients for a great escape.

AUBREY BAR @ THE KENSINGTON HOTEL

109-113 Queen’s Gate, South Kensington, London, SW7 5LR; 020 7589 6300

Bar manager: Alexandre Beaulieu

The Aubrey Bar is distinguished by some unusual decor, including slate floors, distressed mirrors, eye-popping chandeliers and timber-clad walls that are an undoubted talking point. But while the furnishings might be fussy, the drinks list was a blissfully succinct choice of updated classics and champagne cocktails. Less a destination bar, this is more the type of place where you can kick back and relax in comfort with a glass of something familiar. We liked the Aubrey Bar for its unfussy approach to things – it’s amazing how few bars can do a really good G&T.

ST JAMES’S HOTEL AND CLUB

7-8 Park Place, St James’s, London, SW1A 1LP; 020 7316 1600

Bar manager: Joel Lawrence

This classy little bar in Mayfair impressed us enough to be a runner-up in our Boutique round, and on our second visit we still loved it. Featuring super-luxe details, including cashmere-clad walls and butter-soft leather seating, it has a really classy, bespoke feel, while the backbar also impressed us with several rare bottlings and a great selection of gins – it was just sad that our waitress wasn’t fully versed in it. Drinks, however, were excellent, with the bartender showing great creativity and initiative. And the manager made a point of stopping by at every table, which was a nice touch.

Editorial feature from Imbibe Magazine - September / October 2009