41
London
There are few more spectacular sights than Scarfes Bar in full flow. The bartenders, bedecked in double-breasted white jackets and tartan trousers mixing fine drinks behind a long bar; the dapper hosts working the room, itself one of the most luxurious in hotel bar-dom; and the live band playing just loudly enough to embellish the atmosphere without interfering with conversation. It’s one of the great entrance scenes in the bar world.
Here, every seat feels like its own bespoke experience, be it in the cosy corners, surrounded by shelves of antique books and artwork by the bar’s namesake Gerald Scarfe, upfront near the piano, or at the bar, where the latest cocktails are shaken and stirred. Celebrating 10 years of the Rosewood hotel bar, Scarfes’ latest menu is also its finest. From its Greatest Hits section – the best of the best over the decade – try the El Bandito, a sort of preened Paloma. Then, from the New Releases, the No.6 is an Old Fashioned style with redistilled chocolate. The Last Call, a sherried spin on a fig Manhattan, is a worthy end to any night – even one at Scarfes.
Rosewood London, 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN, UK
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