Novikov Restaurant and Bar

How many times can you recall walking into a singular restaurant and offered three completely separate dining experience? Novikov Restaurant & Bar is a three in one offering with two distinct restaurants and one stylish lounge bar. The inside décor and atmosphere, however, is fluid throughout by combining cool and contemporary for a relaxing evening out.

With both Asian and Italian themed cuisine available, it’s difficult to choose a side. Novikov Asian greets diners with an enticing display of seafood and vegetables to simulate an open Asian food market. The entire menu is Chinese and Pan-Asian inspired and utilizes novel flavors and textures to elicit an immediate palate response.  On the other hand, Novikov Italian uses an imposing wood-fired oven to draw guests in. The suede wall paneling with wood framed mirrors and rustic chandeliers visually compliment just how they prepare the food. The indulgent menu features regional Italian dishes with a contemporary flare.

For more of an exciting night out with less focus on food and more on the venue, the Lounge Bar within Novikov is your destination. Sip from the extensive cocktail list, enjoy live music, and dance the night away to performances by some of the world’s top DJs.

Novikov Restaurant & Bar has so much to offer at one location. Come back time and time again for a different experience in both scene and cuisine.

Address: 50A Berkeley Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 8HA
Telephone: 020 7399 4330
Website

Peyotito

Some restaurants have the benefit of acclaim before they ever open their doors. This is the case with Peyotito located in London’s Notting Hill. The young restaurant has Eduardo Garcia as the executive Chef. Garcia is well-known for the highly-regarded Maximo Bistrot in Mexico City which has nabbed a spot among the ranks of Latin America’s 50 best restaurants. Keeping tone in line with the trendy district where it is located, Peyotito focuses on creative, modern Mexican cuisine (as well as an engaging range of tequila and mescal drinks).

Lunch and Dinner menus are offered along with a “rapido lunch” option, dessert, and bar menu. On the weekends they serve brunch as well as a Sunday supper. Standouts in their fare include octopus ceviche, lamb tacos de barbacoa, and multiple mole variations. Some of the highest praise they have been offered is centered around their liquid expertise. Along with several margaritas, a list of well-curated cocktails can be found including the Payback which features Don Julio Blanco, kiwi, Cointreau, lemon juice, and chili. For the agave-averse there is also an extensive wine list. Bringing Mexican food into the fine-dining atmosphere of London is no easy task but through Peyotito, Garcia proves he is the man for the job.

Address: 31 Kensington Park Road, London, W11 2EU
Telephone: 020 7043 1400
Website

The Coral Room

The Doyle Collection is a group of luxury hotels around the world that focuses on bespoke and stylish design. The Coral Room exemplifies this concept. Find respite from busy city life in this country-home inspired lounge in the heart of Bloomsbury. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see the namesake coral walls and enchanting Martin Brudnizki inspired interior design, complete with chandeliers and marble topped bar mirrors. The walls are lined with 36 original pieces by illustrator Luke Edward Hall.

The English sparkling wine list emphasis selections from local vineyards. If you want something a little sweeter, opt for a spritz-style cocktail with a name celebrating the country-city fusion that inspires the restaurant. If you’re craving something smokier, step outside to the cigar terrace, aptly named The Coral Garden, and enjoy a quite drink under the foliage. If you’re feeling peckish dine on the restaurant’s novel menu, featuring an acai bowl, spiced baked eggs, turmeric yogurt, and other innovative culinary fusions. Enjoy the fresh air, or soak up the rustic décor and picturesque atmosphere, and return to city-life rejuvenated.

The Lampery, London

If your motto in life is “Work Hard, Play Hard” then you will feel right at home at The Lampery. Inspired by 17th Century MP Samuel Pepys’ permission to indulge in what you want, when you want it, this London enterprise has created a ‘Best of British’ menu using locally sourced seasonal ingredients to be enjoyed in a sophisticated area surrounded by vibrant greenery reminiscent of an indoor garden-space.

Unwind by sipping from their heavenly cocktail menu, featuring a roster of signature and classic concoctions, as well as seasonal choices. Kick off your weekend on Thursday with music and sliders starting at noon, or head down for “Cocktails O’Clock,” The Lampery’s twist on Happy Hour. From 5-10pm, Monday through Wednesday, you can enjoy two-for-one access to their entire drink menu. So, bring a friend and indulge your way through the week!

The Mandrake's Waeska Bar

Luxury has a new name. Luxury is a hotel, The Mandrake Hotel to be exact. Located in the heart of London’s West End in a converted RIBA award-winning building, this new hotel is unlike any other. It is a luxurious boutique establishment with more than a touch of the surreal to its design, stimulating soundscapes, and myriad of amenities offered. One of the (many) main attractions happens to be the Waeska Bar. The Bar, which features rare botanical-based cocktails, shares the hotel’s ambiance and is likewise decorated with magnificent objets d’art curated by the hotel’s owner, Rami Fustok.

From mostly small batch distillers across the globe, drinks are served from a talented, practiced team of mixologists, including Walter Pintus, the bar manager, who is both an undisputed master of mixology on the London bar scene and an award-winning bartender. Each cocktail delivers the Mandrake’s inimitable aesthetic—decadent, daring, and refined. Syrups, infusions, garnishes, and bitters are all crafted on site. Even the ice is specially sculpted. Even the cocktail names are matched to the hotel’s hedonistic theme. Every detail is accounted for. One of the drinks highlighted on the menu is the White Witch: a mix of truffle-washed vodka, white bitters, vermouth, and wattleseed tincture. Another such one is the Satyr, made with: Portobello gin, saffron syrup, citrus, dry sherry, and absinthe. Luxury is not only a hotel now, it is a bar: London’s new watering hole, the Waeska Bar.

Brunello Bar at Baglioni

Chef Alberto Rossetti has a deep love and appreciation for pastas and risottos ingrained in him by his mother’s cooking back in Parma, Italy. Now he wants to share that love with the rest of the world at the reopened Brunello Bar & Restaurant at the Baglioni Hotel in London. With a gorgeous view of the Kensington Gardens chef Rossetti wants to bring simple and sophisticated dishes to the hotel.

The lunch menu is more informal fare featuring classic Italian dishes while the dinner menu is more sophisticated with more contemporary variations on the classics. Lobster risotto, tuna steak with sesame seeds and peppers, and pumpkin veloute are all among Rossetti’s signature dishes. 

Afternoon tea is available daily between 1:00 PM and 5:30 PM and features a fantastic selection of herbal and traditional teas, accompanied by delicious savoury dishes or a selection of cakes and pastries such as the famous “Sicilian cannoli with ricotta” and “Neapolitan sfogliatelle”.

New York EDITION

You wake up buried underneath signature imported linens and gingerly lift your head from the down pillow. Flip through the channels on the high-definition flat screen tv and enjoy full cable access, or choose a movie on-demand, while ordering breakfast from room service. After you’ve nourished yourself, flip open your laptop and begin work at the in-room ergonomically designed workspace. Forgot your laptop? Don’t worry, simply call the front desk for a complimentary iPad.

Get your blood pumping at the all-hours gym before refueling at the New York Edition’s luxurious restaurant; The Clocktower. Chef Jason Atherton serves contemporary British cuisine, using only the finest available ingredients. Foodies understand that the provisions are only a small piece of the culinary experience, and will appreciate the striking view of Madison Square Garden and vibrant Dutch-inspired décor. If a full meal isn’t what you are after, wet your palette at the intimate and elegant Lobby bar. Tourists will be enticed by the prime location minutes from Union Square, the Meatpacking District, Chelsea, Greenwich Village, Soho and Tribeca, but with amenities like these guests may choose to never leave.

The Bloomsbury Club

Hidden beneath the finesse of Doyle Collections’ Bloomsbury Hotel sits a quaint yet sophisticated bar, teeming with cocktail creativity. A speakeasy mixed with Mad Men vibe on the inside opens out to a rustic and cozy outdoor patio on the outside. The well placed heat lamps keep you warm, so you can spend the entire evening sitting beneath stone arches in all-embracing comfort and privacy.

I always take my hat off to a bar that invites Mixologists from around the globe to come in-house and help them perfect their craft -- and that’s exactly what Bloomsbury has done. Teaming up with a variety of World’s Best Bars, including The Clumsies and BlackTail they continue to push the boundaries of cocktail innovation.

There's a marvelous old school feel the this place which resonates throughout the entirety of the cocktail menu, new twists on old favourties accross a spectrum of gin, rum, whisky and tequila. There's even a couple of exciting surprises thrown into the mix, such as the Gin & Milk cocktail, which was not at all what you'd expect in a truly fantastical kind of way. The highlight of the experience is that not only can you bank on getting a delicious cocktail, it becomes without the typical London price-tag, costing you around £10 per serve. 

You can't help but notice subtle Italian themes peeking through every now and again, especially when it comes to a good old fashioned Negroni, which I have to say Bloomsbury kicks ass at. In an effort to drum up some more excitement and create a personal and tailored experience they will also soon be launching the ability to have your very own barrel filled with a Negroni style cocktail. The thinking behind this being; when you arrive at the venue, you have your own personal stash you can delve into. A solid idea with a wonderfully personally feel to it that compliments the look and feel to this venue so incredibly well.

Well all know that when great food and drink combine they create an other-worldly experience and Bloomsbury is no stranger to this way of thinking – with an incredible nibble menu at the heart of this bar. Whether it’s the quail scotch eggs, lobster taco’s or charcuterie boards that tickle your fancy, these gourmet treats hit the spot, rich in flavor and combine beautifully with the bespoke cocktail menu.

All in all this is a fabulous up-and-coming venue that could really do with some more love from cocktail enthusiasts. The space is incredibly inviting, warm and cosy and I can quite confidently say that I will be returning soon. With cocktails around the £10 mark, it’s an absolute steal considering the quality.

Where: The Bloomsbury Hotel
Address: 16-22 Great Russell St, Fitzrovia, London WC1B 3NN
Phone: 020 7347 1000