Brunello Bar & Restaurant At Baglioni Hotel

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”.

Cartel

Every year seems like it’s going to be mezcal’s year to break into the mainstream, yet this diverse and often misunderstood spirit continues to hover just below the surface of London’s cocktail scene.  It’s there if you know where to find it; but it doesn’t like to make a fuss.

Now, in the midst of winter, it’s fair to say we all need a little more Mexican spirit in our lives, and as luck would have it, Cartel on Battersea Park Road is bringing just that to a small corner of SW London.

Since opening in April 2017, owner Andy and barman Josh (formerly of Soho’s El Camion) have been making the most of their Mexican contacts and have built a dazzling collection of mezcal on the box-shelving behind this colourful bar.

If heading straight for the sipping mezcal isn’t your thing, there’s also a detailed list of 16 mainly mezcal or tequila-based cocktails (from £8.50-£11), a menu of tacos and quesadillas to soak up all that agave spirit, and a Tequila Brunch every Saturday.  Who doesn’t want to start their weekend with bottomless margaritas and a three course Mexican feast?

Finally, since mid-November, their authentically tin-roofed Mezcaleria became home to around 100 different bottles of tequila’s older more rustic relative.  So that’s where you’ll find us this winter.  After all, there’s a 21-year-old Tepeztate we’re dying to try. Never heard of it?  You will soon.

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The Clifton

Steeped in history a bar in London has metamorphosed again but retaining its essential character. The Clifton has been a landmark of the local community for centuries, and now brothers Ben and Ed Robson have reinstated this incredible pub with a new look and a refreshed attitude to pub drinking and dining. After its sudden closure in 2013, which left it empty for four years, the Robson brothers transformed it into their vision of a contemporary pub with homely sofas, original fireplaces, traditional loose furniture and a well-stocked bar. Situated on a tree-lined residential street, The Clifton opens at 9 a.m. on weekdays, making it a great spot to pick up coffee and pastries. During the day, the pub has a relaxed and welcoming feel for those who want a café-like atmosphere and at night, it comes alive with the re-imagination for the open plan room.

The menu features crisp and punchy ingredients alongside inventive staples. With laid-back weekend brunch, mouth-watering midweek suppers and hearty Sunday roast, The Clifton offers an evolved definition of pub food. The menu is split in two: “Drinking House” and “Eating House”. While the former features smaller plates that are perfect with drinks, the latter is a full all-day menu. The diverse array of local and craft beers on tap, there is talk about Ben and Ed brewing their own Clifton beer! Throw in wine expert Raul Diaz and monthly “Wine Club” showcases and you’ve got yourself a new hangout spot.

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Sweet&Chilli’s Nine Lives Bar

This summer the established drinks agency, Sweet&Chilli, is set to launch a neighborhood bar in East London, and you’re invited. The bar, called Nine Lives, will feature original cocktails, an inviting atmosphere—and like most of the bar operations Sweet&Chilli represents—great music. Since 2002, founders Allan Gage, Emma Hutchinson and Tom Soden, have extended their creative event planning across the Drinks industry. Their award-winning team of Drink experts team together from their global offices in London and Sydney, to develop specialized campaigns and to consult brands on product development. Sweet&Chilli was founded on the belief that every drink should be enjoyed as it was intended. Years later, this philosophy continues to impact and expand their marketing initiatives worldwide.

When it came to naming Nine Lives, Sweet&Chilli decided to imbue their project goals with the company philosophy. And so, Nine Lives is re-defining cocktail culture with its sustainable, no-waste movement. Music plays from a re-purposed beautiful rig, old recipes are reinvented and ingredients are reused to reduce waste (and fertilize their backyard herb garden). The name speaks to an “ethos of salvation” that is also reflected in the bar’s design and relaxed overall vibe. The décor is old-fashioned and eclectic: woven lampshades and hanging plants subtly surround you. Even the expertly trained bartenders, clad in re-purposed vintage uniforms, are part of the package. Somewhere near London Bridge, in an unassuming Victorian basement on Holyrood Street, Sweet&Chilli’s Nine Lives Bar has opened its ceiling high balustrade and uncompromising ethos, to you.

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Devonshire Club

SUSD, a creative real estate consultancy, brought a new meaning to desk-to-drinks when they launched the Devonshire Club. The Club is designed as a two-floor space to be used for doing work or grabbing drinks. The area boasts three distinctly different bars, two lounge areas, and one eatery full of fresh, delicious foods.

After working hard and imbibing, guests can relax in rented bedrooms. Single and family accommodations are available, with over 68 amiable choices.  Complete with sprawling Apple TVs, high-speed WIFI, and Hypnos beds, these luxurious rooms can be utilized by members and non-members alike. The Devonshire Club is built in the heart of London, next to both the financial district and trendy nightlife neighborhoods, so there is plenty for club-goers to do if they can tear themselves away from the superb amenities.

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