Bars & Pubs

To get to the Donovan, you have to pass through an anonymous, standard-issue hotel bar, with acres of grey carpet and a pianist tinkling away in a corner. But don't let the unpromising approach put you off: this cosy little room is an altogether more attractive proposition. Lined with lovely black-and-white shots by the eponymous Swinging Sixties snapper, the Donovan mixes sophistication and buzz in more or less equal measures. Traditional cocktails are flawlessly executed (mojitos and manhattans, for example, cost £13.50), and the extravagantly long drinks menu offers some interesting contemporary variations on the classics (including the 'Appletini'), and a wide range of non-alcoholic 'mocktails'. The free snacks are frequently replenished, and the staff are solicitous without being over-attentive. The place isn't very big, and it's understandably popular, so you may have to wait at the bar for a table.

Time Out Bars, Pubs & Clubs Guide 2008/9