There’s a classy restaurant at the back, sure, but you only need to set foot into the front of The Dover to enjoy their walk-in bar. With gorgeous walnut wood walls that seem lifted directly from a 1930s cruise liner and a giant black curtain behind check-in – meaning there’s no chance of prudish daylight ever seeping inside – hunker down for the evening, picking from a list of potent martinis. Hungry? Get stuck into a very decent menu of bar snacks, including burger and fries, and feel very swanky indeed.
Mayfair has long been a favourite haunt of the rich and privileged, but that doesn’t mean the bars are stuffy (although if ever there was a time to iron your shirt, this would be it). Head to the fanciest of London districts and you’ll find world-beating cocktail spots and gorgeously decorated hotel bars and wine bars, all serving up impeccably mixed drinks in oh-so-swish surroundings. Go for a special occasion or a big night out – you’re worth it.
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Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.