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There can only be a few work-related things that have you beaming from ear to ear and rubbing your hands with glee. The prospect of two weeks’ annual leave on the horizon, possibly. An unexpected pay rise, certainly. A call to review the new cocktail bar at the Playboy Club? Definitely.
All teal, black and gold with curtained walls, smoked mirrors, and leather and velvet vying for attention, it’s a homage to the club’s past – and exactly how you would imagine a swinging ’70s cocktail lounge to have been in Hugh Heffner’s heyday. And yes, there are still Bunny Girls fitting the traditional brief: long-legged, thin-waisted, ample-bosomed and stuffed into tight-fitting costumes, all topped off with that bunny-ear headband.
The cocktails, you say? Yes, nearly forgot. All brand-new creations made well, with emphasis on flavour rather than strength. Collars and Cuffs (£13) washed the roof of the mouth with lime, moved to chocolate and finished with rose syrup, while 14 Old Park Lane (£11) was a refreshing passionfruit and apple drink that dissolved into a hint of Disaronno. Both came with inexhaustible bar snacks and a service charge. All worth it to finally work out where my headband fetish comes from, though.