Fringing the iconic Hyde Park, Mayfair rose to become the aristocracy’s stronghold by the end of the 18th century. It has maintained its elevated status to this day, hosting revamped Georgian townhouses, upmarket restaurants, and designer boutiques.
Mayfair’s bars are certainly a class apart in Britain’s vibrant pub culture. These bars offer a slice of decadence, from designer cocktails to celebrity sightings and regal architecture. If you appreciate life’s refined bounties and are up for a boujee night out, bar-hopping in Mayfair will quench that thirst. Read on to find the best bars in Mayfair.
1. The Connaught
The Connaught is Mayfair’s signature five-star hotel, hosting a Michelin-starred restaurant and three bespoke bars. The Connaught Bar, designed by David Collins, oozes shimmery elegance with its dim lighting, silver-leafed decor, chandeliers, impressive mirror work, and a cool grey colour palette. The interiors were meant to evoke the Irish and English Cubist art of the 1920s.
The bar’s cocktails are mini architectural marvels in their own right, with their masterful mixology, vivacious colour blends, and skillful arrangement of the various garnishes. Their concept menus are particularly popular, like the latest “Tempo” menu that is supposed to symbolise life’s unpredictability. However, the Connaught is famous for its classic martini. With olives or with a twist, their martinis have won the hearts of countless connoisseurs over the decades. The martinis pair well with the bar’s premiere oysters or their world-class caviar. Other pub classics, such as pizzas (Michelin style, of course), are also popular choices.
2. Le Magritte at the Beaumont
Stately wood-panelled interiors, legendary artwork, quality scotch, and Cuban cigars – Le Magritte is as classy as a low-key gentleman’s club could get. Its old-world charm also lies in the decanters, brass-panelled armchairs, and Rat Pack portraits. It overlooks the gorgeous Brown Hart Gardens, guaranteeing an arresting view from the terrace.
Le Magritte gained notoriety in London and Paris in the 1920s for being the mecca of American bars in Europe. It specialises in American classics, from bourbon to whiskies, served stirred or shaken. It certainly boasts a fascinating cocktail menu, featuring 20th-century classics as well as contemporary inventions.
3. Mr. Fogg’s Apothecary
Mr. Fogg’s Apothecary is a fantastical adventure with heady cocktails – guests are transported to an eccentric world with mythical drinks and curative spirits. Residing in an old Victorian building, a majestic staircase leads guests to a theatrical bar, the "Apothecary,” where all the mixology magic occurs. Guests are welcomed with a “vaccine drink," following which they fill out a medicinal questionnaire. Mr.Fogg’s "pharmacists" will proceed to experiment with some antidotes and medicinal elixirs to cure any maladies you may exhibit.
Then, at the apothecary, the pharmacists create the most outrageously perfect potions with incredible craftsmanship and healing powers. You will see the potions in your goblets fizzing and bubbling up, possessing a bold flavour profile. Your ailments would be tended to in theatrical flourish, in Mr. Fogg’s fabled universe.
4. Rivoli at the Ritz
With richly wooded interiors, gold-leaf inscriptions, and alabaster, the Rivoli was designed to resemble a gold jewellery box. It is unabashedly lavish and excessive, with extravagant cocktails to boot. With a strict dress code, the Rivoli is carefully orchestrated to be nothing short of gilded perfection. Under candle-lit chandeliers, guests indulge in grand mixological wonders. Their signature cocktail, the Cesar Ritz, will set you back £120; it is a playful mixture of brandy, champagne, and bitters. Their seasonal cocktail menu presents fresh fruit, house-made distillates, and cordials blended with premium spirits.
In addition to cocktails, wines, and champagnes sourced from different parts of the world are featured on the menu. Relishes such as club sandwiches and caviar pair beautifully with the exclusive liquor selection.
5. Audley Public House
Audley Public House is the quintessential British pub, with a dark carpeted floor, wood interiors, and excessive portraiture. However, as a Mayfair bar, it is an elevated establishment. The pub is a happy harmony between contemporary art and early modern history. Built in 1888, much of its heyday interiors have been preserved. Its upper floors display commissioned artwork by contemporary artists. The house’s ceiling was painted in a modern abstract style by London-based Phyllida Barlow.
As a traditional pub, pints, bar snacks, and the treasured Sunday roast can be expected at Audley’s. English favourites, such as Guinness and London Pride, are served here.
6. Claridge's Bar
Known for its vintage liquor collection and its iconic art deco interiors by David Collins, Claridge's possesses a discerning elegance. Plush white walls, ebony furniture, and Mediterranean pastel accents adorn Claridge's interiors. The main room, referred to as the “Painter’s Room," pays homage to the artistic merits of Provenance and Italy. A rose-stained dome fills the room with natural light. The grand centrepiece, however, is the stained glass mirror created by Annie Morris.
Another smaller nook, called the "Fumoir," is constructed with dark wooden panels and broody William Klein portraits. It has been an intimate haunt for whisky drinkers since 1929. Claridge's is outfitted with rare Prohibition whiskies, which were produced during and before the Prohibition period in America (1920–1933). Additionally, the bar is an oenophile's delight, as it sells glasses of incredibly rare champagne vintages. With skillful mixology to boot, Claridge's Bar is a liquor aficionado's paradise.
7. The Red Room
Ensconced in the Connaught, the Red Room is a seductive nook bearing scarlet pieces of artwork created by four women artists. The soft beige palette of the room enhances the bold voice of the artwork. The intricate mosaic tiles, handcrafted by Italian craftsmen, and the red-spotted marble fireplace brilliantly tie the sultry colour scheme together. However, the portrait bearing the line “I am Rouge” in deliberately haphazard cursive steals the show; hanging above the fireplace, it embodies the titillating ambience of the space.
Rare vintages are served on a marble trolley, followed by a medley of cocktails that reflect the changing seasons. Its small plates, which feature veal carpaccio, and kale tempura, pair beautifully with the wines.
8. Caviar Kaspia
Caviar Kaspia is the flagship boutique bar of the Parisian brand. Founded on a philosophy of fashion, culture, and friendship, the bar’s artistic eloquence is noteworthy. The ebony panels, rich bottle-green wallpaper, intricately patterned carpeting, and handsome armchairs are all loud statement pieces that harmonise beautifully in spite of the motif cacophony. Gilded shelves and sconces generously bedazzle the main bar.
Privileged selections of wine and premium caviar are the bar’s signature offerings. Smoked fish is another Caviar Kaspia favourite. Complete with a restricted dining area, Caviar Kaspia is also a private members’ club.
9. Dickie's Bar
Created by Irish chef Richard Corrigan at his restaurant, Dickie’s Bar is known for its classic cocktails, Irish liqueur, and colossal spirit collection. A sleek mahogany bar presents an enviable collection of spirits, including a treasure trove of rare Irish whiskies. Dickie’s boasts the mixology prowess of Gregory Buda, the creative mind behind New York’s “The Dead Rabbit," which was voted the World’s Best Bar in 2016. A particularly famous cocktail by Dickie’s is “The Professional Stalker," which is an interesting blend of Irish whisky, 1840 Cognac, fig, allspice, and bitters.
Dickie’s restaurant has won three Rosettes for culinary excellence. Guests are treated to elevated pub classics such as Cornish crab and oyster croque monsieur, which pair beautifully with the go-to British pints and awe-inspiring cocktails.
10. Comptoir Café & Wine
Wine and cheese, anyone? Comptoir Café is the place to be. A cafe by day, Comptoir serves breakfast and brunch, before it transforms into a classy wine bar at night, where visitors are treated to viennoiserie, pastries, toasties, salads, and an assortment of charcuterie. Their cheese fondue, in particular, draws big crowds.
As the sun sets, Comptoir’s cellar takes on a new life with glamorous lights and aesthetic vintages. With over 2000 breathtaking bottles to choose from, the bar is truly a hidden gem in Mayfair. A labour of love by Master Sommelier Xavier Rousset, formerly affiliated with Michelin-starred Texture, one can expect hand-picked wines of the highest calibre. Paired with the best cheese blocks, one truly experiences an amazing sojourn through remarkable flavours
Capping the day with a drink in Mayfair certainly exudes blissful extravagance and panache. The locale’s bars are undoubtedly the sophisticated pick of the city's bunch. Time to unwind with a martini or two at some of Mayfair’s best bars.
