If there’s one place you have to be in London, it’s at the Savoy. The hotel’s signature bar is one of the most photographed bars in the city and it’s not hard to see why. With its beautiful wood-paneled room, etched glass and gorgeous women in beautiful dresses, the bar certainly doesn’t shy away from the flashbulbs.
In fact, the bar is so famous that it was featured on the cover of Vogue and it has been namechecked in numerous books and movies. If you ever wanted to visit London and don’t want to miss a single bar or club, the Savoy is the perfect place to start. It’s the kind of place that makes you feel as though you’ve stepped into a film noir movie.
A Classic Setting
The setting for the bar is just as beautiful as the building itself. With its Moorish-style lamps, etched glass and white-washed brick walls, it’s easy to understand why it’s been chosen as the hotel’s social hub. Set apart from the hustle and bustle of the busy hotel, you can enjoy one of London’s most luxurious drinks experiences.
The bar’s interior designer, Thierry Despont, who also worked on the bar at the London Hotel, said: “It’s a classic piece of the Hotel Savoy and its history is fascinating. It’s one of the first bars I remember visiting when I came to London as a child, so it holds a special place in my heart. It’s such an iconic bar and we wanted to do something special with the design, so it fits perfectly with the style of the Hotel Savoy.”
The bar’s design doesn’t simply reference the building’s past, it draws upon the history of bars in general, referencing the places that laid the foundations for today’s cocktail culture. The bar’s cocktail list features classic drinks that you would’ve seen in earlier decades, like the Manhattan and the Martini, alongside contemporary takes on these classic drinks, like the Lavolette and the Nectarine Smash. If you’re a fan of classic film noir, you’ll recognize a lot of the bar’s interior.
A Mecca For Coffee
The coffee culture in London has exploded in the last few years and nowhere has this coffee trend been more prevalent than at the Savoy. The coffee cart that traditionally roams the bar area has been replaced by a permanent coffee station and the room’s other bar, the Pool Room, is also now a permanent coffee shop. This is mainly thanks to the barista champion, Sam Hayward, who has worked at both the Roast Coffee Bar and the Room 5½ Coffee Bar and, as a result, has a clientele drawn from both bars.
Hayward says that coffee fans should head to the Savoy, because it’s “the Mecca of coffee in London. There are so many great coffee shops and restaurants there, that it’s hard to know where to start. If you’re a coffee lover, you’ll never get tired of London’s coffee scene.”
The coffee station isn’t the only thing drawing people to the Savoy. The restaurant’s Head Chef, Michael Wignall, who has been with the hotel for over a decade, says that the bar’s location is also key to its appeal. “The location is amazing, with the ability to walk to so many different places in three minutes. If you’ve been to the Savoy before, you’ll know how central it is to the city’s restaurant and bar scene. You could easily pop in for a drink before a restaurant meal or head home after a hard day at work. It’s really convenient for both guests and locals alike,” Wignall said.
An Iconic Cocktail
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of sipping one of London’s iconic cocktails, the Savoy’s drink menu probably isn’t all that different from what you’re used to. The drinks are named after famous detectives from the early part of the last century, like “Death on the Rocks”, “Murdered by the Water”, the “Devil’s Whisky” and the “Jade Dragon”. As well as a great drink menu and a gorgeous setting, the bar at the Savoy is famous for its high-end shopping and it attracts the wealthy and famous alike. If you find yourself in London and you’re looking for a way to while away a few hours, the Savoy is the perfect choice. For something a little different, why not treat yourself to a drink at one of the hotel’s other bars first, before making your way to the more traditional environment of the Savoy?