Barre Noire

Nothing to do with gothic ballet dancers, the smart Montcalm’s dinky little egg-shaped lounge is discreet hotel drinking made flesh. This is a slightly outré retreat for a mix of corporate types & overseas visitors, who wisely make a beeline for its smartly attired, glowing amber bar before congregating around low circular tables. There’s no unnecessary fuss or posturing here – the competent mixologists simply deliver clean, well-balanced ‘long & short’ classics ranging from mojito, Singapore sling & Long Island ice tea to Manhattan, negroni or apple & ginger martini, all of which come in under the magic £10 mark. The pouring Champagne is Louis Roederer, while premium spirits & a good whisky selection please those who favour a one-flavour-per-glass policy. A handy warm-up before moving into the Michelin-starred environs of nearby Locanda Locatelli.