Lobby Lounge at the InterContinental Hotel

It may not be as instantly alluring as the corporate watering holes in some of its starry Mayfair rivals, but the plush, post-modern Lobby Lounge at the InterContinental Park Lane scores heavily with its terrific cocktails. Stray off the well-trodden mojito/caipirinha/cosmo path to discover oddball mixes associated with some of the capital’s hipper hostelries. Sweet-toothed imbibers will appreciate various rum-based concoctions served with different sorts of chocolate to complement each brand’s characteristics, while smoke on the water (Laphroaig, Akvinta vodka, honey & orange) picks up on the recent trend towards whisky-based drinks; there are also mocktails for the abstemious. As well as the expected pricey hotel wines & Italian/Asian nibbles (served till 1am), there’s another nice touch: real ales from independent London breweries such as Greenwich’s Meantime.