Pearl (bar) at the Chancery Court Hotel

If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the square mile and are desperately in need of a thirst quencher that isn't going to be spoiled by the heckling laugh of a city boy, then Pearl is one place you need to explore. I've never been let down by the ample and perferfectly made cocktails on the menu . the only gripe (yes sorry there is just one) is that it does get a tad bit annoying to wait for the drinks as they do tend to take a while to make and deliver to the table as the evening goes on. But all annoyances are washed away within the first sip of the expertly concocted liquid heaven – whether its my favourite – the singapore sling (one of the best in London) or one of the plentiful martini cocktails.

Once you've sunk a few alcoholic potions inside, the atmosphere really takes over with the soft lighting against the marble, gentle piano music and the beautiful (sorry to sound girly but there really is no other word for it) cascade of pearl strings throughout the bar. All of this means you just don't want to stop ordering yet another drink and this has got me to wondering if they have invented some form of alcohol MSG (or cocktail fairydust). Not like any other hotel bar I've been to in a good while. Great for resting tired feet in luxurious surroundings, meeting friends for a gossip or enjoying a decent drink in peaceful solitude.

My view is that in times like these when the government is making us feel guilty about drinking too much and the media about spending too much, a drink after work should be all about quality rather than quantity. Pearl is the perfect place to treat yourself and, though its not cheap, is better value for money than the crowded, Pinot Grigio splattered horror of the Pitcher and Piano round the corner. Perching on a high bar stool, sipping a glass of wine from the excellent selection or a superb cocktail with the strings of pearls twinkling behind you, you can pretend that your life is always as glamorous as this.