COCKTAILS AT THE SANDERSON AND ST MARTIN’S LANE HOTELS

January has come to an end, the ‘pay back’ month is over. New year resolutions of healthy living/eating have been washed away by torrential rain. So we thought we’d cheer ourselves up with some new cocktails and a ‘grown up’ hot chocolate in two of London’s most stylish hotels.

Why does it feel like somebody’s watching me?

Our first stop was the Long Bar at the Sanderson, on Berners Street, to try their new Winter Warmers menu featuring cocktails made from Rémy Martin VSOP Mature Cask Finish Cognac.

These six cocktails, all £12.50, are served warm and combine flavours that aren’t usually found in their cold relatives… Port, red wine and cognac infused with walnut. Not your average cocktail ingredients, but in these warm versions they work. My favourite was the Apple Crumble, Rémy Martin, warm apple purée and a fluffy cream topping.

Purple Bar, Purple Bar, I only want to see you laughing in the Purple Bar.

After a very short stroll across the hotel lobby we entered the Purple Bar and what an incredible bar it is too. The whole design of the room is so clever. You’re made to feel big, the chairs are tiny (yet very comfortable). Whilst at the same time made to feel miniature, the room looks like the inside of a jewellery box (complete with padded ceiling).

This Alice in Wonderland ‘eat me, drink me’ theme is continued throughout the hotel. They even hold a Madhatter’s Tea Party, we can’t wait till the weather improves so that we can try out the cakes in the courtyard.

So why were we moved to the Purple Bar? Well it was to have a hot chocolate. But not a usual run-of-the-mill hot chocolate, a delicious alcoholic one. We tried all the six different varieties, £10 each, my favourite was The Minty One – Crème de menthe, whipped cream and Venezuelan chocolate. Saff loved The Grog One – Cognac, gingerbread syrup and Venezuelan chocolate.

So who is this Rick Shaw character?

Armed with a big cup of grown up hot chocolate and a blanket we jumped on a rickshaw and make our way to The Light Bar at St. Martins Lane. Here we sampled the new Front Row cocktail list, created to celebrate London Fashion week Fall/Winter Collection 2013.

The Light fantastic…

The light bar hasn’t changed much in a decade or so but it still attracts the cool kids and the occasional celebrity. Maybe that’s testament to how ahead of the curve the design was, that even now it still doesn’t look or feel dated.

Again we sampled a sip of the six Front Row cocktails, £12.50 each. These LFW inspired drinks even have typically catwalk themed names such as the Size Zero Hero and are calorie counted. Our favourite cocktail was the Plum a la Mode, muddled fresh plum, home-made Maraschino cherries, rum, lime juice, agave syrup and plum wine. Good job it’s low cal, that just means you can drink more of them, right?

These cocktails are just made for these cold winter nights and if you need an excuse to visit these bars (and who would), you can always say you’re doing it in the name of fashion…

www.sandersonlondon.com
Sanderson, 50 Berners Street, W1T 3NG

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Nearest tube: Goodge Street, Oxford Circus or Tottenham Court Road

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www.stmartinslane.com
St. Martins Lane, 45 St. Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4HX

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Nearest tube: Leicester Square or Charring Cross