A Plush New Cocktail Bar Opens at the Berkeley in London

Swank hotels and excellent cocktails have long gone hand in hand. In fact, some of the very first cocktail bars in the 19th century even doubled as the lobby area. And while the famed Berkeley in Belgravia, London, attracts guests from all over the world for its legendary David Collins–designed Blue Bar, this summer it’s taking things up a notch with its latest offering: the Berkeley Bar & Terrace.

Officially debuting in August, the project is the brainchild of Irish designer Bryan O’Sullivan. The space is clad in rich paneling and accents from a 300-year-old walnut tree felled in a storm, enhanced with splashes of pastel pink, coral, and off-white.

The Berkeley Bar & Terrace. Photo: Courtesy of the The Berkeley Bar & Terrace

There are Brutalist-inspired arches dotted throughout, which nod to the military history of the space—the stables of the grenadiers regiment of the British Army were originally located on the Wilton Place grounds where the hotel was built. Other standout features include a half-moon marble bar, a central fireplace, and for those who relish exclusivity, a hideaway snug with a striking mural by New York–based artist TM Davy—and its own on-the-button service.

Glass doors open out onto an intimate space that overlooks nearby St Paul’s Church.

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Guests can expect a thoughtfully designed capsule menu featuring nine old-time and modern classic cocktails with a focus on unexpected labels from under-the-radar producers such as Ichiro whisky from Japan, Fortaleza tequila, and rum maker Trois Rivières. The team has also been working with Scottish whisky producers Gordon & MacPhail on the creation of a rare whisky from 1972, the year the hotel opened. Small bites include wild sea bass ceviche, and Cornish crab and lobster beignets as well as Petrossian caviar and Irish rock oysters.

See images from the new venue below.

The snug is a sleek hideaway that can be booked for private events. Photo: Courtesy of The Berkeley Bar & Terrace

The space is clad in rich walnut-wood panels. Photo: Courtesy of The Berkeley Bar & Terrace

The Berkeley Bar & Terrace. Photo: Courtesy of The Berkeley Bar & Terrace