The Winter Garden Cocktail Bar
‘For those in the know, Rules’ Bar has become one of the places to drink cocktails in London’
Upstairs at Rules – our reinvented cocktail bar where once Edward VII and his mistress Lillie Langtry dined in private, has a reputation among aficionados for being one of the best kept secrets in London; it is certainly the place for those seeking a civilised bolt hole to enjoy perfectly balanced drinks in elegant but relaxing surroundings. The plush red seating, hunting frieze and air of effortless style is the perfect backdrop to enjoy a drink before dining in the restaurant downstairs or to meet friends for one of the house cocktails.
Our bar team, is well versed in crafting beautifully balanced classic cocktails as well as having an ever evolving short list of bespoke in house creations.
Recognised in the national press as one of the top bars in London for its drinks and service. why not slip away from the outside world and into one of our Dry Martinis…
Please note, we do not take reservations in the Cocktail Bar or Winter Garden
A dark wood bar where the barmen expertly mix classic cocktails, a Martini (stirred never shaken), a Gimlet, a Bloody Mary on a Sunday afternoon. Understated glamour of a by-gone era and simple old fashioned elegance
THE COCKTAIL HOUR…by Bernard Barbuk. Restaurant Magazine.
…Rules has always done cocktails, without making a big deal of them, but now it will – with a reinvented cocktail bar which lets people enjoy a drink before, after or instead of serious feeding.
The mixologist’s choice of standard cocktail glass, quite stubby and about 75ml capacity, is the size classic cocktails were meant to be.
His list contains just 10 cocktails. “Long lists confuse people,” he explains, “we’ll be able to make anything anybody asks for, without a modern twist. But these 10 are special to Rules.”
That ‘modern twist’ is also a Rules twist. All 10 recipes are his, with charachteristic touches (eau-de-vie, grapefruit, absinthe, the no-longer-made Cinzano Orancio), all with a base ingredient and between two and four other flavouring ingredients. Classic Cocktails ‘made the way they used to be made’.
No homemade infusions. No assortments of muddled berries. no ‘cocktail speak’ descriptions either. Another doctrine is: “Don’t try to be clever, just focus on making great drinks.”
The bar’s offer has to be special – an enhancement of the restaurant, not a competitor. The drinks list is separate and individual too – not least, old bottled liqueurs hunted down. “A cocktail bar isn’t about the cocktail per se, but the people who come into it and the drinks should be right for them.”
One of London’s best-known destinations.
From BR to Rules…Re Cocktail Bar
I have always been a fan of Classic Hotel Bars because of their devotion and care to the Classic Cocktails. As a fan of the Dry Martini, I believe it is the ultimate test as with only a couple of ingredients in this simple recipe, it has to rely on technique and an awful lot of care.
Your timing is impeccable as I feel the trend is for Classic Cocktails and they are finally getting the recognition they deserve. The hottest bar in Sao Paulo, Brazil, right now is called DRY and is all about Classic Cocktails.