New bar Velvet serves up Hollywood glamour and heavenly cocktails in London

‘A bar is like a great theatre,’ says Salvatore Calabrese, former president of the United Kingdom Bartenders’ Guild and mastermind behind new London cocktail bar Velvet at the Corinthia hotel.

If that is the case, then visiting Velvet is the drinking equivalent of going to the opera – exuberant and grandiose. Its dimly-lit interiors look like they have been transported from Golden Age Hollywood, with a profusion of crimson and ink blue velvet, gold walls and fringed lamps. Designed by David Collins Studio, the space manages to be simultaneously opulent and intimate, making it ideal for a fancy date or celebratory night out with a small group of friends. 

Velvet’s glamorous setting is complemented by an extensive cocktail menu featuring 1920s classics little known today. Drinks include the ‘Adonis,’ named after an 1884 Broadway musical and made from fino sherry, Mancino rosso, and bitters; and the Bee’s Knees, a prohibition favourite made from Tanqueray gin, lemon juice and honey. 

There is also a wide range of signature Calabrese creations, including a ‘Spicy Fifty’ which blends vanilla vodka with elderflower, fresh chilli and lime juice; and the ‘Godfrey’, which blends Remy Martin with blackberries and lemon juice. Most notable, however, is the bar’s menu of seven different martinis, including a Breakfast Martini made from gin, cointreau, lemon juice and orange marmalade. 

The extensive menu has a cocktail that will match any taste, as well as a range of non-alcoholic options and a menu of small plates. 

corinthia.com

A version of this story appears in the June Travel Issue of Wallpaper*, available now in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today