Cocktails

[bond_and_beyond]

A brilliant idea! (and might be the perfect excuse to my better half as to why I need a second bespoke DJ in 2 years
...)

DavidS

Hear hear. A black tie LL cocktail night in London. I'm up for that if I'm in town then!

BB

[lxlloyd]

I love the look of China Tang (and the drinks… and the handy location…) but sometimes the clientele can be a bit ‘oligarch-wth-professional-escorts’ 
Never been to 69 colebrooke row, but have heard about it.

Ahah you may have captured the exact thing I was trying to describe more delicately!

Regarding artesian- they've had a staff exit. At least a dozen staff. I haven't been recently but I wouldn't be surprised if it's not matching it's prior reputation.

Keeping west:
Milk and honey on Poland street
69 colebrooke row
The bar at claridges
Bar swift on old Compton street (also good on the same street is bar termini)
Quo vadis on dean street
45 jermyn street
The American bar
The Beaufort at the savoy
The bar at the Connaught

Other:
dandelyan at the Mondrian is well worth ignoring its location.
Zetter townhouse on St. John's square

East:
Nightjar
happiness forgets.
every cloud.
Superlyan
Three sheets london
Callooh callay

[lxlloyd]

A brilliant idea! (and might be the perfect excuse to my better half as to why I need a second bespoke DJ in 2 years
...)

DavidS

Hear hear. A black tie LL cocktail night in London. I'm up for that if I'm in town then!

BB

Sounds like fun!

[Luca]

Does anyone care to suggest an evening?

Black tie at the ready...

[couch]

Alas, I won't be back in London until next June—but I'll be with you in spirit(s)!

[hectorm]

20-25 years ago, the bar at the Savoy was full of hookers.....
.....I agree with you that many of the most interesting and quality joints are ‘out East’, with the West End often charging prices that bear no relation with the quality of the drink.

Actually there were 2 bars at the Savoy. The Beaufort and The American. One was for the hookers, the other for the wives, but I can't remember which one was which (no jokes, please). I wish NJS were still on this pages to tell us the story.
In the 90s, when I resided in London, "East" used to mean the East End, into which Westenders would venture sporadically for some business. Nowadays there seem to be places like Hackney out East where people go for drinks. With a cocktail in a Mayfair hotel bar at twenty two pounds sterling a pop, I don't blame them.

[DavidS]

...

[lxlloyd]

20-25 years ago, the bar at the Savoy was full of hookers.....
.....I agree with you that many of the most interesting and quality joints are ‘out East’, with the West End often charging prices that bear no relation with the quality of the drink.

Actually there were 2 bars at the Savoy. The Beaufort and The American. One was for the hookers, the other for the wives, but I can't remember which one was which (no jokes, please). I wish NJS were still on this pages to tell us the story.
In the 90s, when I resided in London, "East" used to mean the East End, into which Westenders would venture sporadically for some business. Nowadays there seem to be places like Hackney out East where people go for drinks. With a cocktail in a Mayfair hotel bar at twenty two pounds sterling a pop, I don't blame them.

That reminds me of the old Naval toast....

[hectorm]

That reminds me of the old Naval toast....

Old toast indeed. The bars at the Savoy have changed with the culture, as the Naval toast has changed with it too. "To our families" is the update, instead of "To our wives and sweethearts". The traditional response "May they never meet" no longer makes sense.

[Luca]

Does anyone care to suggest an evening?

Black tie at the ready...

As a habitue of London, I'm usually around ...

DavidS

Who's for this Friday?

[lxlloyd]

Does anyone care to suggest an evening?

Black tie at the ready...

As a habitue of London, I'm usually around ...

DavidS

Who's for this Friday?

I could but its probably booked up already for most.

[DavidS]

...

[uppercase]

Who makes a good White Lady in London?

An old time, simple cocktail made with egg white for froth.

I have tried making it a number of times with Difford's guidance - shake it all up with ice,then throw out the ice and dry shake to get a good froth - but no luck with the froth.

Maybe I need organic egg whites ??

Never having had a proper White Lady in a bar, I am just sort of interpreting here in the suburbs.

Not really sure what it should taste and look like.

But certainly someone in London should be making the real deal … no??

[hectorm]

- shake it all up with ice,then throw out the ice and dry shake to get a good froth - but no luck with the froth.

Dear UC, if you keep repeating those steps, you´re bound to fail.
Try this instead: first shake the ingredients without ice and with not-colder-than-room-temperature white eggs. This will create a very good foam. Then add the ice and shake to cool the whole mixture.
It works like magic for the Pisco Sour, where the frothiness makes the world of a difference. I haven't tried the White Lady though.

[davidhuh]

It works like magic for the Pisco Sour, where the frothiness makes the world of a difference.

It does indeed

Cheers, David, Pisco man