DUKES Bar
Bar · St. James's ·
Legendary bar famed for its tableside-prepared ice-cold martinis
Legendary bar famed for its tableside-prepared ice-cold martinis
"Most expensive cocktail: The signature martinis will set you back £27.50 Some hotel bars are responsible for airport hangovers so violent that you hope easyJet offers an on-board exorcism service. Meanwhile, Dukes London’s eponymous St. James’s bar—class act that it is—is said to be responsible for one of the greatest lines in film history: “shaken, not stirred”. Bond author, Ian Fleming, was a regular at this old-school, slightly stuffy martini mainstay and their signature sucker-punch ‘tinis are still top-tier. Spirits and glasses are stored in the freezer and the drinks are prepared tableside with enough flourish to make you forget that the carpets are pretty hideous." - heidi lauth beasley
"Dukes, an old-school hotel bar in St James’s, is world-renowned for its ice-cold, sucker-punch martini for good reason. This is Sir Ian Fleming’s former favoured drinking den, after all. Spirits and glasses are stored in the freezer and the martinis—made with five shots of gin—are prepared tableside with a flourish. The carpets, dark blue armchairs, and paintings of nobility on the walls can make it feel a little stuffy here but the smartly dressed staff treat everyone like a distinguished guest." - jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, heidi lauth beasley
"What’s cooler than being cool? Ice cold, baby. And that’s exactly what the martinis at Dukes are all about. That and the fact they contain five shots of gin. The old-school hotel bar in St James’s is world-renowned for its sucker-punch martini, but they’re far from quantity over quality. Everything is stored in the freezer and drinks are prepared tableside with a flourish. Frosty glasses are given a theatrical vermouth rinse, gin is dramatically poured from a height, and a strip of Amalfi lemon skin is peeled and twisted over the glass." - jake missing, daisy meager
"Down a hidden alley off St. James’s Place inside DUKES Hotel, this small bar has been my happy place for almost 30 years. The whole staff is wonderful and they’re led by my hero and good friend, Alessandro Palazzi, the world’s greatest bartender; there’s nothing quite like a martini made tableside by Alessandro, especially if he’s pouring one made with my own Artingstall’s Brilliant London Dry Gin. It’s often hard to get a table because it’s become so popular and the number of people waiting in the lobby can be daunting, but Alessandro and the gang always give me a hero’s welcome and are kind enough to find me a seat — my reward for loyal years of service to the world’s best bartender and martini." - Edward Barsamian
"Dukes, an old-school hotel bar in St James’s, is world-renowned for its ice-cold, sucker-punch martini for good reason—this is Sir Ian Fleming’s former favoured drinking den, after all. Spirits and glasses are stored in the freezer and the martinis—made with five shots of gin—are prepared tableside with a flourish. The carpets, dark blue armchairs, and paintings of nobility on the walls can make it feel a little stuffy here but the smartly dressed staff treat everyone like a distinguished guest." - jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, heidi lauth beasley