The Arch Bar

I was looking forward to having a lovely afternoon tea with a friend to catch up. It ended up being a 3 hour tea as the service was so slow. At one point we were staring at a plate of jelly (the palate cleanser) for 45 minutes. I’ve been served a ten course Michelin star meal faster than the time it took to plate some sandwiches and scones. The food was mediocre and the desserts were sickly sweet. The scones were the only decent bit. For £70/person the food is a negligible cost of sale so it should be all about the service and experience. Highly disappointed and it was the first time in seven years in London that I asked for the service charge to be taken off the bill.

I had the pleasure of spending an evening at the Arch Bar on Park Lane and it completely exceeded my expectations. The setting is elegant but comfortable. A refined atmosphere that never feels too formal. It’s the kind of place where you can relax into the evening while enjoying top-tier service. Giuliana welcomed us with such genuine warmth and charm that it immediately set the tone for the night. She was attentive, thoughtful, and clearly takes pride in making guests feel valued. Federico brought a calm confidence to the experience. His professionalism stood out in the best way. He moved with quiet precision. Always present without ever hovering. He added a level of polish that made the evening feel special. The cocktails were expertly made. Each one showed clear attention to balance and detail. You can tell the bartenders here know their craft. The selection of spirits is impressive without being overwhelming. Everything felt curated. Not crowded. This wasn’t just a night out. It felt like a real experience. The team at Arch Bar has created something that blends sophistication with genuine hospitality. I’ll absolutely be returning soon.

Sasanker was a wonderful host. He explained everything clearly and was incredibly friendly. Nothing was too much trouble for him, he was very attentive. I'm also exceptionally grateful to the kitchen staff would created a beautiful gluten and dairy free afternoon tea that was beyond my wildest expectations. I'll be back again soon!

We booked a table the night before and left a note that we needed a high chair and when we arrived we were greeted by Crystal who directed us to our table with the high chair waiting. Crystal was very welcoming and guided us and recommended us items during our afternoon tea which was inspired by Cornwall. We were also served by Elena who also helped too. A young man who was suited (sorry we didn't catch his name), gave our child a lovely teddy bear as a welcome gift which was surprising and thoughtful. We were there for 2 hours and had live music where the pianist played and piano. Overall it was a lovely experience and we will certainly be coming back

The arch bar is a beautiful venue on the ground floor of the intercontinental Hotel Hyde Park. I received excellent service from all staff. We ordered some cocktails from their royal cocktail menu. Which were tasty and beautifully presented. We were even provided complimentary snacks too. Which was a generous bonus.

Booked a High Tea at the Intercontinental which was served at the Arch Bar. First time having a high tea and wasn’t sure what the hype was about for little sandwiches and tea. Well I was wrong… first off the restaurant/bar is beautiful. We were seated in high back lounge chairs that were well spaced out so it’s not bumping into another table. Servers were amazing. I probably have the names wrong but Vitora and Jalia were very kind. They asked if we were high tea newbies and we were. So they clearly explained how high teas work and what to expect. Then they talked about the teas and what to choose. We selected our teas I picked Elizabeth 1 and it was delicious. Then the trays of our teas came. First savory sandwiches. All very beautiful looking almost too pretty to eat. Most tasted delicious, some were ok. Sandwiches were very filling. 2nd course more tea and scones with clotted cream and jam. Very tender scones, beautiful clotted cream, jams too sweet. Was too full from the sandwiches and tea to try both scones. Then last course multiple desserts. All very beautiful looking- cakes looking like crowns. Amazing. Staff constantly checked on us and even took photos for us which added to the experience. We didn’t have the stomach to eat all the desserts it was delicious but way too much food. We asked for take out and they kindly packed up everything. The bonus was they asked if we were celebrating a special occasion- I explained my daughter was graduating and to our surprise they provided a plate of more cakes! It was so over the top and very lovely. We definitely enjoyed the special treatment and felt like the rich and famous! Thank you to the staff for such a great experience for our first time. Will come back again!

In 2022 we had several delightful potions with charming garnishes at the bar. This trip they have a new Special Menu. The Thistle, Rose & Shamrock was a nice drink, but not magical. The Golden Throne was lackluster and garnished with one olive. This is an £18 cocktail and the best you can do is plonk an olive on top?

Very nice and informal Afternoon Tea. Very good service, very very tasty sandwiches and cakes in a very nice location. I go to afternoon tea semi-often (1 or 2 times per year) and this is one of the favourites now.

Do you want a special cocktail in Mayfair? If so, then this hotel bar should do the trick, though be prepared to pay at least £12 per drink for the privilege (not including service)! Along with our swanky cocktails they gave us a free round of ice-cold, bubbling Mother's Ruin shots, which made the hefty price tag (£81 for a single round of drinks for five of us) slightly more bearable...or maybe they were simply trying to get us more drunk in order to get us to stay for another round. We didn't. But if I win the lottery maybe I will, as it was a nice atmosphere and extremely elegant surroundings.

On Friday I went for some pre-dinner drinks at the Arch Bar with a friend to celebrate Valentines Day. After having two glasses of champagne each, we decided to share one final glass. However, when the bill arrived, we noticed that we were being charged for 7 glasses of champagne instead of 5. Thinking that the waitresses had simply made an honest mistake, we got the attention of one of the waitresses to kindly explain that we had only had 5 glasses of champagne. The waitress then had a discussion with the Bar Team Leader and the other waitress that had served our champagne. To our surprise, the Team Leader told us that she had spoken to her waitresses and that she had no choice but to "100% believe them" that we had had 7 glasses of champagne, not 5. She then said that she was willing to give us one glass for free and charge us for 6 glasses instead. After we insisted that we had only had 5, the Team Leader said that she would check the CCTV footage later in the evening and agreed, for the moment, to only charge us for 5. Although we were almost entirely certain that we had only had 5 glasses of champagne, my friend left his contact card with the Team Leader and said that we would happily come back and pay for any extra glasses that we may have had. This morning I received an email from the Bar Team Leader. She explained that she had gone over the CCTV footage and apologised because she confirmed that we were right and that we had only had 5 glasses of champagne in total. She offered us a couple of complimentary glasses of champagne on our next visit. The worst part about the whole situation was not that the Bar tried to overcharge us - it was the poor and rude service from the staff. We were completely taken aback that the waitresses insisted that we were effectively lying and would not take our word. Surely in these situations the customer should have the benefit of the doubt? I have been a loyal customer of the Intercontinental Hotel for a long time, not just in London, and I have to say that I was extremely disappointed with the level of service. This experience has undoubtedly completely changed my opinion of the level of service at the Intercontinental Hotel. We will no longer visit this hotel and in the future will instead choose other hotels or hotel bars where we wouldn't receive such poor treatment. Very disappointing.