Ok, so I have to come clean. I didn't realise the bar in
One Aldwych had a name – I thought it was one of those funky nameless places like that one on St. Martins Lane, whatever it's called...that went with the simplicity of the name of this whole hotel – which is actually it's address, making it easy for cabbies to find. But despite having hung out here on several different evenings, and one afternoon! it appears that I've failed to notice that the bar is called
The Lobby Bar. So now we all know. And it turns out that they've kept their theme of simplicity. So now we can all forget it again.
What I noticed instead of the name was the impressively complex cocktail menu, the long list of wines, the rather expensive looking furniture arranged in a comfortable way, the art and epic sized floral designs and the relatively well dressed folks looking quite relaxed all around me. This place gets that difficult to do effect right: clean lines, yet a welcoming space. Maybe it's all the flowers, maybe it's the limestone floor - that's not as OTT as polished marble, or maybe it's just that it's still a hotel bar not a swanky pick-up joint, but all these things roll into one and roll out a really nice place to spend an evening, or afternoon. You feel glamorously good without feeling pretentious.
Try one of their 22 Martinis with sushi, or a coffee and cake even.
