Marble Bar

They’d probably frown on you taking a Whisky Sour into your local cathedral so if you fancy a drink under ornately carved ceilings, complete with stained glass and marble columns, then you best be heading to Marble Bar under the Hilton. Well heeled visitors for the upstairs hotel rub shoulders with corporate types and theatre-goers keen for some pre-drinks in this stately establishment. There are two bars facing off against each other – useful when the raised platform in the middle of the room is transformed from a mezzanine seating area to a stage for live gigs. The cocktails are strong but well balanced and the wine comes in generous pours too – leave the car at home and make a night of it. Don’t be fooled: the cocktail list may have more than its fair share of white spirits and fruity numbers, but this bar is more than partial to an Old Fashioned and their Sazerac is excellent. For something a little less fierce the Kaffir Gingerita is a long, tall glass of refreshment. The combination of kaffir lime leaves, ginger and lemon with Bison Grass vodka is subtly tropical without tasting like punch. Snacks are not cheap here. The only things you can get for under a 20 is mixed nuts or wedges, but the cocktails and the décor are spectacular so we say have another cocktail then go in search of a food truck afterwards.