Vintage Champagne meets unabashed elegance beneath the magnificent glass dome at Threadneedles Hotel, where art deco furnishings & a splendid thick rug create a sense of occasion without sacrificing comfort. However, a contemporary Champagne wall along one side of the room is a reminder that there is wine-loving purpose behind all that swanky interior design. Drinks are served from a trolley & are a match for the setting’s ocean-liner pomp: fizz by the glass kicks off with Laurent-Perrier Brut at £13, rising via a refined Bruno Paillard ’99 to an L-P Grand Siècle at £30 a pop. Bellinis & Champagne cocktails fatten out the drinks list, while English patriots might favour the Balfour sparkling wine or a 2001 Nyetimber Classic Cuvée from West Sussex at £60.