Boasting an impressive collection of wines and luxurious interiors, 1857 The Bar at St. James's Hotel & Club really lives up to its ultra-desirable location among the Georgian facades of St James's. It's nicely located down a quiet cul-de-sac in this leafy part of town, and inside you'll find the bar, which is open to the public and makes an elegant spot to stop for a drink and a bite to eat from the snack menu.
Inside the interiors are plush and opulent - all soft furnishings and moody lighting. A few stools sit up at the marble bar for solo tipplers, or you can sink into a comfortable armchair in the lounge area and quaff on a glass of wine if you prefer something a little more laidback. 1857 The Bar is incredibly passionate about rare and fine ports and wines. In fact, it claims to have the largest selection of ports of any bar in the capital, including some rare, unique bottles that go back a great many years. Indeed, one of these rare ports claims to be the oldest bottle of wine sold in the UK - a Graham’s 1882 Ne Oublie port, which was bottled in a hand made crystal decanter many years ago.
The bar also does an interesting line of port cocktails too, including a Port Sour made with Graham’s Blend Series No. 5 and mixed with egg white and lemon, and the Queen of the Night which combines Graham’s Tawny 10-year-old port with Blandy’s 10-year-old Verdelho, Seignette Cognac VS, and Crème de Rose.
Not a port fan? No problem. 1857 The Bar's bartenders also mix up a range of classic cocktails, and there's an extensive wine list to peruse, as well as a hefty book of spirits, whiskies, digestifs and more.
Check out the all day bar menu as well, which serves up small plates such as smoked salmon with sweet pickled red onions, crème fraiche and dill oil,;gnocchi with lobster and tarragon cream sauce; and whipped cheese cake with homemade lemon and crumble.