Where to enjoy Christmas drinks in Belgravia
by Cally Squires
Holidays are coming, which means party season will soon be in full swing. Christmas festivities in Belgravia kick off with a magical lights switch-on party on November 17, where Father Christmas and his reindeer will be greeting shoppers before the neighbourhood’s charming streets are illuminated by a twinkling display. To continue the merriment as the big day draws closer, we’ve rounded up the best spots to enjoy Christmas drinks in Belgravia with friends, family and colleagues.
Amie Wine Studio
Designed as a place for friends to come together for a glass (or two) of wine, Amie Studio is a natural choice for an informal festive tipple. The drink of choice is, of course, the brand’s own wine range, which now includes sparkling and non-alcoholic options. Do some Christmas shopping whilst sipping, as the studio doubles up as an art exhibition space, with all artworks on the walls available for sale.
The Library Bar at The Lanesborough
Nothing screams Christmassy cheer more than an artfully crafted cocktail at The Lanesborough’s trusty Library Bar. The magnificent five star hotel will be decorated with fragrant pines and a traditional tree this year, with two special Christmas cocktails served at the bar from November 13 to January 8. Inspired by Bridgerton, the fruity Friends to Lovers margarita is prepared with coconut tequila and garnished with a feather, festive jingle bell and floating white rose petal. For abstainers, the non-alcoholic Blooming Wallflower mocktail is similarly adorned with all the bells and whistles, just without the hangover.
The Alchemist
Newly opened experiential restaurant and bar The Alchemist hasn’t missed a trick when it comes to festive feasting and drinking. The restaurant’s set Christmas menus pay equal attention to the drinks list, serving up bellinis made with red wine and a spiced berry reduction, glitter-topped prosecco and cocktails like Baby It’s Cold Outside - a triple threat of Grand Marnier, Cointreau and Tanqueray gin with fizz and elderflower.
The Hari
Courtesy of heaters and blankets, The Hari hotel’s terrace is one of the most snug (or make that smug, if you’ve secured a coveted table here) hidden outdoor drinks spots in town. Whether you fancy a spiced cocktail, celebratory champagne or plan to put the wine list through its paces, The Hari is the place to wrap up warm and hunker down for the night. Visitors with kids should keep an eye out for a classic red post box outside the hotel, where letters to Father Christmas can be posted.
Brooklands at The Peninsula
With one of the best panoramic rooftops in London, you come for the views, but stay for the cocktails and exquisite service at The Peninsula’s Brooklands bar. To be found just a short hot air balloon flight up from the hotel lobby, the aviation theme continues through to the cocktail list, with signature drinks like the Aero Club (a passionfruit champagne daiquiri) and Rush (an expresso martini with notes of coconut and peppermint). Handily the bartenders’ concoctions are labelled Mach I through to Mach III according to strength, which is most helpful in the name of (un)seasonal moderation.
Peggy Porschen
Colder days call for warming drinks, and a touch of cheering pink. Baker Peggy Porschen’s Belgravia parlour provides both in spades. After a successful Christmas shopping trip on Elizabeth Street, dip into Peggy’s for an Insta-worthy matcha latte to eat in or takeaway, along with one of the bakery’s show-stopping cupcakes.
The Horse and Groom
Boasting The Beatles and Rihanna as past patrons, there are worse places to be seen propping up the bar this Christmas than the Horse and Groom pub on Groom Place mews, which has been serving pints to loyal locals for over 150 years. And it’s not just residents and pop stars who are fans, the pub is a star of the big and little screens having featured in the Ab Fab movie and Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes’s television drama Belgravia. From November 10, the chef will be serving two or three course set festive lunch and dinner menus, with all bookings of 10 people or more receiving a bottle of prosecco on the house.
Blue Bar at The Berkeley
The iconic David Collins-designed Blue Bar has always been a sleek spot for date night, with the likes of Gywenth Paltrow and Beyonce known to be fans of mothership hotel The Berkeley. Enjoy the magic of mixology until 11pm, when late-night merrymakers are rewarded by the arrival of waiters bearing rounds of silver platters, loaded to the brim with French fries for the whole bar to feast on.
COMO The Halkin
COMO The Halkin is offering a selection of festive gin cocktails, including the Velvet Martini which combines Halkin gin, Creme de Violette, Noilly Pratt and homemade plum syrup; and the Finest Touch, which mixes Halkin gin, raspberry syrup, Green Chartreuse and champagne.
