db Drinks: Bar 45

Edith Hancock investigates the swanky lounge bar on one of the most expensive streets in the capital.

Bar 45: Park Lane.

The concept

With an address you could whisper into the ear of a Russian oligarch by way of foreplay, Bar 45 is perched right atop the lobby of 45 Park Lane, one of the latest additions to The Dorchester Collection’s portfolio. Francesco Orefici, the bar manager, ran a cigar shop in Kensington before moving to his current role. Super-premium CVs, it seems, are essential.

The look

It’s a classic 60s box-ticker with plush furnishings, gold finishings and enough mirrors to lend the whole place an Alice in Fund-er-land vibe. Right now, the real star is the art installation which is sticking round until February. Sculptor Jill Berelowitz, known for her focus on raw metal and the human body, is displaying a series of her latest bronze pieces in the lobby and bar, all of which are available to purchase. Her work tends to fetch upwards of £2,500 – another nod to the clientele you’ll see here.

The drinks
Though you may be more inclined to drop a few grand on a bronze buttocks after a negroni or four, we weren’t here to buy art. We kicked the night off with G&Ts, before moving to a Tequila-based serve. My chilli-flavoured concoction, called Indecent Exposure, sizzled with clear notes of green jalapeño that lingered for a good while after I finished. This may be down to my being out of practice on the curry front, but it was was a little too spicy for comfort. Our server did kindly offer a do-over or an alternative beverage when she returned to check on us. In fact, the staff were very attentive. We were asked twice before our booking whether there were any allergies in our party, and then again once seated. One wonders how many bloggers have already died at the mixologist’s hands.

Onto the whisky it was. My drinking buddy opted for the Smoke & Mirrors, a heady, scotch-based concoction that ended up the star of the evening. A second whisky serve, Famous Nobody$ (the dollar is silent), was expertly balanced between rich, full-bodied Highland malt and tart yuzu.

Signature serves

There’s no two ways around it, the place is expensive. The bar boasts a strong section of its menu dedicated to negronis, priced anywhere between £20 and £28. I went for their flagship version aged in its own oak barrel. It was delicious and hit the spot, but it was also £25. The two gin and tonics, plus service, set us back £38.

The cocktail names are somewhat jarring. Some are shoehorned song lyrics, others films (the Somebody Likes it…with Truffle!, was a particular highlight). Clunky innuendos abounded, but the drinks themselves were hard to knock, even if the bill wasn’t.

The food:
As well as having its own relaxed, steak-focused resto CUT, Bar 45 has an ample menu of bar bites curated by none other than Wolfgang Puck. We went for mini wagyu beef sliders, which were as tender and slightly sweet as you’d expect, and spicy tuna tartare cones, which were also as tender and slightly sweet as you’d expect. The tuna tartare won on the flavour front, bursting with citrus and a whisper of wasabi that left you wishing three thumb-sized cones didn’t cost £21.

Who to know: Orefici, the bar manager. Talk to him about cigars, obviously.

Last word: The drinks were good, one or two stunning, but the prices were high. Granted, this is Park Lane, but it also had the feel of a hideaway where tired holidaymakers might resent such mark-ups. The strategic mirrors do a lot to widen the space, but can be downright dangerous after a few negronis. All in all a very enjoyable evening, just don’t look when you hand your card over.