Great Drinks in Midtown: The London Hotel Bar’s New Menu

It’s finally springtime in New York! Or at least it will be this weekend! Spring in New York, at least for me is synonymous with Happy Hour! Everyone comes out of hiding to meet friends for cocktails and small plates–it’s the New York way of life. Hibernation is over and it’s finally time to socialize after an exhausting winter of coats, scarves and gloves. I had been dying to check out the new bar menu at one of my favorite hotels in Manhattan, The London. So last week after work on a warm evening I headed over to see what Gordon Ramsay had cooked up for me!

The London Bar has truly earned its reputation for excellence. It’s the perfect spot for drinks in midtown, especially pre-theater given its Midtown West locale. The setting is lovely, filled with cozy booths and hard-wood floors. The bar is also a popular place for breakfast, lunch, high tea, dinner and of course nightcaps.  If you’ve ever seen Hell’s Kitchen a visit to Gordon Ramsay’s bar can’t be missed. Their cocktails, fine wines, and fancy fare all use quality ingredients and are prepared extremely professionally. I had a long day so first I had to sample Ramsay’s signature drink, the Diablo, which is made with raspberry liqueur, Scotch, a squeeze of lime and a splash of ginger beer, on the rocks. The whole bar’s menu is designed with English influences in mind and I think they capture it perfectly.

The cocktails were delicious. While I liked the Diablo, I much preferred my waiter’s recommendation of the London Red Carpet cocktail, which fresh raspberries, vodka, blood orange and lime juice, agave nectar, topped with a bit of Thai chili oil–luckily I hedged my bet and my husband and I shared. I know the Thai chili oil might sound strange but it was delicious. In fact, I thought about asking for some extra oil since I enjoyed its essence so much.

The food was delightful. My favorites were the Brie Tarte and the Tuna Tartare. They were all presented beautifully and complimented the classy cocktails perfectly.

Of everything, if I had to skip something it would have been the crab cakes. Although they were unique, their texture resembled that of a meatball and seeing that I’m not a meatball person these weren’t for me. However, my husband loved them. One man’s treasure, and all that…

The perfect way to finish off any evening is with the beignets. They were to die for. I would come back for these alone!

I highly recommend The London Bar’s revamped menu. Yum! Plus, I forgot to mention my favorite appetizer, which was a Hugh Grant sighting. English actor at an English hotel? I wish he was always on the menu…