New bar Velvet serves up Hollywood glamour and heavenly cocktails in London
Velvet at London’s Corinthia hotel is a decadent new cocktail bar
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Thank you for signing up to Wallpaper. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
‘A bar is like a great theatre,’ says Salvatore Calabrese, former president of the United Kingdom Bartenders’ Guild and mastermind behind new London cocktail bar Velvet at the Corinthia hotel.
If that is the case, then visiting Velvet is the drinking equivalent of going to the opera – exuberant and grandiose. Its dimly-lit interiors look like they have been transported from Golden Age Hollywood, with a profusion of crimson and ink blue velvet, gold walls and fringed lamps. Designed by David Collins Studio, the space manages to be simultaneously opulent and intimate, making it ideal for a fancy date or celebratory night out with a small group of friends.
Velvet’s glamorous setting is complemented by an extensive cocktail menu featuring 1920s classics little known today. Drinks include the ‘Adonis,’ named after an 1884 Broadway musical and made from fino sherry, Mancino rosso, and bitters; and the Bee’s Knees, a prohibition favourite made from Tanqueray gin, lemon juice and honey.
There is also a wide range of signature Calabrese creations, including a ‘Spicy Fifty’ which blends vanilla vodka with elderflower, fresh chilli and lime juice; and the ‘Godfrey’, which blends Remy Martin with blackberries and lemon juice. Most notable, however, is the bar’s menu of seven different martinis, including a Breakfast Martini made from gin, cointreau, lemon juice and orange marmalade.
The extensive menu has a cocktail that will match any taste, as well as a range of non-alcoholic options and a menu of small plates.
A version of this story appears in the June Travel Issue of Wallpaper*, available now in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Mary Cleary is the Beauty & Grooming Editor of Wallpaper*. Having been with the brand since 2017, she became an editor in February 2020 with the launch of the brand’s new beauty & grooming channel. Her work seeks to offer a new perspective on beauty, focusing on the pioneering personalities, product designs, and transformative trends within the industry.
-
Common Works Architects, USA: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023
Common Works’ White House makes the most of a skinny Oklahoma City plot
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A Clarence Dillon estates tour offers an unparalleled way to experience Bordeaux
Clarence Dillon produces some of the world's finest wine. We take a trip to their vineyards to see how
By Mary Cleary Published
-
Rome Colosseum bookshop design is based on a light, modular system
The bookshops at Rome’s Colosseum are part of Migliore+Servetto’ new concept for Italian publishing house Electa
By Rosa Bertoli Published