LONDON LOVES: Shaken, Stirred and Back in Vogue: London’s Top Martinis Right Now
Greenway Associates has recently been appointed to provide cost planning and quantity surveying services for the renewal of the Barbican Centre, one of London’s most ambitious cultural redevelopments, now progressing through RIBA Stage 4. The scope includes all of the Centre’s hospitality spaces, including its Bars - spots where people gather and connect before and after performances. Having supported hospitality projects for over two decades, many of the bars we have worked on remain memorable and importantly, still in very good service.
Martini Bar at the Barbican Arts Centre xxx photo barbican website
Across London’s bars, the martini, long seen as a nostalgic classic, is making a stylish comeback. Perfectly balanced serves, thoughtfully designed spaces, and a touch of theatrical flair have turned the simple cocktail into a modern showstopper. This resurgence is a reminder that the best drinks aren’t just about what’s in the glass, but how they are served, where they are served, and how they bring a space to life. (And yes, a little Instagram buzz never hurts.)
The martini may be the most economical cocktail in terms of ingredients, but delivering it properly is a different matter entirely. Generous counter space, acres of glassware, perfectly controlled ice, exact temperatures and a service style that looks effortless all require careful planning. It is a classic case of hospitality maths: the fewer the elements in the glass, the more the surrounding space has to do the heavy lifting.
Alongside a closer look at the Barbican Martini Bar, we share our experience, visiting four top spots in London that have perfected the art of the serve: The Park, Duke’s, The Connaught, and the recently opened Library at The Hero of Maida Vale.
THE BARBICAN MARTINI BAR
Barbican Martini Bar xxxx photo Barbican website
Currently located on the first floor, the martini bar at the Barbican has long been a natural meeting point for a pre-performance drink. Created in 2012 to coincide with the Designing 007 exhibition, it quickly developed a following of its own and continues to serve a confident line-up of classic martinis and cocktails by their own mixologist Harvey Macaraig. It is easy to see the appeal: a well-timed drink, a view over the movement of the Centre, and that familiar sense of anticipation before the lights go down.
Set within one of London’s most recognisable Brutalist landmarks, the bar carries all the character of the Grade II listed architecture that surrounds it. The raw concrete, generous volumes and layered foyers give the space a presence that newer venues often try to imitate but rarely achieve. For us, the future evolution of the space is an exercise in balance: safeguarding its architectural integrity while ensuring the hospitality experience meets the expectations of today’s audiences. As part of the wider renewal, the Centre’s hospitality spaces are being carefully reconsidered, and the bar is no exception. The ambition is not simply to serve a good martini, but to create an experience that feels seamless from arrival to interval to post-show encore. Counters that work harder, seating that invites people to stay a little longer, lighting that shifts with the mood of the evening and service that appears effortless.
In a building that can empty into the foyers in a matter of minutes, every metre of counter, every storage decision and every circulation route has to earn its keep. In a city where a martini can comfortably sit north of £15, making sure that each one is served quickly, elegantly and at exactly the right temperature is not just good hospitality, it is good economics. The drink itself may be beautifully simple; the environment that allows it to be delivered consistently is anything but.
THE PARK
Even London’s most celebrated restaurateurs have embraced the martini moment. Jeremy King, widely regarded as one of London’s hospitality heavyweights and the mind behind icons like The Wolseley, recently opened The Park - a grand café-brasserie styled with mid-century and Manhattan influences. The bar here has become part of its own buzz, with stories circulating of very special martini pricing, including martinis for just £1 on select occasions. The tactic is clever hospitality theatre, drawing people in and reminding Londoners that the martini, a drink with deep Italian roots through vermouth, still knows how to make headlines.
While The Park’s martinis aren’t always served at a nominal price, the very notion of such offers (and a little theatre wrapped around a classic drink) speaks to how the capital’s martini culture is evolving. It’s not just about the cocktail itself anymore; it’s about the stories, the social energy, and the way a simple serve can be used creatively to bring people through the door. xxxxxx
DUKE’S
Duke’s, tucked away in Mayfair, has been serving arguably London’s most iconic martinis for decades. The name alone conjures a sense of tradition: perfectly chilled glasses, just the right twist of lemon, and a service style that feels like a James Bond moment. The famous Duke’s Martini is a dry, ice-cold, almost undiluted version of the cocktail, made with gin or vodka pulled straight from the freezer and finished with only the lightest touch of vermouth. It is theatrical in its simplicity and has become something of a London ritual.
What makes Duke’s stand out isn’t just the martini itself, but how the space works around it. The bar may be intimate, but every inch has been planned to support flawless service. Bartenders need room to manoeuvre, glassware has to be perfectly arranged, and ice and spirits must be ready at a moment’s notice. Even the smallest lapse in preparation would be noticed immediately.
From a cost perspective, this is hospitality maths in action. A single classic martini might be simple in ingredients, but the infrastructure supporting it represents a considerable investment xxxxxxxx pics
THE CONNAUGHT
The Connaught Bar in Mayfair is synonymous with understated luxury. Under the guidance of Italian mixologist Agostino Perrone, every martini is delivered with quiet precision, supported by a layout that allows the team to work with absolute consistency.
Workflow, refrigeration, glass storage and lighting all contribute to the experience. It is a masterclass in how design, planning and operations combine to elevate a simple serve into something memorable, a lesson directly relevant to any major cultural venue rethinking its hospitality spaces. Their new book, The Connaught Bar: Recipes and Iconic Creations, is also well worth a look for anyone curious about the craft behind the cocktail xxxxxxx pics
THE LIBRARY AT THE HERO
A newer addition to London’s martini scene can be found upstairs at The Hero in Maida Vale, where a more intimate cocktail space known as The Library offers a refined contrast to the lively pub below. The venue is part of The Public House Group, a relatively new hospitality collective focused on pairing historic London pubs with contemporary design and dining concepts.
Their approach combines old and new, preserving the character of traditional buildings while introducing thoughtfully modern spaces. Their take on a Dirty Martini is particularly memorable, with a clear fondness for pickles and brine that gives the drink a distinctive edge (a detail that becomes apparent the moment you notice the walls in the bar downstairs).
Behind the bar at The Hero, rows of pickles and house brines speak to a more hands-on approach to the martini where flavour is built, not just poured.
Upstairs, The Library leans into a quieter, more atmospheric style of drinking. Small touches, like the vintage linen coasters, add to the charm, while the room itself has quickly become a sought-after spot, often fully booked for those in search of a more intimate martini moment.
Again, what appears effortless to the guest requires careful planning behind the scenes. Compact cocktail spaces demand clever layouts, efficient storage and service choreography that keeps drinks moving without disturbing the calm atmosphere. The result is a bar that feels timeless while still very much part of London’s evolving hospitality scene.
The Library upstairs at The Hero
From the Barbican’s Martini Bar to The Park, Duke’s, The Connaught and The Library at The Hero, the perfect martini is never just what’s in the glass. It’s the space, the service, and the planning behind it that make the experience feel effortless. At the Barbican, our work ensures that as this Brutalist landmark evolves, its hospitality spaces continue to delight guests before, during, and after performances. Because while cocktail trends come and go, a well-designed bar, a perfectly measured martini and a carefully considered plan never go out of style.