Review: American Bar at The Savoy

Built in 1889, The Savoy was London's first luxury hotel; its iconic frontage is still synonymous with elegance and refinement. The American Bar is the oldest cocktail bar in London and regularly features in top industry awards, including winning The World's Best Bar in 2017.

The American Bar's most famous invention is probably the Hanky Panky cocktail, a Negroni-adjacent mix of gin, sweet vermouth and Fernet-Branca, garnished with an orange twist. It was invented in the 1920s for comedian and actor Charles Hawtrey by Ada Coleman, the first female head bartender at The Savoy.

Along with Cygnet 22 Welsh dry gin and Fernet‑Branca, the modern Savoy version of the Hanky Panky uses a blend of vermouths created in collaboration with Cocchi: Cocchi Vermouth di Torino with its spicy orange notes, Cocchi Dopo Teatro which has hints of dark chocolate and black cherries, and Cocchi Barolo Chinato for depth and a gentle smoky base. The cocktail is pre-batched, chilled to the perfect temperature and served from a custom-engraved bottle created by Cocchi, inspired by the American Bar’s distinctive Art Deco design.

The same attention to detail is carried through into the beautiful bespoke John Jenkins glassware, elegantly proportioned and decorated with similar motifs. Togther with the white-jacketed bartenders, live piano music and stylish surroundings, stepping into the American Bar feels like stepping back in time to a more civilised era.

Having tried their iconic Hanky Panky cocktail, our bartender recommended an underrated classic from bartending bible The Savoy Cocktail Book, which was written in 1930 by another of the Savoy's head bartenders, Harry Craddock. A Corpse Reviver mixes dry gin, Cocchi Americano, Cointreau and lemon juice with a final dash of absinthe for a drink to raise the dead (or at least the very hungover). Delicious, but definitely one for leisurely sipping.

Harry Craddock's classic invention the White Lady features dry gin, Cointreau, lemon and egg white. From the same cocktail family, A Touch of Pink is light, fragrant and deceptively easy drinking. Citadelle Jardin d'Été gin is shaken with Muyu Jasmine Verte, lemon, rose and egg white, and garnished with a single rose petal. Ice for all the cocktails is hewn from a large block of the most perfectly clear ice, the size and shape matched to the glassware and cocktail.

There is something deeply reassuring about the timeless quality of The Savoy and the American Bar. The staff are clearly knowledgeable about the history of the hotel and bar as well as the cocktails, and are engaging, professional and highly skilled. The interior is old-money luxurious, the cocktails elegant and expertly made, the whole ambiance one of well-earned relaxation and indulgence. When life makes you want to hit the pause button, this is the perfect place.

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Deputy Editor, Chatting Food London: Amanda David

Amanda David is a freelance food and drinks writer specialising in London and Thanet’s restaurants, bars and events, and food-focused travel. She is the author of EAT THIS NOW! on Substack, the Events Editor and a contributing writer for London Cheapo, a regular contributor to Palate and Guts Magazine and a Member of the Guild of Food Writers.