Hotel bars in London are usually a safe bet when it comes to finding a decent place to get a drink. However, some hotel bars stand head and shoulders above the rest of the pack, and Artesian is just such a place.

The bar is located in the Langham Hotel (pictured) and got its name from an artesian well that lies 360 feet below the structure.

It is arguably the most beautiful of the London style bars. Panelled walls and a carved pagoda wall unit behind the bar combine with a marble bar and purple leather couches to give an exotic Victorian Orientalist feeling to the room. High ceilings and inset mirrors reflect the beauty of the design, and every detail is impeccable, right down to the embroidered butterflies on the napkins.

The Artesian looks like the kind of place fit for a king or queen which is just how you can expect to be treated here. Staff are friendly without being overly familiar, and their ability to anticipate your needs borders on the uncanny.

Rum is the specialty of the house at the Artesian Bar and they have over 60 varieties of it to enjoy, ranging from the moderate Havana Club 3 for £9.00 to the out of this world Havana Club Máximo Extra Añejo for £300.00, and yes, that is indeed the price per glass.

The Artesian Bar also claims that even their ice is special, being made in a space age process that yield a denser, colder, and somehow purer coolant for your cocktail. We shall permit them these flights of fancy because everything is just so good. Even the lowly bar snack becomes something fabulous here; the crisps and other nibbles easily stand on their own merit.

The Cocktail Grazing Menu allows patrons to order testers of four different cocktail drinks, which is great fun for the adventurous.

Hotel bars in London like Artesian are sure to delight even the most discriminating palate.

Visiting Artesian

Address: Langham Hotel, 1C Portland Place, Marylebone, W1B 1JA

Telephone: 020 7636 1000

Opening Times

Monday to Saturday 10:30 - 2:00, Sunday 10:30 - 00:00 (Children welcome until 18:00 weekdays, 20:00 on weekends)

Pricing

Cocktails £11 - £14.50

Photo courtesy: khawkins33

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