Velvet By Salvatore Calabrese

A trip to Velvet By Salvatore Calabrese is like having your first martini after years of only knowing the sugar-spiked perils of Wetherspoons’ woo woos. This dimly lit, glamorous bar is hidden down a hallway in the Strand’s Corinthia hotel and looks like it’s from a fictitious era called The Golden Age Of Red Draping. The inventive, grown-up cocktails will make you stop after your first sip and look around to the other well-dressed, loved-up drinkers to see if they too are questioning how they got this far in life without trying a pairing of Laurent-Perrier with passion fruit ‘caviar’.

The must-order cocktail is the absurdly smart Negroni svegliato that’s served from an ice-cold cafetière and marries the two beacons of adult survival—Campari and coffee—in a way that will haunt your cocktail cravings for the foreseeable future. Yes, they do refer to the menu as ‘The Quote Book’ and there’s a £350 Sidecar available, but the service is undeniably friendly and it maintains a sense of humour. Also, it’s open until 1am and there’s live jazz that’s perfect for date nights with someone you full-throttle fancy.