VIBE

Dark, plush, and sexy décor (think leather seating, dark wood paneling, vintage photos) is complemented by original Lalique panels with beautiful etchings. Drinks are likewise served in Lalique glassware, the perfect accompaniment to most any cocktail you may desire.

WHAT WE WOULD WEAR

A dark, sultry outfit.

GO HERE WITH

A sexy date.

CROWD

It is a hotel bar, so the occasional seemingly out-of-place tourist can wander in. But by and large you'll share company with in-the-know power players or young, hot, but classy scenesters.

WHY WE LIKE IT

An intimate and more interesting alternative to the hotel’s other bars (including the famed Claridge’s Bar).

WHAT WE WOULD CHANGE

The small, shoebox-sized space means that seats are not always available, but then the intimacy accounts for most of its charm.

GOOD TO KNOW

The room fits only 12, so this is not a place to go with a large crowd. The venue opened in 2001 as a cigar bar called Claridge's Macanudo Fumoir. After antismoking legislation was enacted, it became simply The Fumoir. It is tucked away behind a secret door adorned with an original 1930s Lalique panel. Ask the helpful hotel staff if you cannot locate it.

CLOSEST COMPS

Bar du Plaza Athenee (Paris); Glen (Beijing)

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