VIBE

Well-heeled hotel bar (and daytime lounge) with a jazz pianist during the afternoon/evening hours and a jazz duo nightly beginning at 7:30pm. Cozy seating arrangements span the length of the room, culminating in a bar area with the piano next to it. The merry atmosphere has people getting up to dance when fun tunes come on; bottles of champagne are not uncommon, either, which adds up to quite a cheery ambiance.

WHAT WE WOULD WEAR

Smart and elegant (no ripped jeans) – a flirty dress, high heels, and cool jewelry. This is a place where you want to look sophisticated and trendy but not flashy.

GO HERE WITH

A group of friends, or your parents, aunts/uncles, and even grandparents looking for fun in a classy location.

CROWD

Spirited 30-60-somethings; out-of-town visitors

WHY WE LIKE IT

The bar’s festive mood is infectious; you can’t help but find yourself getting caught up in the revelry and enjoying the music.

WHAT WE WOULD CHANGE

Hard to say…we love it just as it is.

GOOD TO KNOW

During the daytime, meals and afternoon tea are served here in a bright, cheery, typically less inebriated (but this is London after all) space. Fun bit of trivia: The Promenade is over 150 ft (~50 m) long, which is the same length as Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square.

CLOSEST COMPS

Claridge’s Bar (London)

Read more about The Promenade at the Dorchester in The Diary

Click here for our full-form mobile travel guide, The Purple Passport to London