The Dorchester has unveiled a new cocktail destination, Vesper Bar, imagined by renowned designer Martin Brudnizki.

To coincide with the launch, the Dorchester has enlisted the expertise of Scott Gavin who joins as bar manager, having established an impressive career at Scarfes Bar, Tom Kerridge and Fitz Bar.

The name, Vesper Bar, honours the Dorchester’s many connections with James Bond throughout the years.

Bond author, Ian Fleming, who invented the Vesper Martini, stayed and dined at the Dorchester in the 1940s and throughout his life until he died in 1964 and when William Boyd continued the Bond series with the novel ‘Solo,’ Bond wakes up in a suite at the Dorchester on his birthday. 

During the 60s and 70s the production company for the James Bond films, EON, had an office at the hotel and throughout the decades the Dorchester has hosted many press junkets for the films and welcomed all six James Bonds, 14 Bond Girls, four ‘Ms’ and nine Bond villains as guests of the hotel.

Serving up an illustrious history, Vesper Bar will be the ultimate destination for cocktail sipping, deal making and legend creating.

Stepping into this atmospheric hideaway reveals the award-winning team of cocktail alchemists, ready to serve classic or experimental cocktails, concoctions from rare and forgotten recipes or just a glass of the ‘usual’.

Every drink is poured into beautifully unique glassware, ready to be savoured alongside a cool soundtrack and globally-inspired bites from the eclectic bar menu.

At Vesper Bar, guests will encounter a bar with movie star looks and a supporting cast of talented bartenders, with the cocktail menu showcasing both timeless and signature cocktails inspired by the Dorchester, curated by award-winning drinks connoisseur and head bartender Lucia Montanelli.

Signature cocktails are inspired by moments of the Dorchester from the Gilded Three motivated by the new artwork by Sophie Coryndon hanging within the lobby, to the Busterkeys cocktail named after Liberace’s first show name, whose piano now proudly sits within the Dorchester’s Artists’ Bar.

To honour one of the hotel’s most loved guests, Elizabeth Taylor - who stayed at the hotel 37 times throughout her life and signed her contract for ‘Cleopatra’ in the bath within the Harlequin Suite - the Bessie Mae cocktail affectionately recalls Taylor’s nickname and comes complete with ‘bath bubbles’ floating on top.

The bar’s new interior is inspired by the spirit and elegance of the 30s, a time when manners were still important and yet mayhem was celebrated.

The new layout allows for a dedicated Park Lane entrance and an outside terrace with views towards Hyde Park. Ornate design runs throughout the bar, including a 1930s Palladium leaf ceiling creating a warm effect as Martini hour transitions into the evening. An upper area of the bar and cosy ‘snug’ provide more privacy without compromising on the atmosphere.

More Information

The Dorchester reveals its new interiors on the ground floor - including the Promenade and Artists’ Bar - as of today, with rooms and suites to follow from March.