Bar near Locanda Locatelli sought

[Suzi Edwards]

hey, any ideas of nice bars near to locanda locatelli where a lovely girl (me) could wait for someone for a while without being hit on? our table's booked for 7:15 and i'm at a loose end for an hour or so beforehand. don't really want to roam the streets and i don't really know that part of town.

[Gareth]

Whilst not exactly next door, the cocktail bar at Claridges is:

a) in the neighbourhood

b) a gorgeous bar (comfortable and classy with good cocktails);

c) not renowned as a pick-up joint

What's more two or three cocktails will barely cost you more than dinner at Locatelli ! (c.£10 a pop). But since you're spoiling yourselves that evening anyway, why not pay it a visit....?

[Andy Lynes]

Its a bit of a desert in the immeadiate area. There's the Cumberland Hotel on Oxfrod Street right by Marble Arch tube, but its undergoing a re-furb, so is a bit of a building site I understand. Locatelli is part of the Intercontinental Hotel which of course has a bar. The Tapa room in Marlybone High Street is about a 10 minute walk from Locatelli and is a nice place for a drink, as long as its not too busy.

[Suzi Edwards]

fantastic idea gareth, but you and i have very different ideas about what's close :-) i think this is because you're not wearing 4 inch heels.

any other ideas?

Edited September 19, 2003 by tarka (log)

[Tonyfinch]

Well there's a bar in the hotel where LL is situated. Couldn't get closer.

[Suzi Edwards]

tony and andy know about the rigours of heels...the hotel bar is a great idea, thank you.

i had kind of missed that the resturant was a hotel resturant. boo to me.

[Andy Lynes]

i think this is because you're not wearing 4 inch heels.

Now you don't know that for certain do you?

You are really stuck for bars within 4 inch heel tottering distance I'm afraid, apart from those mentioned above, I can't think of one.

[Charlene Leonard]

tony and andy know about the rigours of heels...

now that's a mental image I don't want to dwell on.

[Spam]

Well there's a bar in the hotel where LL is situated. Couldn't get closer.

It really is not very pleasant though, if it is the cigar divan that you are thinking of ... I would have said that it was a prime pick up joint too.

What about Match on Margaret Street?

[Charlene Leonard]

Suze's on North Audley St is a NZ restaurant with a bar and a great selection of NZ wines.

[Jon Tseng]

Why not just wander around selfridges for an hour or so? Excellent cookshop, good foodhall (don't spoil ur appetite!) and then all the other depts which I never normally bother with...

Opens til 8 in the wk

J

[Matthew Grant]

Well there's a bar in the hotel where LL is situated. Couldn't get closer.

It really is not very pleasant though, if it is the cigar divan that you are thinking of ... I would have said that it was a prime pick up joint too.

It is fantastic in an "Old British Hotel Cigar/Bar" sort of way . Good Cocktails when I was there. It does seem to lack a little atmosphere though.

I can only echo what everyone else has said though, there is nowhere to drink in that area - maybe there is some sort of business opportunity there

[Gareth]

fantastic idea gareth, but you and i have very different ideas about what's close :-) i think this is because you're not wearing 4 inch heels.

any other ideas?

Yes. Wear sensible shoes and carry your Manolos with you in their original bag (which says MANOLO BLAHNIK on it in big black letters). Walk to the restaurant and then swap shoes outside. Once inside hand the bag now containing your sensible shoes to the concierge/maitreD/flunky and ask them to put it in the cloakroom. This has two advantages:

a) you get a comfortable walk to the restaurant

b) you get the warm thrill of being able to announce "I've got a pair of Manolo Blahniks !!!" to your date, the staff and anyone else watching, without in any way appearing vulgar.

Hope this helps !

[Suzi Edwards]

Yes. Wear sensible shoes and carry your Manolos with you in their original bag (which says MANOLO BLAHNIK on it in big black letters).

i'm not sure this will have quite the same effect with a "jones the bootmaker" bag. :-)

went to the cigar divan in the end. very gentleman's club feel to it. cocktails were ok and the olives horrible.

[Andy Lynes]

Ok, enough of the shoes already, what about the food? I hope you'll post your impressions over at the other current Locatelli thread.

[Suzi Edwards]

i did....

see, i'm a good girl, i am :-)

[Andy Lynes]

So you did, and I had already read it! I think I must be suffering from short term memory loss, the stress must be getting to me.