Hotel bars are an interesting species in the cocktail world. Some, for what they lack in personality, make up for in proximity to bed, if you’re fortunate enough to be staying the night. Others pose as gorgeous date spots, particularly those scattered around Central London, and The Coral Room and The Bloomsbury Club Bar, both of which can be located at the four-star The Bloomsbury hotel, are among them.
Expect striking interiors at this luxury saloon bar in the heart of Bloomsbury.
DesignMyNight Reviews The Coral Room And The Bloomsbury Club Bar
It’s a brave choice to paint your entire bar a captivating shade of pink, orange and red that is often associated with rocky reefs and blushing cheeks, but one that’s pulled off incredibly well. As soon as my date and I walked into the Grade II-listed building on Great Russell Street, it was clear to us that Martin Brudnizki Design Studio’s intent to bring a ‘country meets city’ space to life had been realised imacutately. Towering walls were covered in an accumulation of 36 bespoke pieces of art, while chandeliers that resembled ribbons of pearls cascaded from the ceiling.
We were here to try the new cocktail menu, inspired by the 18th-century Irish aeronaut Richard Crosbie and his dream of travelling the globe in a hot air balloon (unfortunately, he was unable to go further than a fishing village in Dublin). However, the bar team here have echoed his vision and created 16 different drinks that nod to the cultures and stories of the places he dreamed of travelling.
The menu fanned open and featured some gorgeous illustrations to accompany each drink.
I began by taking a trip to Spain (figuratively), with the Quixote (£17). A much fruitier cocktail than I’d typically go for, it included gin, melon cordial, orange fino sherry, padron peppers (these were charred and grated in, according to our server), and grapefruit soda. Delightfully, it had chunks of watermelon in it that changed the flavour profile of the drink over the course of its duration to more subtle citrusy notes.
It was very refreshing, not noticeably pronounced like my second drink, the much shorter Red Albion (£17). This took inspiration from London, existing ‘as pink as its red-tiled roofs and sweet and sour as its inhabitants’ - a description that felt quite apt, though nostalgic (I guess high rises don’t have red roofs). The rose shrub, Campari, raspberry, lemon and coconut all came together to create a very rich, berry-flavoured drink that I could’ve guzzled.
My date, on the other hand, began a lot bolder with the Aftenkaffe (£17) from the Netherlands, made with Stauning rye whisky and coffee (because the Danish drink the most of it, according to our server). This was similar to a negroni in body and had a lingering smokiness to it, which was enjoyable. His Mexican Piñata (£17) was a lot more fun by design and came in a blue dragon holder with little bowls of tortilla crisps. Sticking with the smoky theme, it also had notes of toasted corn and a sweet, caramel aftertaste.
Some drinks were more theatrical than others, like the Piñata (pictured on the left).
To accompany our drinks, we nibbled on olives (£6), alongside crispy fried chicken (£12) that we slathered in garlic aioli. I really enjoyed the mini Bloomsbury burger sliders (£16 for three), which we divided between the two of us, although I felt they could’ve had a dash more relish to zing them up a little more. Still, my partner seemed very satisfied and went on to order another three later in the evening when we went downstairs to The Bloomsbury Club Bar.
If I had been thinking upstairs was date-worthy, this low-lit den was about to knock it out of the park. We were led to a plush velvet sofa in the corner of the room, peppered with couples, and two performers who treated us to stripped-back acoustic versions of songs like Outkast’s ‘He Ya’ and Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Dreams’.
I requested Steely Dan, which was met with raised eyebrows, so I quickly changed my mind to Nora Jones’s ‘Don’t Know Why’, a classic when it comes to romanticising an evening.
Downstairs, The Bloomsbury Club Bar's interiors were a lot more subtle and earthy.
The drinks menu at The Bloomsbury Bar Club was entirely different too, this time looking to Egypt and hieroglyphics to create interesting concoctions that each had a bit of text underneath them in a booklet, telling you what your choice said about you. Considering my boyfriend asked me what star sign I was on our first date, I thought he’d love this. He sipped on the KA (£17), designed to question your relationship with gluttony, and featuring mezcal, green coffee beans and rosemary agave, which was warm with a fruity touch, thanks to the addition of pineapple and lime.
My Sa Shen (£17), which was picked for me after I swirled a pendant over a board to see which one it landed on, was the total opposite, and indicative of rejuvenation (and an aphrodisiac, which didn’t hurt). This was fruity, light, and very floral as it was topped off with rose soda.
I had a go at leaving my cocktail down to fate (pictured), a fun addition to the Egyptian-themed menu.
Our final drink was the complete opposite again, and more of a martini in style, with gin, chamomile and limoncello. HU (£17) was supposed to symbolise the power of breath, and invite you to pause and reconnect with those around you. As we did just that, we realised how late it was and that we should probably leave the warm and comforting world of The Bloomsbury Bar Club and The Coral Room behind. Naturally, after getting a few interior pictures for my Instagram on the way out, of course.
Overall: The Coral Room And The Bloomsbury Bar Club
My time at The Coral Room and The Bloomsbury Bar Club was a lovely one, with very attentive service and some wonderful, inventive drinks. The price point of those reflected the location as well as the artistry behind their curation, so if I were to return, it would be reserved for a special occasion. However, I would be tempted to recommend the basement bar to friends looking for a date spot, especially on a Thursday night (when we visited), as I found the live music great and non-imposing. There was a certain charm to it that can often be lost in such luxury venues.
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💰 Price: £180 for two, excluding service charge. 📍 Address: 16-22, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3NN. 👌 Perfect for: A date. ⭐ Need to know: The bar snacks menu is the same for both The Coral Room and The Bloomsbury Club Bar. |
Thirsty? Check out our guide to the best bars in Central London.
