The Berkeley Bar & Terrace: The Berkeley, London

Words: Jenna Campbell

Photography: © Jamie McGregor Smith

The Berkeley in Knightsbridge, lauded for its legendary drinking den Blue Bar which opened in 2000, has launched a second offering, The Berkeley Bar & Terrace. Channelling old-world glamour, the intimate and refined aesthetic has been conceived by Irish interior designer Bryan O’Sullivan, who has incorporated a variety of thoughtful artisanal touches to bring the hotel’s storied history to life.

Repeat Brutalist-inspired arch forms run throughout, referencing the former home of the Grenadiers, an infantry regiment of the British Army whose stables were originally located in the hotel’s grounds. Paying homage to the more recent past, O’Sullivan has used a rich and warm walnut wood – hewn from a single 300-yearold tree felled from the Fullbeck Estate in Lincolnshire – to outfit the walls, cocooning the space and offsetting the intricate plasterwork and soft colour narrative of pinks, creams and corals. Set away from the main bar, The Snug provides greater privacy and features a bespoke mural painted by New York artist TM Davy.

Taking its cue from the snug spaces found in public houses, which were commonly reserved for women to conduct their secret discussions, the artwork depicts gazing female faces sharing a knowing expression, connected by delicate lines that portray friendship and connection.

The half-moon marble bar, the centrepiece of the space, showcases an impressive wine list complemented by a carefully curated selection of spirits from under-the-radar producers, including Japanese whisky creator Ichiro and rum maker Trois Rivières, served in beautifully crafted glassware from the likes of Nude and John Jenkins. Building upon the historical references skilfully dotted throughout, there is also a rare whisky from the year the hotel relocated to its current home in 1972 – created in collaboration with Scottish producers Gordon & MacPhail. Rounding off the bar menu, customers can choose from an ensemble of small plates including Cornish crab and lobster beignets, and Ibérico ham toast with manchego, apricot and salsa verde, which sit alongside a plethora of classic caviar and oyster dishes.