Hotel Bar Autumn
Claridge’s, DUKES and Bemelmans, from September.
Hotel Bar Autumn gathers the rooms that hold the season after dark: Claridge’s and DUKES in London, and Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle in New York.
Hotel Bar Autumn, in full.
Autumn, indoors
Hotel Bar Autumn begins when the terraces close. Three rooms carry it: Claridge’s in Mayfair, DUKES Bar in St James’s and Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Claridge’s gives Mayfair, Art Deco detail and The Fumoir. DUKES gives the martini made at the table, and its Ian Fleming connection. Bemelmans gives Ludwig Bemelmans’ murals and a piano most nights.
This is the season of lower voices: the coat checked, the corner table, the second drink.
When to go
September to November. Go early in the evening and dress for the room: all three keep a smart standard.
On the wall
The house carries the autumn home in its café society photographs: the lit window, the wet pavement and the table by the door.
Claridge’s, DUKES and Bemelmans, from September.
Where this season is spent.
Practical, briefly.
Which bars make Hotel Bar Autumn?
Claridge’s in Mayfair and DUKES Bar in St James’s, London, and Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle in New York.
Why is DUKES Bar associated with martinis?
DUKES Bar is known for its tableside martini service and is widely associated with Ian Fleming and James Bond martini lore.
When is Hotel Bar Autumn?
September to November, from the first cold evening. Check each bar’s hours and dress code before you go.
Where should I start?
Claridge’s for the room, DUKES for the martini, Bemelmans for the murals and the piano. Each has its own guide in the Season.
Three doors from here.
A place, a fixture, a story: three ways out of this season, picked from the field guide.
