Ivy Lounge

The benefit of a sprawling complex like Ivy is the extensive choice of bars. When you feel like a quiet drink, bypass the hectic Ivy Bar and head up one level to the demure Lounge and Den areas. They share the level with the Teppanyaki restaurant and outdoor Terrace, and between the four spaces you can eat, drink and smoke a cigar without really having to go anywhere. When it comes to drinks, the menu will take some time to skim, with page after page of sakes, cigars, top-shelf spirits, wines and Mikey Enright cocktails (the beer list is relatively short – investigate Ivy's Royal George alehouse for brews). The cocktails are organised into four obscurely named sections: "Abandoned" signifies classic cocktails, but that's all we could ascertain. There are some imaginative ingredients like aloe vera foam and caramel jelly, but try the Winter Plum – a port and plum wine-based drink that tastes like hot mulled wine only lighter, chilled and served in a cocktail glass. The Lounge feels colonial and aristrocratic; black and white marble, leather and chesterfields abound. The one downside is that the lighting is so dim as to almost put you to sleep. By contrast, the Art Deco Den is a lively, visually refreshing turquoise. In both spaces the luxurious ambience is helped along by staff who are effusive, knowledgeable and attentive. They are also, like the rest of the Ivy troops, young and attractive.