The Mirror Bar

i look very young and am used to being carded pretty much every time i order a drink, but the waitress here was all me the minute i walked in with: «i’m sorry we don’t allow children here.» as a guest of the hotel, i was a little offended. a child is usually 12 or under and while i’m happy i look youthful, i don’t want to look THAT youthful. maybe next time try saying «could i see your id» or «the bar is 18 and over.»
anyways after the trauma of her rudeness had passed, i had an espresso martini which was £16 and very good. the bar is a bit small but very luxe and they were very attentive about refilling our free bowl of nuts.

Matt B. and I decided to stop and get a drink at this hotel bar, thinking, «How bad could it be?» The answer, of course, was £15 per cocktail.
To be fair, the Mirror Bar is a swanky place. It’s small and cozy with cool décor and great ambiance. Our server was in a full-​blown tuxedo. We sat in lounge chairs by a nifty little side table, where we became acquainted with the menu.
We almost left when we got a load of the prices, but the tuxedo man roped us in by bringing over little bowls of potato chips and Japanese crackers with wasabi peas. A neat little trick, that.
Admittedly, the drinks were great. I had the Landmark Bloody Mary, and it was made with a house spice mix that had a fierce kick. Muddled cherry tomatoes, fresh tomato juice, and fresh basil leaves gave it pure flavor, and Absolut Pepper added even more bite. Matt had the Hendrick’s Collins, made with Hendrick’s gin, cucumber, lemon, sugar, and soda water. It was refreshing and really tasty. The cocktails were also pretty tall.
Even so, the prices were shocking. I guess not all hotel guests feel that way, though. As we sipped our drinks, we noticed a man walk in with a button-​down shirt opened to his navel. He was around thirty and almost but not quite good-​looking enough to pull off such a thing. He was, however, a total baller — two minutes later, he walked out with a packet of cigarettes. This man used the Mirror Bar as his corner store.
In any case, we cannot all be millionaires with waxed chests. Ridiculous prices are occasionally appropriate, but the Mirror Bar is not so spectacular as to warrant a pilgrimage or the price of a dinner in a single glass. I liked my drink, but I don’t see how I’d ever go back.