Classy cocktails and a mighty burger were hallmarks of my al fresco dine at The Stafford London Hotel’s historic American Bar.
Before the Americana food craze of the past several years, coming by a decent burger wasn’t all that easy to do. But the American Bar at The Stafford London Hotel served a thick and juicy one and was my go-to for years. I was pleased to see (and more so to taste!) during recent visit the bar that the burgers are still among London’s best – and that the cocktails are really ace too.
A starter course of crab and chilli stuffed doughnuts with brown crab mayonnaise (£8) was extra tasty. And the 8oz beef burger with mature Cheddar, onion jam, and fries (£19) was a much of a treat as I’d remembered.
I had two cocktails while there, one with my meal and one for dessert. The Bonaparte (Remy Martin VSOP, Martini Riserva Rubino, Fernet Branca, crème de caco and cinnamon syrup, £19.50) paired well with the seafood starter and my burger. Three Dots and a Dash (Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask, Plantation Trinidad, and roasted coffee bean syrup, £20) provided a robustly bittersweet end.
Early this year, the bar saw a sprucing up. I suppose that was good thing. The bar is certainly just as comfortable but considerably less cluttered than I remember from years back but still retains an air of its historic past and plenty of the accouterments from its days as a hangout for American and Canadian officers during World War Two.
As lovely as the interiors were, I opted to sit outside in the hotel’s courtyard. It was a beautiful and lightly breezy evening when I paid my visit, ideal for al fresco dining. If it’s nice out when you go, I’d recommend doing the same. But don’t be surprised if you see a mouse scurrying along the edges of the courtyard in the historic and storied setting. I wasn’t bothered to see the little critter – life in this town, especially all my time spent of London Underground station platforms has inured me to such sights – but felt I should point out that I’d seen one as dusk settled.
Service was swift and exceptionally friendly. The Stafford London Hotel is located at16-18 St James’s Place, SW1A 1NJ. Find out more at thestaffordlondon.com.
