Dukes London

Hotel

A must-go place for the worlds best martinis.

Great place with good drinks.

Great experience! Great cocktails!

Staff brilliant, it was like stepping back in time.
very relaxing atmosphere.

Beautiful hotel in the centre of London and still so very quiet.

Best Dry Martinis in London.

The best Martinis in town!

Loved staying here one weekend 7 years ago with my lovely man Eamonn who sadly died 5 years ago.
Everything about the hotel oozed a sense of unique, elegance and a quiet confidence in its own supremely accomplished service to all guests. The breakfasts were superb; fresh orange juice that was surely produced in heaven and staff that knew a natural courtesy…
We had such a lovely time.
An exquisite memory for me Thankyou Mary Kinneavy 🌼

Amazing martinis, great environment.

Would absolutely recommend. Great service and cocktails! What more could you ask for?!

Very cosy, old school but cool! Best gin martini and negroni I have had so far. Lovely friendly staff!

The Cocktails are the best I have ever had! You will not want any other martini ever. The Vesper and Hotel Room 36 are cocktails I dream of. Do not miss this London gem.

I keep returning back to this amazing gem of a bar! Great service and Alessandro always has a lovely smile and a friendly welcome. They have a lot of bubbles and wine on the menu. But one does go there for the Martini’s! Delicious, perfect and inventive at the same time!

Amazing martinis and very knowledgeable.

Fantastic no stir no shake Martini. And vesper, magic Italian!

Great place, it was amazing! Loved it!

Excellent service and outstanding martinis.

Wonderful ambiance and attention to detail. The drinks were wonderful and were served with a real sense of theatre by a waiter who knew exactly what he was doing.

I’ve been lucky enough to drink at some of the best bars in the world. This place is beyond recommendation from the likes of me and is up there with the very best. Alessandro Palazzi earns his reputation as one of the world’s best bartenders every single night (even when not on duty! ). Entering into Duke’s and taking a seat in that bar is like being welcomed into Alessandro’s home. Established through the dedication and commitment to excellence of a single man. Alessandro instills that perfection into his deeply committed team.

Friendly, attentive service with great drinks and very good food. Beautiful room too.

Still probably my most favorite bar in the world. These guys are true geniuses when it comes to cocktails and have mastered the martini (no one else has come close) they have created their own vermouth/ or type of vermouth which is amazing and you can smell the Amalfi lemons from metres away. Amazing service, friendly staff. Small cosey venue but the experience is nonetheless impressive.

I consider myself a pretty good martini maker, and I'm a James Bond fan, so when the concierge at the St. James Hotel recommended the bar, and told me it was a hangout for Ian Fleming, I made a beeline there. I loved the bar instantly. It's an understated affair; no gaudy signs or advertising. The bar is small-ish, dimly lit, with small tables arranged just far enough apart to maintain a discreet conversation, close enough to maintain a convivial atmosphere, and yet retains a secretive ambience that's unique in my experience. But you don't come to a bar like this only to look about; you come here for the martinis. And they did not disappoint. Shortly after being seated, an adroit barman pushing a cart with his supplies visited the table, took our orders, and proceeded to blend a very tasty drink indeed. While he was mixing, I was asking questions, and learned that their Vesper martinis at Duke's are blended not with Lillet, but with an amber vermouth made exclusively for Duke's. I think 007 would approve… and of course being on a government expense account, the prices wouldn't bother him at all :)

Cozy bar, very classy atmosphere. Ordered the vodka martini and quartermaster (gin, vermouth, orange bitters, cherry). Excellent drink quality and service.

We visited Dukes on our trip to London last Christmas. As Martini lovers we knew we had to have one of Alessandro's world-famous Martinis. We certainly were not disappointed and it's an experience we keep recalling even months later. The drinks are divine (the Amalfi lemons are gorgeous) and the ambiance is intimate and sophisticated, but not stuffy. We felt right at home and can't wait return, hopefully MUCH sooner than later.

Best martini I’ve ever had, period. Love this place. Very expensive but you get what you pay for. An absolute must-stop for martini lovers and love the service you get from the brisk maitre’d, something very British about it (even though he’s not), 6 stars.

We called ahead to see if we might reserve a table as this establishment was highly recommended by a friend who used to work here, told no reservations in the bar which was unfortunate so we decided to come anyway as we had dinner reservation in the area. Warmly greeted by a lovely man at the door who showed us to the bar but this is where the 5* hospitality stopped. Almost every table was reserved, funny for a bar that doesn't take bookings but we managed to get a table before the crowds came in. We were practically ignored as someone came in behind us that was obviously known to the staff. The martini was nice, but for the $$ it would want to be, however we felt very unwanted and left shortly afterwards. You mix drinks for a living, get over yourselves!

This is he only place to have a Martini in London. It is elegant and if Fleming thought it fit for a boozer then so should we. It is, of course, the inspiration for the Bond Martini. Well worth a look in!

The antithesis of good service From the website: “Drinks at DUKES Bar is something of an occasion…. So whether you’re relaxing after a meeting or getting together with friends for special drinks, the intimate and timeless surroundings, coupled with the bartender’s knowledge, make it an unforgettable experience”. A tremendously horrific experience which I certainly will not forget in a hurry. I visited early Friday evening with three girlfriends for some special drinks. On arrival at 5.30pm, we found that nearly every table was reserved, although it states on the website that “we regret that we are unable to reserve tables”. The waitress took us to a table but did not offer to take our coats. Our first experience of Alessandro was him rudely asking one of us to move our chair so we could make way for a large group of businessmen, which we did without hesitation. When we asked what we should do with our coats and belongings he was incredibly dismissive and suggested we places them behind us or on the floor surrounding our table. Not what you expect from a supposed 5* establishment. But we overlooked this as after a long week in highly stressful jobs, we just wanted to relax and enjoy ourselves. We had some very delicious martinis (the only decent thing about Dukes) whilst catching up. Next to us was an incredibly loud group of businessmen (but it is a BAR so understandable they are talking! ), so naturally we had to speak a little louder than a whisper to hear each other.

My three girlfriends and I went to Dukes Bar on Friday 6th April (2018). I'd been a couple of years before and had a great experience so wanted to show them what the fuss was about. I am rather embarrassed to say that it ended up being a bit of a disappointing experience all round. The website says you can’t reserve a table in the bar area (even though about 70% of the tables had ‘reserved’ written on them when we got there). One of the waiters asked the Manager, Alessandro, if we could be seated somewhere and I must say that he didn’t seem to be in a particularly good mood! But we were seated and waited for our other two friends. When our third friend arrived, Alessandro (with some hostility) told her to move her chair to make way for the large group of businessmen who were going to sit next to us and started shuffling her over. He then told us to put our bags away behind us or next to our chairs! We asked about putting our coats in a cloakroom but he rather dismissively said “whatever makes you feel more comfortable” without actually doing anything about it and walked away! We just found him to be rude from the outset and somewhat annoyed that we were even there. The businessmen next to us were chatting and catching up with somewhat raised voices (which is normal for a bar area! ), however, as the evening progressed Alessandro walked passed us to attend to someone else and made a gesture with his hands to shut up one of our friends! We couldn’t quite believe it.

A misogynistic and sexist establishment that I will never step foot in or recommend again. If you are without a man, go elsewhere. We had a lovely time in Duke’s Bar on Friday night, and really enjoyed our martini’s until the bar manager Alessandro, proceeded to gesture us to ‘shut up’ with his hand by miming the closing of the mouth. We had a group of seven men sitting next to us which as you can imagine caused quite a noise and as a result we were not whispering in order to hear each other in competition with the other group. The group of men were not gestured to ‘shut up’ as we were. If he had politely approached us and explained the situation we would have been much more receptive. Looking back, I now realise that Alessandro had an issue with a group of four young women being in his bar from the moment we arrived, asking us to shove our coats into the nooks and crammies on the floor behind the chairs and behind the sofa. I thought at the time it was a little odd that an establishment charging £20 for a martini was asking us to do this, but we carried on without complaint. We went to the bar in the St James’ Hotel afterwards which had infinitely better service and a lovely bar manager, and I highly recommend over Duke’s Bar any day. The experience only became worse when the friend who was shushed approached Alessandro to express that she did not appreciate the incredibly rude hand gesture. Further astonishment came when she discovered he was the manager.

They say that this bar has the best martinis in London, and they are not lying! Just be aware, no reservations are accepted unless you are a hotel guest, so the wait to get in is routinely 30 min or so.

Dukes is truly an amazing experience. This place oozes with old glamour. It is absolutely worth a visit if you are in Mayfair. You feel fabulous the moment you walk through the doors and even more glam when you leave. They will not let you, but whatever you do, do not even try to have more than 2 of these heavenly martinis. It is liquid from the gods but meant to be consumed slowly and appreciated.

An institution and the location and drink that inspired Ian Fleming's famous creations signature cocktail … making James Bond and the Martini synonymous.

Always superb. Flawless service. Very relaxed despite the 5* pedigree. Not cheap but worth every penny for quality. Best bar nibbles around.

Amazing London venue. Especially the downstairs bar.

A London tradition. A must if you enjoy a proper martini served in the most British way.

Very old fashion bar, I went there because it is been told to me that is the temple of martini, and actually it is. They make martini on the trolley in front of you, very nice, but honestly I was expecting something more. The drinks are expensive (20 pound), and the martini is not even stirred, just poured in a chilled glass in front of you, and add some bitters, that's it, not the best for me.

Just the greatest martini on the planet. Nothing less nothing more.

Before considering going here, just know it is expensive. Dukes is a must visit bar simply for the experience, especially for any Ian Fleming fans. If you want to feel as though you're immersed in the next Bond saga while sipping exquisitely crafted martinis with service that will make you feel like a foreign dignitary then Dukes is the place for you. I've lived in London for 3+ years and this was one of the top places on my bucket list. It didn't disappoint.

Awesome Martini made by Alessandro Palazz, no doubt it’s the No. 1 in the world.

Don't miss the chance for a memorable martini here. Nothing else like it.

Wonderful, small spot for the best martinis you'll ever drink. Way more low key and understated than you might expect — this is the antithesis of Vegas. The staff are delightful, the drink ingredients are top notch and they make martinis at your table, explaining why this particular vodka or how come that certain bitter. Nothing better than having bottles of the finest spirits brought to you straight from the freezer and watching a martini come together with care, knowledge and friendliness. Alessandro is the maestro. Ask to say hello if he's there.

Wonderful intimate bar. Not a huge gin drinker, but enjoyed the dry gin martini prepared in the classic style. The gin cart where the prepare your martini table side is a treat. Highly recommend.

Top service in food ambiance. Best Martini anywhere.

A little bit on a pricy side but the cocktails are first class, by far the best vespa martini in London.

Afternoon tea was fantastic. Service great. Bar is small refined and classy, cocktails are potent and expensive.

This place is similar to a cemetery. It smells of dust and old people and urgently needs a refresh. The bar manager enjoys making you wait in the hotel lobby for an unspecified duration whilst he mingles. Eager fools wait in anticipation in the dry hotel lobby whilst dirty tables are left unattended. Avoid if you enjoy a good service, decent cocktails and friendly staff.

I stayed here in Autumn 2012 and booked it as a secret hotel on lastminute — the staff overall were friendly and attentive but due to the location the price I payed for the room was higher than average.

The very smart cocktail bar at Duke's Hotel in St. James's attracts very smart clientèle, even more so than Claridge's bar, for example. Probably also a slightly older patronage, and it has more of a sort of gentleman's club feel to it. It seems you can't actually really sit or stand at the bar itself, which is very short, and customers are all seated at tables. It's possible — and probably on some evenings necessary — to reserve these tables. The bar is particularly famous for its martinis, and they have a fair selection to choose from on their cocktail menu. Definitely at the high end of the market, most martinis on the menu are priced at £15 or more. It would be easy for a bar like Dukes to rest on its laurels, but actually they seem to be quite influential on London's cocktail scene — particularly amongst the hotel cocktail bars — and were one of the very first places to start using the excellent Sacred Gin — which despite the huge number of new gins which have sprang up in recent year remains my favourite for martinis. A word of warning — their drinks are very strong. They chill the gin rather than shaking or stirring with ice so there's no dilution, and the measures are really quite large. They have an unwritten rule here about only ordering two martinis — if you try to order a third they'll advise against it. I once protested and assured them I would be fine. I rather wish I had heeded their advice.

Very nice. Martinis are quite good. I just felt like I had to be very quiet the whole time.

Fantastic service, great breakfast. Represents good value for money. Will stay again and would recomend to friends. I look forward to staying again.

This is a great hotel located in a central area in London. Only blocks away from Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace, Regent Street, Oxford Circus, Mayfair Area etc. 2 minute walk to the Green Street station. It was incredibly convenient and at the same time quiet and private since it's tucked away in a little side street off St. James Street. The hotel is nothing exorbitant in luxury, but it's subtly elegant. The room is classically English in its style, very clean, welcoming, and filled with touches that made my stay extremely comfortable (slippers, soft and plush robes, luxurious toiletries and best of all a box of hand-made chocolates that was delicious! ) The hotel bar is manned by friendly and accommodating English and Italian-speaking servers. The grand martini was excellent, though a bit steep in price. Prior to arriving, I asked my aunt to make a dinner booking for best curry in town. She called the concierge at Dukes after I told her that it's where I'll be staying and delegated the responsibility to them since she's a busy woman. The concierge (named Ian) graciously attended to her request and made a booking for the best curry restaurant in town. Unfortunately when I arrived, plans changed and the concierge gladly rebooked the reservations with no problems. After check-in, the man at the front desk gave me a tour of the hotel and showed me my room. It was a gesture that made me feel very welcome. Before checking-out, I ordered a cab for the airport.