The Bar/Lounge at Claridge's

"Its main lift is the last in Central London to be operated by hand—there’s a sofa inside should you tire during your five-level journey to the top floor—and its clubby cocktail bars and Fera restaurant are favored by modern-day fashion icons (your Von Furstenbergs, your Jaggers, your Eltons—wealthy Americans, in particularly, love it, and so did the Queen Mum) who value luxury and exclusivity without the snooty exclusivity that can make the Ritz such a drag"

"Previously, NYC über-decorator Thierry Despont created the Deco foyer with its giant Murano glass Medusa head chandelier; London über-decorator David Collins did the rock-and-fashion–hangout cocktail bar with its adjunct Macanudo Fumoir; and the Queen's nephew, David Linley, designed two suites (one Art Deco; one traditional late 19th-century)"

"Enjoy a cup of tea in the lounge, cocktails in the stylish bar, or, better still, a meal in chef Simon Rogan's much talked-about restaurant, Fera"

"Without departing too far from the traditional, Claridge’s bars and restaurant are actively fashionable – Gordon Ramsay is the in-house restaurateur, and the A-listers can gather for champers and sashimi in the bar"

"Gordon Ramsay’s fêted restaurant and a stylish bar are further draws"