The Savoy’s American Bar, open since 1893: hours, dress code, the cocktails and how to book

The American Bar opened in 1893, and the hotel says it has served everyone from Churchill to Hemingway and is frequently named the world’s best bar. Its questions page calls it London’s longest-surviving cocktail bar; the bar’s own page calls it the city’s original one. Its cocktails are classics with a twist, new drinks and vintage ones.

Its most famous drink comes from Ada Coleman, the Savoy’s first female head bartender. She mixed her first cocktail, a Manhattan, at Claridge’s in 1899, became head bartender at the Savoy in 1903 and stayed 23 years. When the actor Charles Hawtrey asked her for something with punch, she combined gin and sweet vermouth with a couple of dashes of Fernet-Branca and an orange twist; by the hotel’s telling he drained the glass and named it the Hanky Panky, and Harry Craddock, her successor, printed it in «The Savoy Cocktail Book» in 1930. The hotel’s account says it is still served to the original recipe, with vintage gin, vintage vermouth and vintage Fernet-Branca.

The current menu, «Liquid Moments», builds each drink on a moment in the hotel’s past. Since 1986 is a tribute to Tony Cortegaca, the doorman who has greeted Savoy guests since that year: white port and blanca rum, for his Portuguese roots. Painter’s Palette honours Claude Monet, who first stayed in 1899 and painted the London bridges from his suite, with rye, bitter and amontillado. Red Carpet recalls the Dior show held at the Savoy in 1950 before more than 1,000 guests: whisky, Amaro Lucano, honey and cold-brew coffee.

The Savoy splits its kitchens: its own chefs, led by Gerald Quadros, look after the American Bar, as they do Gallery and the Beaufort Bar, while Gordon Ramsay’s group runs the Grill, the River Restaurant and Restaurant 1890. The Savoy’s wine bar, the Beaufort Wine Bar, is for over-18s only and keeps over 250 wines.

The Google reviews of the Savoy collected on 4 October 2026 show the 2 sides of a famous room. A party writing in September 2026 had a round booth for 10 while a musician sang at the piano; a guest the same month says the bartender «nailed» a custom Sazerac, and another recommends Since 1986. But a party of 3 with a booking was refused at lunchtime in January 2026 because one of them wore «casual» clothing, a visitor in July 2026 was turned away in what staff called flip-flops, and a group without a table was sent away at 5.45pm in January 2026, before a show at the Savoy Theatre.

The Connaught Bar in Mayfair, designed by David Collins Studio, opens from 4pm to 1am Monday to Saturday and takes no reservations; it was ranked 10th in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2026 and has its Martini Trolley. Children come with an adult.

Claridge’s Bar opens from noon to 1am Monday to Saturday and takes reservations; children staying in the hotel may come with an adult until 6pm.

The Rivoli Bar at the Ritz serves the Ritz 120, the Iron Lady and Churchill’s Courage; its page asks for smart casual dress there and refuses sportswear in all the Ritz’s bars.