The Connaught Bar is a not-so-well-kept secret, one of the smartest in the capital for a Martini. At Hélène Darroze’s three-Michelin-star restaurant various butters are presented like beautiful tufts of coral. The basement is home to an Aman spa with a sleek ionised pool. There’s so much going on here that you could easily forget about the bedrooms. But they’re beautiful too, with original cornicing, hand-embroidered bedheads and even a butler. An enduring London grande dame.


