And the bars of the year are...

And the runners-up...

ATLAS , 16 Seagrave Road, SW6 (020 7385 9129)

All our judges loved the food, and, as for the pub, the trump card for an enthusiastic Tim Rice was the evident "love and affection it inspired in its punters. The blokes at the bar radiated happiness."

THE NAG'S HEAD , 53 Kinnerton Street, SW1 (020 7235 1135)

The unanimous comment about this tiny pearl was cast by Shebah Ronay: "I wouldn't want the whole of London to know about this place." The Adnams bitter is definitive.

YE OLDE CHESHIRE CHEESE , Wine Office Court, 145 Fleet Street, EC4 (020 7353 6170)

An unpretentious pub, particularly in light of the fact that its historic nooks give it so much to be pretentious about.

THE ROYAL OAK , 44 Tabard Street, SE1 (020 7357 7173)

This was the dark horse, perhaps because, according to Barney Powell, it was a "proper pub that could almost be off the set of Corrie". If you want a revelatory pint or two of some of southern Britain's greatest beers, such as those of Harvey's of Lewes, then track them down in the beautifully restored Royal Oak, the brewery's only London tap. AJ

The first time I was involved with the Evening Standard Pub and Bar of the Year was back in 1992 when Notting Hill's Beach Blanket Babylon scooped the top prize. A young bartender at that time, Jason Fendick, was churning out some wonderful cocktails - a relatively new concept outside a hotel bar in those days.

It turned the heads of our panel of judges of the day, and marked the beginning of a cocktail revolution in London and the birth of what we now know as style bars.

So perhaps I shouldn't have thought it unusual to come across him again behind the bar of Alphabet , the 1998 winner of this award. Then again in 2001 when he was at Zeta bar, which was shortlisted as a finalist.

It seemed certain another title was beckoning, and Fendick didn't have to wait too much longer to win it for The Rockwell. Fendick pretty much left day-to-day bartending last year to join with style guru Robbie Bargh to form The Gorgeous Group, a full service start-up consultancy for bar proprietors. One of their first major projects was The Rockwell on the ground floor of this 129-roomed luxury Trafalgar hotel, which opened last July. The look, concept and design of the bar are typically Gorgeous - sumptuous surroundings with drop-dead gorgeous looks.

Behind the bar, American whiskey is Fendick's chosen theme, with the emphasis on bourbons. "We have the largest collection of American whiskeys in this country - more than 100," he says.

Non-bourbon fans can find Ketel One vodka and Junipero gin, although beer lovers might need to look elsewhere.

Babs Powell said: "It's so different, I felt as though I was in a place that was marking the beginning of a new generation of drinking destinations."

And the runners-up...

NYLON , 1 Addle Street, EC2 (020 7600 7771)

A massage service is part of the bar's offering, and Babs Powell had her shoulders done while being plied with flavoured vodka shots. She was then able to dance the night away - which is what you do at Nylon.

CORNEY & BARROW , Broadgate Circle, EC4 (020 7628 1251)

Yeo thought the bar, sitting high above an ice rink in the middle of the City, a terrific venue he'd use all the time if only he worked closer to it. And Barney Powell pronounced it a "professional operation with imaginative food".

HAKKASAN , Hanway Place, W1 (020 7907 1888)

All agreed that Hakkasan is one of London's most beautiful bars. Ronay said the cocktails were among the best she had ever had, while Jefford was completely struck by the design.

LOWLANDER , 36 Drury Lane, WC2 (020 7379 7446)

A hit with Eva Rice, who enthused: "I can imagine sitting here with friends exploring all the Belgian beers." Sir Tim agreed: "What a marvellous find - a terrific place to drift into after a trawl round Covent Garden."ES

Meet the judges
Who was on the original list?