Stylish hotel bars

Dah-ling there's nothing more sophisticated than swinging by an uber-cool hotel lounge bar on a Saturday night. While the city gets hot and steamy, stay cool, unwind with a cocktail and watch the world go by.

The Lobby Bar *****

One Aldwych, 1 Aldwych, WC2 (020-7300 1000).
The Lobby Bar at this ¸ber-stylish hotel remains the place to go for those in need of strikingly good drinks. The atmosphere is upmarket yet laid-back, the design is modern yet with restraint, the service friendly and efficient. Excellent for a one-to-one chat or small gatherings.

The American Bar *****

Savoy Hotel, Strand WC2 (020-7836 4343).
Although the dress code is much more relaxed than the stuffy jacket-and-tie days of yesteryear, formality remains de rigueur. The bar is so named after its popularity with travelling Americans fleeing prohibition in the Twenties and its Martinis have reigned supreme ever since. This is a top place to impress a sophisticated drinker.

The Zetter *****

86-88 Clerkenwell Road, EC1 (020-7324 4455).
Opened in March this year, this 19th-century warehouse was once the home of Zetter's football pools. The new hotel, with a public bar and restaurant on the ground floor, is a testament to modernism and the bar is a cool place to while away a few minutes while waiting to meet your friends. A small section of the bar can be booked for private parties.

140 Park Lane *****

Marriott Hotel, 140 Park Lane, W1 (020-7493 7000).
Opened in 2002, the bar and restaurant at this Marriott hotel is true to international standards of hotel design. The bar was the first in this country to stock white cranberry juice - which it uses across its seriously good cocktail list - and has nearly 20 different brands of bottled water.

The Tenth Floor *****

Royal Garden Hotel, 2-24 Kensington High Street, W8 (020-7937 8000).
The best bit about this bar atop the Royal Garden Hotel is the views across Kensington Palace Gardens, Hyde Park and beyond.
The bar has a good wine list and, though not cheap, this is a good place to go on a clandestine date.