The Whip at The Running Horse (permanently closed)

Address: 1st Floor, 50 Davies Street, (btwn Bond St & Brook St), London, W1K 5JE, United Kingdom

Door: Open door/walk-ins
Style: Lounge bar
Food: Set menu
Established: 2014

Set above the Mayfair's oldest pub (dating back to 1738) The Whip has the feel of an English gentlemen's drinking den with horsey prints, sketches and photographs adorning British racing green walls with leather seating, a vintage chaise Longue and butler's chair. Predictably a jockey's whip hangs over the mahogany bar.

The two gents behind The Whip are James Chase (of the eponymous Herefordshire distilling family) and Dominic Jacobs (formerly bars director of Sketch) and they have used their combined experience and industry contacts to deliver a homely bar serving outstanding cocktails and food.

Inspired by the Kentucky Derby, Juleps are the house speciality and these are served in pewter tins accompanied by a julep strainer. The other cocktails on the list, incidentally presented on the back of an envelope, are suitably spirit-let and grown-up - sweet fluffy cream drinks would just not be appropriate.

The quality of the drinks is matched by the excellent food by chef Stephane Huc-Hepher with a full menu and also a snack menu, also with a choice of sharing platters.