Lutyens (permanently closed)

Address: 85 Fleet Street, City of London, London, EC4Y 1AE, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 207 583 8385
Website: view Lutyens’ website

Door: Make reservation
Style: Restaurant bar
Food: Set menu

Lutyens is Sir Terence Conran's latest project, housed in the former headquarters of the Reuters news organisation, originally designed by Sir Edward Lutyens. Sir 'Tel' has taken over practically the entire ground floor, with a bar and charcuterie at the front and fine dining restaurant at the rear - and a private members club in the basement.

The design is typically Conran - minimalistically stylish with nods to the building's roots: look carefully and the ceramic tiles on the floor in the ground floor bar have been laid to look like a stock ticker. Polished and professional staff, exhibiting a silver service-level of attentiveness, serve a small selection of cocktails, of which the Lutyens Martini stands out - no need to choose between gin or vodka, or olives or a twist, this has them all.

It's downstairs you need to get to though if you want to sample the wares of mixologist Julian de Feral. Unfortunately it's members only down here, but this is where the real magic happens, with Julian infusing and blending his own spirits and vermouths. Ask for Julian's Waldorf Martini.