The Art of The Aperitif at The Langham

By Anastasia Hancock

The Palm Court at The Langham claims to have been the birthplace of the quintessentially British Afternoon Tea. However, the award-winning bar has recently taken on a decidedly more continental twist with the launch of ‘The Art of the Aperitif’. The new pop-up bar will celebrate the iconic Martini brand with a selection of cocktails and specially paired dishes.

The bar will also host an exhibition of artwork from the Italian favourite, so you can sip classic aperitivi while taking in the vintage Martini posters ranging from the 1890s right up to the 1980s whilst feeling like an extra from La Dolce Vita.

Noël Coward once said that ‘a perfect martini should be made by filling a glass with gin, then waving it in the general direction of Italy’. A little more thought goes into it at the Palm Court, so whether you like your perfect cocktail shaken or stirred, wet or dry, dirty or perfect, there are seven new recipes to try. Highlights include Martini Bianco mixed with pine, raspberry and Crodino, and Martini Rosato mixed with rum, guava and Martini bitter.  

No aperitif is complete without a little something to nibble on, and the light menu has been designed to go with the vermouth-based cocktails. Grilled scallops with pickled apple and chorizo, wild mushroom risotto bites with truffle mayonnaise and beef carpaccio with baby artichoke do a good job of soaking up all that Martini. The pop up is only open until the 29^th November, so if you fancy a bit of Italian culture after a grey day in London, get down to the Langham, pronto.