A later night room that needs a sharper edge
BAR 45 has the basic ingredients of a lively stop. The room is compact, dark, and moody, with modern art and a long bar creating the frame for something energetic. On our visit, though, the decor felt dated rather than deliberately nostalgic. The idea was visible, but the room needed a more current point of view to complete it.
That left the atmosphere somewhere between an intimate hotel bar and an after hours room that had not fully come alive. It can work as one stop in an evening, but the setting alone was not enough to make it the destination.
The Negroni gives the bar its purpose
The Coconut and Sesame Negroni was the reason to visit. Coconut and sesame added subtle richness without obscuring the bitter structure of the classic. The result was distinctive, balanced, and easy to remember. The cocktail remains on the current menu, which makes the recommendation useful beyond our visit.
The espresso martini arrived in fantastic glassware and tasted good, but the drink itself felt flat. Presentation promised more energy than the flavor delivered.
Go for one very good drink
BAR 45 makes the most sense when you want a Park Lane stop built around a specific order. Reserve a table, choose the Coconut and Sesame Negroni, and treat the room as a compact setting for the drink rather than the main event.
Choose another bar if atmosphere needs to carry the whole night. BAR 45 has potential as a later evening destination, but its Negroni currently makes the stronger argument.
Is this your night?
- Go if
- You want a compact Mayfair bar and a subtle Negroni that still tastes true to the classic.
- Choose another bar if
- You want a room with a sharper contemporary identity or a full evening built around atmosphere.
