St James’s Hotel launches 1857 the Bar: A port speciality venue just in time for Christmas

Following the re-launch in 2019 of the Michelin-starred Seven Park Place, with a total re-design by Russell Sage Studios, St James’s Hotel and Club in Mayfair has announced the reopening of their bar, 1857 the Bar, which refers to the year that the historic club was established. This iteration will be a celebration of the hotel and club’s rich history and will specialise in wine – particularly in port – fittingly for the location, given the St James’s area’s gentlemen’s clubs were where port first forged its reputation among the British elite.

The popularity of port in the UK originates amid the 17^th Century trade wars between the English and the French. For a time, imports of French wines into England were boycotted, which drove English wine merchants to Portugal, a country with whom the English had always shared good relations since the Treaty of Windsor in 1386. Since the British climate at the time was not suitable for growing grapes for wine, wine had to travel from Portugal and often did not survive the trip. It is said that port was invented by accident by a pair of Portuguese brothers who fortified their wine destined for England with grape brandy to maintain its quality on the long trip. The British came to appreciate the oaky taste, and perfected port production in the succeeding centuries.

In partnership with Symington Family Estates (one of the world’s leading producers of premium port), 1857 the Bar’s vision involves serving the oldest wine available by the glass in the UK and London’s widest selection of port. Among the tipples on offer is Graham’s 1882 Ne Oublie, a very rare and special port bottled in a handmade crystal decanter and named for the Graham family’s motto. alongside unusual wines, aged tawnies, single quintas and vintage ports.

Complementing the ports on offer, the menu features a variety of port cocktails, suitable both for port lovers and the uninitiated, including Port Sour: Graham’s Blend Series No 5 (mixed with egg white and lemon) and Queen of the Night (incorporating Graham’s Tawny ten-year-old port, Blandy’s ten-year-old Verdelho, Seignette Cognac VS and Crème de Rose) as well as drinks for those less enamoured with the beverage, including Symington’s award-winning table wines, spirits and non-alcoholic drinks. There are also bar nibbles selected to include produce that pairs extremely well with port, including Stilton, foie gras, tuna belly and burrata.

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To book a table at 1857 the Bar, 7-8 Park Pl St. James’s London SW1A 1LS, call or visit their website here.