This Brand New, “Green-Focused” Hotel Bar Is Ideal For Absinthe Lovers

Fans of the green fairy, you’re in luck. As of September 2023, London’s swanky Hotel Café Royal debuted their latest on-premise cocktail concept, Green Bar, which highlights a variety of unique experiences centered around the absinthe spirit. In addition to a variety of creative cocktails, Green Bar features an impressive list of globally-produced absinthes, ranging in a variety of styles, flavor profiles, and ABVs—meaning there’s something for every curious absinthe drinker out there.

“One of the main reasons behind creating an absinthe-focused bar was to celebrate Café Royal’s rich history,” says bar manager Abel Ramirez, who reveals that the Café Royal first opened its doors in 1865, and welcomed the likes of many celebrated guests—including renowned poet Oscar Wilde, an avid absinthe lover who regularly enjoyed the spirit on-site at the hotel.

Over the holiday break, I had the pleasure of paying a visit to Green Bar, and was immediately impressed by the list’s thoughtfully crafted libations and detailed attention to absinthe service. Joined by my sister, we each started the evening with the White Fairy cocktail, made with Jameson Crested fat-washed coconut oil, La Fée Blanche absinthe, coconut purée, spiced orgeat, aquafaba, lime, and soda water.

I then moved on to a straight serving of Devil’s Botany Regalis absinthe, an herbaceous and lively spirit made with wild botanicals sourced grown across Britain. In traditional fashion, the portion was served via an absinthe fountain, which incorporates allowing water to drip over an ice cube and slowly dissolve into the spirit.

Ramirez reveals that when creating the bar’s absinthe cocktails, that the team took inspiration from the original Café Royal cocktail book, which was published in 1937. “We put contemporary twists on some of the absinthe-based cocktails that we discovered in the book,” he says. Current cocktail highlights include the Femme Au Café, a creamy, flavor-packed libation made with Devil’s Botany London absinthe, chocolate absinthe liqueur, Jade Perique tobacco liqueur, cinnamon, and espresso, as well as the simple and refreshing La Parisienne, made with La Fée Blanche absinthe, Champagne sherbet, liquorice bitter, egg white, and lemon.

“Absinthe is a sophisticated spirit with a unique flavor profile, making it an interesting and sometimes challenging ingredient to use,” reveals Martinez, sharing that using the spirit in classic cocktails such as the negroni or French 75 are certainly doable, though ensuring that ratio and balance are in check is always key.

In addition to cocktails and fountains, Green Bar also offers a vast selection of other spirits and non-alcoholic options for imbibing, as well as a number of well-executed small plates, including caviar, oysters, warm nuts, and fries for pairing—though perhaps the most exciting feature of the bar is its limited-release absinthe offerings, including La Fée X•S Suisse, La Fée X•S Suisse Française, and more.

“We are still developing the absinthe menu, experimenting with new cocktail ideas, and trying new absinthe brands,” Ramirez shares. “We’re working on some interesting ideas for the bar, which can’t be revealed just yet but will hopefully go live over the next few months.”

Green Bar is located inside London’s Hotel Café Royal at 10 Air St, London W1B 5AB, United Kingdom. Hours are 4PM to 1AM daily, with an exceptional early opening at 12PM on Saturdays. Reservations are encouraged but not required.