Blue Bar at The Berkeley closes
London’s Blue Bar at The Berkeley hotel hosted its last service on Saturday (12 April) after more than 25 years in operation.
The hotel bar was described as a ‘sophisticated spot for expertly crafted drinks in a vibrant setting’. It was famed for its blue art deco-accented interiors curated by designer David Collins.
It offered a ‘forward-thinking’ drinks list, with serves elevated by a dedicated lab area located in the hotel’s basement, which provided the team access to tools like sous vide, sonic prep, rotavap, centrifuge, Thermomix, freezer and dehydrator.
Bars manager Marcello Cauda said in a post on Instagram on Sunday (13 April): “Blue Bar at The Berkeley closed its door last night after being one of the most iconic hotel bars in London in the past 25 years.”
“Being part of this amazing bar and this legacy for me has been a dream come true,” he continued, noting that being able to join the bar three years ago “is something that I cannot even describe.
“I want to thank all the team members who have been part of this journey, all the brands that supported us and all the fantastic guests who have passed through this door every day. And thank you to everyone who managed to come and say bye to this fantastic place.”
Cauda also reminisced on the takeovers the bar has conducted since he joined the team. Bars in Bangkok, Budapest, Paris, Rome, Turin, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Los Angeles, New York and Athens have hosted the Blue Bar, with the venue itself hosting teams from Kuala Lumpur, Vancouver, Singapore, Scotland, Italy, and Bangkok.
In addition, he noted the bar has created more than 100 signature cocktails.
The Blue Bar was also one of the first to receive a Pin in the Pinnacle Guide.
The Pinnacle Guide co-founders Siobhan Payne and Hannah Sharman-Cox, who attended the bar’s final service, said on Instagram: “Congratulations to @marcellocauda [Marcello Cauda], @giovannibrunomix [head bartender Giovanni Bruno] and team, as well as all those who came before them. It was an honour to be able to award this bar with an incredibly well-deserved one Pin from The Pinnacle Guide last year – one of the first we delivered.”
The Spirits Business has reached out to The Berkeley for confirmation as to why the bar has closed and what is to come of the space after The Blue Bar’s departure. No response has been received yet.
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