Rotunda Bar & Lounge

Rotunda sits directly beneath the glazed dome at the centre of Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge, ringed by fluted columns and walls carved in white relief. The room is one wide circle: a sunken middle laid with red carpet, a grand piano at its heart, and a dark bar counter set into the far side. It is the hotel's principal social room, running from morning coffee through to bar service at 11pm, and half an hour later from Thursday to Saturday.

Michele Lombardi heads the bar. The cocktail list takes its cues from the landmarks either side of the building, the River Thames and the Tower of London. Afternoon tea, curated by the baker Lily Vanilli, runs Thursday to Sunday and carries into an evening service. The building dates to 1922, Grade II*-listed and designed by Edwin Cooper; its ballroom held the first reception of the United Nations General Assembly in 1946.

For private events the lounge seats 80 to 90, and takes standing receptions of more than 150. Canapés and bar snacks come from the hotel kitchens, and hire is arranged through the hotel's events team rather than sold as a published package.