The Donovan Bar

Tucked inside Brown's Hotel on Albemarle Street, The Donovan Bar takes its name from Sir Terence Donovan, the Swinging Sixties photographer and close friend of the Forte family. The bar was redesigned by Olga Polizzi and Inge Moore, with fifty of Donovan's black-and-white prints hung across the walls and a new street-level entrance added so non-residents can walk straight in from Mayfair. The centrepiece is a long bespoke bar framing an original 19th-century stained glass window of St George, its glowing glass top and studded silver fascia setting the tone for the room.

The atmosphere runs from leisurely afternoon cocktails to late-evening entertainment. Live music plays every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and DJs provide a low backdrop on other evenings, giving the room a consistent soundtrack without tipping into nightclub territory. Salvatore Calabrese, the maestro behind the Breakfast Martini, oversees the cocktail programme alongside Director of Mixology Federico Pavan, with rotating chef residencies adding a kitchen dimension to the offer.

For private hire, the full bar accommodates up to 100 guests on an exclusive basis, while the Naughty Corner — a tucked-away banquette alcove surrounded by Donovan's boldest portraits and lit by a single pendant — seats up to 12 on a semi-private basis. The bar remains open to non-residents until 1am, and the separate Albemarle Street entrance allows private groups to arrive and leave discreetly.