Step inside The Dover, the debut restaurant from former Soho House group CEO Martin Kuczmarski, and you are whisked away to a world of glitz, glamour and sophistication. With echoes of art deco throughout, including Murano lighting, a black and white marble chequered floor, deep blue velvet seating, and curved American Walnut panelling that give the dining room the feeling that you might be on the Orient Express rather than in a Mayfair dining room, it’s the kind of restaurant in which one might feel naked without a Martini in hand.
It’s just as well then that a bartender immaculately dressed in a white tuxedo will be on hand to mix you one - and from a choice of seven from its extensive list of Martinis that range from the classic to the more exotic. These include a Vesper, and a Gibson, as well as the Hot & Dirty (Bombay Sapphire, chilli, and olive brine) and The Dover, made with Konik’s Tail, Cocchi vermouth, and orange bitters. Typically drunk as a pre-prandial pick-me-up, at The Dover the Martini also has been given post dining soporific properties in the form of the Sleepy Pony, that sees Konik’s Tail mixed with limoncello, chamomile, mint, and Trip CBD oil.
Naturally, there’s more to The Dover’s cocktail offer than just its Martinis. The restaurant has quickly become the place du jour to quench the thirst of even the most discerning of cocktail aficionado with an extensive range of classics also featuring on its menu. Many doff their caps to the restaurant's New York Italian inspiration, including the Godfather (JW Black Label, Amaretto Disaronno), Eastside (Bombay Sapphire, mint, cucumber, lime), and a New York Sour that features tawny port alongside Maker’s Mark, citrus, and aquafaba.
For non-drinkers the restaurant has taken the approach of less is more, with just two options that work as aperitifs but which also pair well with food if required. Its Ginless Tonic, made with Pentire seaward and tonic, and mint more than holds its own against its harder counterpart while a Pentire Spritz made with Pentire coastal, honey, and pink grapefruit soda, is an ideal alternative to an Aperol Spritz.
The Dover isn’t just a restaurant that happens to mix a mean drink - the cocktail is part of its DNA.
It’s just as well then that a bartender immaculately dressed in a white tuxedo will be on hand to mix you one - and from a choice of seven from its extensive list of Martinis that range from the classic to the more exotic. These include a Vesper, and a Gibson, as well as the Hot & Dirty (Bombay Sapphire, chilli, and olive brine) and The Dover, made with Konik’s Tail, Cocchi vermouth, and orange bitters. Typically drunk as a pre-prandial pick-me-up, at The Dover the Martini also has been given post dining soporific properties in the form of the Sleepy Pony, that sees Konik’s Tail mixed with limoncello, chamomile, mint, and Trip CBD oil.
Naturally, there’s more to The Dover’s cocktail offer than just its Martinis. The restaurant has quickly become the place du jour to quench the thirst of even the most discerning of cocktail aficionado with an extensive range of classics also featuring on its menu. Many doff their caps to the restaurant's New York Italian inspiration, including the Godfather (JW Black Label, Amaretto Disaronno), Eastside (Bombay Sapphire, mint, cucumber, lime), and a New York Sour that features tawny port alongside Maker’s Mark, citrus, and aquafaba.
For non-drinkers the restaurant has taken the approach of less is more, with just two options that work as aperitifs but which also pair well with food if required. Its Ginless Tonic, made with Pentire seaward and tonic, and mint more than holds its own against its harder counterpart while a Pentire Spritz made with Pentire coastal, honey, and pink grapefruit soda, is an ideal alternative to an Aperol Spritz.
The Dover isn’t just a restaurant that happens to mix a mean drink - the cocktail is part of its DNA.
