The Aldwych Hilton’s Good Godfrey

Hey ho! We’re off back to the ’20s! It’s time to cast off your worries, forget all about influenza and wisen up to the fresh new sound of Howard Godfrey and the Waldorfians! You bright young things will be familiar with their hits of In Heaven and My Canary Has Circles Under His Eyes. It’ll be a fantabulosa time with flapper girls, stage door Johnnies and Aldous Huxley dropping in to call everyone degenerates.

What? We can’t go? There is no such thing as a time machine? Well in that case, we’ll have to make do with the revamped Good Godfrey bar in the Waldorf Hilton. Stepping into the oak-panelled venue, one can only marvel at the opulence on show. There’s marble, chrome and antique mirrors hanging from the original 1920s panelling. It’s the sort of place that Julian Fellowes would like to come drinking in.

But then this is expected of a hotel like the Hilton, a brand known for its luxuriousness and elegance. Are the drinks that have been made in conjuction with the relaunch make it worth dropping by?

The first reassuring sign is the presence of Nelson Bernandes at the bar. The award-winning mixologist has created two bespoke cocktails worthy of comment: the 1908 and the Waldorf-tini.

The 1908 is a twist on the classic New York cocktail, featuring blend of Oxley gin, sweet and dry Vermouth, Mandarine Napoleon and orange bitters. The result is a delightful mixture of flavours. It delivers that clinical sensation that you want in a cocktail, gasping to know how it all works as the interplay keeps you guessing with each sip.

The Waldorf-tini is a much more restrained affair. The concoction can be had with a choice of either Tanqueray No 10 and grapefruit bitters or Grey Goose vodka with ginger bitters and Noilly Prat. With both choices the spirits will be stirred in a golden shaker and garnished with edible gold.

In order to ensure fairness, I tried both options. Twice each. To ensure fairness. What makes the difference in the variation of this drink is the contrast in the bitters used. The Tanqueray with the grapefruit is marginally smoother whereas the Grey Goose and ginger has that much more piquancy.

However in the final reckoning, what truly stings is the price. To buy two of these drinks will leave you looking at not much change of out of £40. My advice? Treat yourself to one of the champagne cocktails and sit back and enjoy the smart surroundings.

Good Godfrey
The Waldorf Hilton
Aldwych
WC2B 4DD

Tel: 020 7836 2400