Dukes
TUCKED AWAY DOWN its own discreet little cul-de-sac, Dukes is as integral to St James’s as any of the other establishments – Lock & Co, Berry Bros & Rudd, Truefitt & Hill – that contribute to the image of the Classic English Gent. Indeed, ‘gentlemanly’ is the most succinct summary of its atmosphere and charms I can provide. Lady guests are, of course, made welcome, but this remains, as it has been since its inauguration in 1908, a very male establishment. Decorated in tones of grey and blue, and lined with portraits of hunting squires and military heroes, it reads as an annexe of one of the prestigious clubs just up the street. Members of White’s, Brooks’s and Boodle’s instantly feel at home.
If Dukes is the hotel of choice for London’s insiders, its bar has achieved legendary – nay, iconic – status among a much wider community of sophisticates. Its presiding deity, Alessandro Palazzi, has been hailed, quite rightly, as the ‘Godfather of Bartenders’. His most devoted adherents go one step further. To them, he’s known simply as ‘Maestro’. Ruling his hushed and supremely civilised domain like a benevolent despot, Alessandro effects his magic from a little wooden trolley wheeled to one’s table. To watch him mix one of his signature ‘Vesper’ martinis is to be vouchsafed a glimpse of genius at work. The unofficial limit is two per customer. Trust me, you won’t require a third.
See also: Durrants Hotel, Brown’s Hotel, Wilton
