The bar of the Dukes Hotel is without any doubt one of the world temples of the Martini, serving between 300 and 350 Martinis per night, an incredible number for such a tiny bar. Hosted in a 5 star beautiful Hotel in London, in a rather hidden street of the St James quarter, this is allegedly the place where Ian Fleming was sipping his Vespers when writing Mr Bond’s adventures (more here). If you are lucky enough, you’ll get your Martini mixed by the Duke’s chief bartender, the Italian Alessandro Palazzi, in a classy but still very human ritual. The Duke Martini is served with chilled gin in a chilled glass, with Sorrento lemons and a dash of vermouth, no stirring at all, and is so strong that the bar policy is that you cannot get more than two Martini. Classic Martini rate: 9/10.
To understand the charm and elegance of the place and of its gran cerimoniere, watch this video:
The Martini Hour 
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