We go out a LOT. Night after night, bar after bar – they all start to look the same. So when we visited The Coral Room, housed within The Bloomsbury Hotel, our eyes shot wide open because it was clear we had something special on our hands.
Firstly, the interior is gorgeous. As the name suggest, the walls have been painted a vivid shade of coral which makes quite the impression. The Grade-II listed building exudes glamour with its bespoke glass chandeliers, marble topped bar and original artwork by British illustrator Luke Edward Hall. The press release describes the space as a ‘country-meets-city’ concept but it reminded us of the grand bars in Havana or Miami – perhaps it was the giant green palms that did it.
We were greeted with the warmest of welcomes and shown to our table for two. Settling into our clam shaped sofa, we perused the menu where we were drawn to their extensive English sparkling wine section (one of the largest in London). Split out by county we discovered some brand new bubbles, including one from our home town of Kent but it also stocks our favorite Hambledon, which we discovered at The Pig. Just as we took our first sip a 40’s-esque band struck up, warbling away on a Wednesday night as if it were no big deal.
The menu offers a mix and match style of plates of varying sizes. We snacked on door stop wedges of Manchego with truffled honey and sourdough, alongside truffle and parmesan fries. A tenderstem broccoli with kale and cashews was HUGE but the teared tuna with wasabi mayo was much dinkier. It’s all perfect cocktail food fodder. Dessert was just as pretty as the surroundings – the ultra-decadent chocolate éclair arrived with a sprinkling of edible gold.
Once the bubbles had been drunk we delved into The Coral Room’s cocktail menu. A lot of them utilize the English sparkling wine but we particular liked the ‘Midtown Swizzle’ with Havana Club, sherry, passionfruit, lime, pineapple and sparkling wine. There’s everything you’d want from aperitif to night cap – the espresso martini was perfection.
For those that love Dalloway Terrace, you won’t be disappointed by the latest addition to the hotel and we can’t wait to return.
