Our Way at The Donovan Bar

The team at The Donovan Bar

There is a particular kind of confidence that has nothing to do with noise. The Donovan Bar at Brown's Hotel has that quality. Located inside one of Mayfair's most quietly storied addresses, it doesn't shout. It simply, almost effortlessly, excels. Brown's Hotel sets the tone — the oldest hotel in London, its Georgian townhouses on Albemarle Street have been welcoming the world since 1837. The Donovan Bar, named for society photographer Terence Donovan whose work lines the walls, inhabits this history without being crushed by it: dark panelling, low lighting, leather seating worn to a softness that only years of use can produce.

The service at the Donovan carries that same unhurried intelligence — attentive without hovering, knowledgeable without performing. It is quintessentially Italian in its hospitality, a sensibility brought to life by Salvatore Calabrese, who relaunched the bar in 2018 and has since shaped it into something rare: a room that feels genuinely convivial without sacrificing an ounce of elegance.

Into this setting comes the 2026 edition of "Our Way." The name is not an act of arrogance but of philosophy — this is a bar that knows exactly who it is. Calabrese's presence as guiding spirit lends the place a lineage that money cannot buy and marketing cannot manufacture, while the day-to-day creative expression of that lineage belongs to Federico Pavan, Director of Mixology. Where Calabrese is the keeper of tradition, Pavan is the one who asks what happens when you apply that knowledge with fresh eyes. As he puts it: "For us, 'Our Way' is not about constant reinvention — but refining what we do and doing it consistently well."

Of the new additions, the Be(e) Champagne — Champagne Brut, Beesou aperitif, Grey Goose, Muyu Vetiver, Grand Marnier Louis Alexander — is the standout. Beesou brings a honeyed, floral register that lifts rather than sweetens; Muyu Vetiver contributes a dry, rooty counterweight; Grand Marnier Louis Alexander provides the cognac depth that holds it all together. The result is more considered than the name suggests: a Champagne cocktail with genuine architecture.

Returning guests will find familiar pleasures. The Bellini Colada — a collision of Venetian aperitivo culture and Caribbean ease — comes back with its frozen cucumber finish. Calabrese signatures remain, of course — the Direct Martini, the Breakfast Martini, the Spicy Fifty — as quietly authoritative as ever.

The Donovan Bar has quietly become one of London's, and the world's, most civilised pleasures. Its 2026 menu is proof that restraint, in the right hands, is its own kind of revolution. Mayfair has no shortage of bars competing for your attention, your Instagram, and your credit card. The Donovan Bar, characteristically, is not competing with any of them. It is doing something far more interesting: getting better at being itself.

Cocktails from Our Way, the new menu at The Donovan Bar

Be(e) Champagne

Florence Cocktail Week Turns 10

Paola Mencarelli and the Florence Cocktail Week team

Florence Cocktail Week is back for its 10th edition, running April 16–22, 2026, and the city's bar scene has come a long way since the festival launched in 2016 with just 13 venues. This year, more than 70 bars are taking part, which gives you a sense of how deeply the week has embedded itself into the city's calendar.

Organized by Paola Mencarelli, the 2026 edition has a dual focus: celebrating Italian bartending talent and nudging the conversation toward more mindful drinking. Every guest bartender appearing at events will be Italian or Italian-based abroad.

Each of the 55 selected bars will offer three exclusive drinks during the week: an original signature cocktail, a low- or no-ABV wellness option, and a classic that nods to mixology's roots.

Beyond the bar crawl, there's a lot going on. The contest that kicked off the very first edition in 2016 is returning, held at Locale Firenze on April 16. A new "Barkeeper" initiative carves out dedicated time for resident bartenders to talk through their work with guests — less performance, more conversation. There's also a young bartenders' program putting 31 under-25 talents behind the stick at seven different venues.

To mark the anniversary, the festival is also releasing Cocktails in Florence, a printed guide covering 59 venues with recipes and notes on each spot.

The full events calendar is live on the official website.