Ziggy's hotel bar to honour David Bowie
Ziggy’s, named after the star’s alter ego Ziggy Stardust, will give fans a chance to try bespoke cocktails inspired by the icon’s music surrounded by rare photographs taken by his official photographer.
In July 1973, Bowie famously held a ‘last supper’ party at the Café Royal, after announcing the retirement his alter ego at a gig at Hammersmith Odeon. Now, the hotel is honouring the patron’s life and work with its new first-floor opening.
Photographs of Bowie will be on display, featuring the work of Mick Rock, who was the star’s official photographer during the Ziggy period.
Cocktails available take inspiration from the pop star’s life and lyrics from his album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
The menu is a collaborative work between Hotel Café Royal’s bars and beverages manager Fabio Spinetti, formerly of the Connaught.
Inspired cocktails
Cocktails on the drinks menu include Darkness and Disgrace, a combination of dark rum, tawny port, coffee liqueur, sugar syrup and egg yolk.
A twist on the cocktail staple Piña Colada, Tiger on Vaseline is a mix of Cachaça, Tanaka spiced rum, roasted pineapple juice and lime juice. Named after the 1971 glam-rock hit Hang On to Yourself, the drink is topped with a home-made coconut and white chocolate foam.
Animal Grace is made with orange skins and juice and a mix of Tequila, spicy and fruit liqueur, and lime juice.
Inspired by Bowie’s love of Martinis, Femme Fatale uses Japanese liqueur sake and French aperitif Byrrh.
Fabio Spinetti, the hotel’s bars and beverages manager, said: “Café Royal has always been the place where great minds would come to discuss great ideas.
“David Bowie played a really important part in Café Royal’s history, with the famous Last Supper taking place here.
“It only seems fitting to provide a homage to one of our most esteemed patrons.”
Hotel investment
Doors will open on Thursday, 20 September, and the bar will be open Monday to Saturday from 5pm to 1am.
The opening is part of a wider investment in reinvigorating the food and drink offer at the hotel.
Situated opposite Ziggy’s, the Laurent restaurant opened in June, headed by chef Laurent Tourondel.
Green Bar, on the ground floor of the hotel, will launch a new menu that celebrates the original Café Royal cocktail book of 1937.
November will see the opening of a Cakes & Bubbles venue, in the first venue outside Spain for chef Albert Adrià, the winner of The World's Best Pastry Chef by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
