Punch Bowl, a moderately priced Mayfair watering hole bedecked with pretty hanging baskets, has seen its fair share of action since its circa-1730 inception, but nothing could have prepared it for the media attention that followed when Guy Ritchie (Mr. Madonna to you) and his buddy Piers Adam (owner of royal hangout Mahiki) bought it; fears they would ruin the place seem to be unfounded – on the contrary, word is they’ve improved it with a nice selection of beers including Old Speckled Hen and Bombardier, gastropub-style eats in the back room and an atmosphere that, though more chichi than in days of yore, remains surprisingly relaxed (41 Farm St., W1; 020-7493 6841).
Set in the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane, Whisky Mist at Zeta is a plush new boozer that has already entertained Kate Middleton, Princess ‘Daughter of Fergie’ Beatrice and other blue-blooded clientele; that shouldn’t be a surprise, given that the bar itself is named after a stag that Queen Victoria reckoned she used to see when taking a drop and that the owners are London club royalty, including Piers Adam (again) and Nick House and toff-about-town Jacobi Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe; menu highlights include a range of expensive whiskies, bellinis and vintage wines, coupled with Scottish-themed victuals (35 Hertford St., W1; 020-7208 4067).