Octagon Bar opens at Sopwell House in St Albans
Set in the heart of the Georgian manor house, Octagon Bar is inspired by the drinking dens of London and serves an inventive menu of blended cocktails
Octagon Bar at Sopwell House has officially opened its doors in St Albans to customers in Hertfordshire.
Set in the heart of the Georgian manor house, Octagon Bar is inspired by the drinking dens of London and serves an inventive menu of blended cocktails.
Featuring an ornate marble topped bar with vintage, mirrored glass detailing, the bar takes over the former lounge area of the hotel. With high-topped tables and leather bar stools, customers can sit in the octangular shaped room, complete with namesake tables and adorned decorative archways and statement glass lighting.
The lounge features velvet armchairs and views of the property’s picturesque front lawn from stained glass windows.
Led by bar manager João Chitas, the cocktail menu has 12 signature drinks, each influenced by stories of Sopwell House’s evolution and its royal guests. Chitas has been a mixologist in the bar industry for over a decade and in that time has honed his craft and worked at premier establishments throughout central London, including The Soho hotel, Salvatore’s Bar, and the Metropolitan Hotel in Mayfair.
Adam Jobson will also join Octagon Bar as head bartender and mixologist, bringing his passion and dedication for cocktail making. He started his career at Bar Bodega, one of Watford’s best bars and has since further honed his skills.
Cocktails will include Ale, Ale and Honey inspired by the Sopwell nunnery founded by the Benedictine order in 1140, and Master Mason’s Meds inspired by Edward Strong, a master mason who worked on St Paul’s cathedral and developed Sopwell House’s gardens with medicinal herbs.
In addition to Octagon Bar, Sopwell House is also home to two restaurants, the Asian-inspired Omboo and the brasserie, the Conservatory Bar and 15 vent spaces for meeting, conferences and weddings.
