A gentleman’s weekend in London
A hatter from 1676, a wine merchant from 1698 and a martini worth crossing town for. A well-dressed, unhurried weekend in St James's and beyond.
London rewards the man who knows where to stand. Within a few hundred yards of St James’s are a hatter that has been open since 1676, a wine merchant from 1698 and a restaurant from 1742, all of them still doing what they were founded to do. This is a weekend for that London: unhurried, well dressed and, for the most part, on foot.
We have checked each address, hours and dress code on the venue’s own website. Book the dinners well ahead, and check again before you travel, because hours change.
| When | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, 6pm | A martini at Dukes Bar | St James’s Place |
| Friday, dinner | Wiltons | Jermyn Street |
| Saturday, morning | Lock & Co, Berry Bros. & Rudd, Jermyn Street | St James’s |
| Saturday, afternoon | The Wallace Collection | Manchester Square |
| Saturday, dinner | Rules, then the American Bar | Covent Garden, the Savoy |
| Sunday, morning | Sir John Soane’s Museum | Lincoln’s Inn Fields |
Where to stay
Claridge’s, on Brook Street in Mayfair, has been receiving guests since 1812 and remains the grand answer to the question. The Connaught, on Carlos Place a few streets away, is the quieter, more residential choice. Neither publishes a simple room rate, so check the dates you want. Either is an easy walk from St James’s on Saturday morning.
We would normally suggest Dukes too, tucked away in St James’s Place, but its website says the hotel is temporarily closed. The bar is open, which brings us to Friday evening.
Friday: a martini and a proper dinner
Dukes Bar, 35 St James’s Place. Start here. It has been tucked into St James’s since 1908 and is known for its martinis, made with frozen glasses and no ice, and they are strong, so have one and make it last. It opens at 3pm, Monday to Saturday, with last orders at 10pm. You can walk in, though there may be a wait at busy times. The dress code is smart casual, with no sportswear, shorts or T-shirts.
Wiltons, 55 Jermyn Street. Established in 1742, this is as good a place as any to understand what London dining used to be and, happily, still is. Dinner has last seating at 9.45pm. Gentlemen are asked not to wear short-sleeved shirts, shorts, open-toed shoes, sportswear, graphic T-shirts or hooded tops, so wear a jacket and enjoy it. It’s closed on Sundays and for lunch on Saturdays, which is why it belongs on Friday.
Saturday morning: St James’s
For a man who likes to buy well, there is no better few streets in London, and they are all within a few minutes’ walk of each other.
Lock & Co Hatters, 6 St James’s Street. Established in 1676 and open from 9.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Saturday, with no appointment needed. Even if you don’t think you wear hats, go in. Having one properly fitted is an experience in itself.
Berry Bros. & Rudd, 63 Pall Mall. Founded in 1698, and open on Saturdays from 10am to 6pm (it is closed on Sundays and Mondays). Tell them what you like to drink and what you want to spend, and let them do the rest. Their spirits shop is at 1 St James’s Street, close by Lock’s.
Jermyn Street. Walk its length for the shirtmakers. Turnbull & Asser has been here since 1903. If you have room in the budget for one thing, a really good shirt is the most useful souvenir London offers.
Savile Row is just across Piccadilly, and worth the walk for the windows alone. If you want to talk about a suit, ring the house ahead of time. Our guide to the five suits a man needs will tell you what to ask for.
Saturday afternoon: The Wallace Collection
Hertford House, Manchester Square. Free to enter the permanent collection, and open daily from 10am to 5pm. It’s one of the finest private art collections in the world, in a great London town house, and it’s never as crowded as it deserves to be. Until 29 November 2026 it’s also showing “Winston Churchill: The Painter”, which needs a ticket.
Saturday night: Rules and the Savoy
Rules, 35 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden. Established in 1798 by Thomas Rule, it’s known above all for traditional British food and game in season. Jackets and ties aren’t required, but smart dress is preferred, with no shorts or sportswear. On Fridays and Saturdays last orders are at 11.30pm. Book well in advance.
The American Bar at the Savoy. A short walk away, it opened in 1893 and is one of the most famous cocktail bars in the world. It’s open until midnight on Saturdays. There’s no formal dress code, but guests are asked to dress elegantly for the occasion. Have one, and take your time over it: you are here for the room as much as the glass.
Sunday: Sir John Soane’s Museum
13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields. The architect’s own house, crammed with art and antiquities, is one of the most extraordinary rooms in London, and one of its best free visits. It opens Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, and you can simply walk in on the day. Go early, then take a long Sunday lunch before the train home.
A few practical notes
- Pack a jacket. You will want it at every stop, and it’s the difference between fitting in and being let in.
- Walk. St James’s and Mayfair are made for it, so bring shoes that are both handsome and comfortable.
- Book dinners first. Then build the rest of the weekend around them.
- Check the service charge on the bill before you tip. Our guide on how to tip around the world covers the British custom.
Questions people ask
Do I need a tie in these restaurants?
Neither Rules nor Wiltons asks for one on its website, though you would not look out of place in one. A jacket is the safe minimum, and Wiltons does ask gentlemen to avoid short-sleeved shirts.
Where’s the best martini in London?
Argue about it at Dukes Bar. Its own website quotes the New York Times calling it the hotel bar that “some say concocts one of the world’s best martinis”, and it’s a very good place to have the argument. Remember that they’re strong.
Is all of this expensive?
The hotels and dinners are. But the Wallace Collection and Sir John Soane’s Museum are free, and browsing St James’s costs nothing but willpower.
How we wrote this: addresses, hours, founding dates and dress codes are from each venue’s own website, checked on 1 November 2026; the venues were not visited for this guide. Hours change, so please check before you travel, and drink responsibly. Nobody paid to appear here.
