Once the smoking and reading room for the leaders of the powerful Greater London Council, Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar has given The Leaders room a new lease of life by transforming it into a sleek and sophisticated whisky bar.
Housed within the stunning five-star London Marriott Hotel, the building was once London’s County Hall, a hub of British politics, located just across the bridge from the Houses of Parliament. Now a venue brimming with peace and tranquillity, County Hall couldn’t have been more different, hosting some of the most turbulent political battles of the 1970s & 80s between Labour’s Ken Livingston and Conservative Prime-Minister, Margaret Thatcher.
Stepping into the room, you would be easily forgiven for thinking the bar had remained untouched since its political heyday thanks to the cosy low leather armchairs scattered throughout, alongside antique dark wood and injections of hammered copper. Some of the original features have also been incorporated, the large brass bar which dominates one side of the room for example has seen many politicians come and go. The history of The Leader’s former inhabitants still lives on however through the portraits on the walls – try and see how many famous faces you can spot!
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