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I knew as soon as I clapped eyes on the honesty bar that I would like Updown Farmhouse in Kent – because nothing says “make yourself at home” quite like giving your guests free run of the drinks (and trusting them, moreover, to put it on their tab). Hidden away in one of the jewel-coloured drawing rooms, the bar was stocked with Dolin vermouth, local White Cliffs gin, beer, wine, olives and a shaker. There were lemons (leaves still on), chilled Campari Soda and truffle crisps, and some Vieille Prune for digestifs. I mixed a Martini, chalked it up to my room, and settled down to a game of Scrabble, soundtracked by tinkling jazz.
“We wanted Updown to feel very relaxed, like you were staying at a friend’s house, so having an honesty bar seemed like a natural thing to do,” says its proprietor Ruth Leigh. “Some nights you will go in there and there’s an impromptu party vibe, with people making friends and hanging out.”
Honesty bars are also an essential part of Ett Hem, Stockholm’s 25-bedroom townhouse hotel. It has three – one for each living room – crafted in brass and wood by Studioilse and stocked with local spirits and vintage decanters filled with ready-mixed cocktails. There’s also a choice of wines, Ett Hem’s own-label beer, and champagne resting in an ice bucket.
Guests log their drinks in a little notebook. “We believe in honesty and it works well,” says Märta Nachemson, Ett Hem PR director. “Ett Hem means ‘at home’ so it was very important for us to create that ambience.”
The charm of an honesty bar is it allows one to play guest and host; to mix a cocktail for yourself or pour a round of drams for friends after a day spent tramping the wilds. The honesty bar at Lundies House in the far north of Scotland is designed for exactly that – its drawing-room windows overlook the Kyle of Tongue and Castle Bharrich. Arranged informally on a side table, it features decanters of single malt and Isle of Harris Gin. There is also a second honesty bar outside, among the bothies. Similarly, at Park Hotel Kenmare in County Kerry, which has one of the largest whiskey collections in Ireland, there’s a whiskey cabinet in the bar that is always open for guests to explore.
Perhaps you’d prefer your sundowner by the pool – in which case there’s Can Sastre in Ibiza. The bar at this whitewashed agriturismo features local hierbas (anise-flavoured liqueurs) and mezcals. “It is a nice romantic atmosphere under the palm trees,” says owner Bibi van der Hout. “It’s created a very homely, holiday feeling.”
Foodie favourite Coombeshead Farm in Cornwall uses its bar to showcase seasonal cocktails and house-made vermouths. “There’s always the risk that guests will drink more than they said or they don’t put it on the tab at all,” says the farm’s Hannah Joyce. “But we think it’s worth taking that chance to get that convivial feel.”
There’s something particularly special about the feeling of mutual trust that a proper, paying, honesty bar engenders. But there’s also a childish delight to be derived from a bar that’s all-inclusive. At The Newt in Somerset, guests staying in the Farmyard complex can help themselves to everything in the communal bar, from the green juices to the estate’s own Red Love Gin. And at The Emory, London’s first suite-only hotel where prices start at £1,140 per night, you get an “Emory assistant” who will deliver free drinks to your suite 24 hours a day. Spirits – in 100ml decanters – include Japanese Hibiki whisky; wines include 2018 Pauillac de Lynch Bages. The ultimate minibar.
@alicelascelles
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