Malmaison Oxford

You know that feeling when you duck into a hotel bar expecting overpriced mediocrity and instead find yourself ordering a second round? That's what happens here. The space feels more like a proper cocktail den than hotel furniture, with dark leather banquettes and dim lighting that makes everyone look mysterious (or at least less knackered from battling Oxford's one-way system). The cocktail menu doesn't mess about with foam or theatrical garnishes – just solid classics done properly. Yes, you're paying hotel prices, but the pours are generous and the barstaff know what they're doing. It's particularly brilliant for that awkward window between dinner and heading home, when everywhere else on New Road has gone quiet. Open 24 hours means you can theoretically have a martini at breakfast, though we're not suggesting you should.