Sahakian Puro Lounge - Bvlgari Hotel, London
The place that I will talk about in this article is a place that I want to visit every time I go to London but I never managed to stop by. The cigar shop and tasting room opened at the Bvlgari Hotel by Edward Sahakian, the owner of Davidoff of London, famous in the London cigar arena. Do not take into account that its name is called 'room', it is a full-fledged place with its food and drink. However, by law, such a name must be given.
Bvlgari Hotel is located in the famous London district of Knightsbridge. The district, where brand shops are predominant, is a well-known place with its cafes and restaurants and other luxury hotels. Both father Edward and his son Eddie Sahakian attach great importance to the place. In several interviews I have watched, it has been a place where they believe it suits both sides, blending their tastes as much as they can with the prestige of Bvlgari Hotel. In the early days of the venue, Master of Habanos-rated Mike Choi was serving. And now Attila Szabo, who is just as talented and knowledgeable as he is, is at your service. You can chat on the cigar non-stop, of course when the lounge is empty.
You reach the venue by climbing the slightly narrow stairs on the right, behind the lobby bar. The rather dim and ground-lit staircase looks a bit like a boat ladder, especially since the side lights at foot level and both the stairs and the walls are wooden.
After the stairs are finished, you enter the place through a glass door and Attila welcomes you with its humidors. Whether you enter or afterwards, you proceed to the tasting room next door to choose from the menu. It is a tasting room where you will feel very comfortable with leather sofas, ports on the wall, wooden floor and dim light. Although Attila says it is a bit too dark for him, it is a very relaxing environment for me.
I also order myself an Old Fashioned with the recommendation of H.Upmann LCDH and Attila. Attila speaks quite confidently about their Old Fashioned, and is indeed not misleading. The place is lively after the meal. There are 11 people with me in the place where approximately 30 people can easily fit in. But none of them stay long after cigars.
The prices of the cigars are not too high compared to the UK average with Cohiba Robusto GBP 40.-, Partagas D.4 GBP28.-. Likewise, the drinks are slightly above the average of luxury hotels.
Near the end of the Purom, the room is completely empty and we continue to chat with Attila. During the conversation, he brings me a pack of Ramon Allones built for Dunhill before the embargo. Of course it takes almost a fortune to get it, but when it was free to sniff, I took a good breath from the bag. It was amazing. There was not the slightest explosion or tear when I picked it up and examined it soon. It was obviously very well looked after. No matter what anyone says, the quality of the wrapping leaves is not comparable to the present. In short, I slowly run out of our cigar and we head towards the door. At the exit, I catch my eye to the showcases where the humidors are. You can complete any missing accessory from the showcases where various accessories are offered for sale.
Selected as the best cigar lounge of 2015 by Cigar Journal, the venue really deserves a special visit. It is a peaceful place where smoking cigars is a pleasure with its comfortable atmosphere, quality and more importantly knowledgeable service.
Enjoyable smoking ...