The Coral Room at The Bloomsbury Hotel has launched its new ‘A Sip of England’ cocktail menu, inspired by the moors, meadows, seas and spires of the country.

From Wordsworth’s lakes and Bronte’s moors to the Cornish Riviera, Glastonbury and the Bloomsbury Group’s Sussex retreat, The Coral Room’s new cocktail list sets out to offer guests a taste of England’s most treasured cultural histories.Each serve combines local ingredients, including Kentish cobnuts, Bramley apples, violets, rhubarb and rosehips, evoking the landscapes and landmarks of fourteen destinations.

Examples include Berkshire’s Ascot-inspired Fools & Horses, combining Martell Blue Swift, Amaro Nonino, Liqueur 43, vanilla bitters, Fizzix and Perrier-Jouët NV Grand Brut Champagne, and Atlantic Roller, inspired by Cornwall, which features Cîroc Voda, Crème de Menthe, blue curaçao, Supasawa, Muyu Chinoto Verte, London Essence Soda Water and Belsazar Riesling foam.

Paying homage to Charleston, Sussex, Garden Party blends Absolut Elyx Vodka, Banana, Diplomático Planas Rum, Crème De Banana, cream caramel, tonka bean bitters and ‘rainbow dust, while London Calling, a tribute to the capital, is made with Casamigos Blanco Tequila, Muyu Vetiver Gris, Cocchi Americano, pink grapefruit shrub, lime juice and London Essence Pomelo & Pink Pepper Tonic.

Other cocktails are dedicated to Bloomsbury, Kent, Somerset, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire, Cheshire, Cumbria, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Essex.

Giovanni Spezziga, general manager of The Coral Room, said: “I am delighted to be able to offer a journey across England from the comfort of The Coral Room with our new menu which brings fourteen cherished destinations to life with every sip.

“This menu has been a great pleasure to devise and I’m excited to offer guests a country escape in the heart of the capital.”

The Wordrobe’s Sophie Ritchie talks tipples and raising the bar for hospitality with Giovanni Spezziga, The Coral Room’s General Manager at the Bloomsbury hotel

With over 20 years’ experience working in food and beverage, Italian born Giovanni Spezziaga’s creativity and passion for the hospitality industry has allowed him to work in some of the finest establishments across Europe.

We payed a visit to The Coral Room in Bloomsbury to meet with Gio in the bright and beautifully spacious bar to find out more about his career, inspirations and plans for the newly opened venue…

How did you get into the industry?
Well, I started a long time ago. I was really young –  it was 20 years ago. I started working in a local coffee shop with my grandmother. I was about 12 – we used to live in the same building.

I’d go in on my days off. It never felt like work, more just having fun with her. From that point on, I enjoyed the atmosphere and meeting guests and locals so much that I fell in love with the industry.

Tell us more about your career background
Well, I actually studied as an accountant, but it wasn’t for me. I spent a summer working at a high profile restaurant in Sardinia – it was a beautiful place, full of beautiful people. I returned and started from scratch, as a waiter, and ended up spending seven years there. Being young, I really enjoyed it!

I then moved to Switzerland for a few years to study hotel management and worked at very prestigious members clubs. I am very selective about where I work – I only want to work in the best places.

After that, I moved to London to study English and landed a bartending job at Rockwell Bar in The Trafalgar Hotel in 1999. It was an amazing experience. It was a great time to be working with so many talented people – they made my days easy.

I then moved to One Aldwych before working at W Hotel. I shifted a lot every few years before going on to Scarfes Bar as Bar Manager.

What’s your favourite part of your job?
Well, my background is to work with a venue that’s new or launching for the first time – for me it’s great to see a place come alive. An empty room is a blank canvas! It’s challenging but a beautiful experience.

My favourite part is the final two weeks before opening, because that’s when everything comes together. To me, it’s like Christmas and opening a present. We work very closely with the team to make sure everything is exceptional. It’s also a beautiful feeling when the first guests come to the door.

Do you have any favourite bars?
I do love the Coral Room! Also Gibson, The Connaught… it depends on where you are, what your mood is! You can try anything in London.

There’s a massive community of bar managers in the city – we all know and respect each other, it’s a great circle of friends to have.

What does hospitality mean to you? 
Hospitality is being welcoming. Be genuine, be honest. Make sure your guests have a good time and that they’re smiling. Don’t be robotic! Show your personality.

Whats’s next on the cards?
For now, I am focusing on The Coral Room. But later down the line, in a few years, my next goal is to be a hotel manger or GM.

What’s your favourite midnight snack?
Oh… it will have to be chocolate!

Words by Sophie Ritchie

Martin Brudnizki has left quite an imprint on London and the designer‘s newest and brightest project may be the most Martin Brudnizki of all. The Coral Room in The Bloomsbury Hotel is nothing short of luminous. Playing out like a Pinterest page of Art Deco influences, the room is replete with shimmering chandeliers, chic wall sconces, brash bankers lamps and a gorgeous marble bar. Of all the features the most notable is the colour – a bold, bright coral. But the most powerful asset is likely the bar‘s bartender par excellence – Giovanni Spezziga.

We‘ve known Spezziga for some time – following his progress from the W to Benares to Scarfes Bar. The sparkling wine list is one of the longest in London and breaks bottles out by country – we were particularly won over by a Brightwell Vineyard Sparkling Chardonnay 2009 from Oxfordshire – however Spezziga‘s cocktails were the most memorable beverages of the evening.  The C O P P E R A L L E Y blended Hayman‘s Old Tom gin with pisco, aperol, lavender syrup, lime juice and egg white to delirious, delicious and sour effect whilst the W I LT S H I R E W A R R I O R was freshness incarnate, blending Sipsmith vodka with lime juice, agave, melon balls and sparkling wine.

There‘s a veritable cornucopia of nibbles on offer. Of all sampled, our favourites were the king prawns with aioli; truffle and parmesan fries; and tenderstem broccoli with kale, cashews, roasted squash and toasted seeds. There‘s a dessert menu with chocolate truffles and lemon cheesecake which matches up well with a number of the libations. We really can‘t say enough about the Coral Room – it attracts a sophisticated set that know what they want from a cocktail bar.

Tanqueray No. TEN has partnered with inspirational and award-winning food writer, TV personality and chef Gizzi Erskine, to launch a new experimental dining series for food and cocktails made by Giovanni Spezziga. Launching this January and running monthly until the end of June, The Tanqueray No. TEN Table will take place at the beautiful Dalloway Terrace set in the heart of the historic and vibrant Bloomsbury, London.

Words & Portraits Kirk Truman

Just off Bedford Square, right in the heart of Bloomsbury, is a bar like no other, and today I’m getting the grand tour from its general manager, Giovanni Spezziga. We’re at The Bloomsbury’s Coral Room, where Gio, as he’s known, is looking as sharp as ever in a double-breasted velvet jacket as he takes me from room to room and floor to floor, greeting and charming guests and staff alike. Gio is well known in the industry as an established host and manager, and since late last year The Coral Room has been his stomping ground.

I recall my first visit here when, oddly perhaps, I was reminded of the bar which features in the Stanley Kubrick film of Stephen King’s The Shining. I assure you, it was meant as a compliment! You may remember the scene where Jack Nicholson sits and has a drink at the Overlook Hotel’s grand bar. The key difference is that The Coral Room, while equally grand, couldn’t be less sinister. In fact, the environment is both relaxed and glamorous. The vibrant coral walls are decorated with the works of acclaimed artist Edward Luke, while from the double-height ceilings are suspended five bespoke Murano glass chandeliers. The luxurious interior, designed by the acclaimed Martin Brudnizki, is redolent of the Bloomsbury of the 1920s, or of an exquisite country house transported to the heart of Central London. It’s candy for your eyes, and the food and drink offerings a true delight for your taste buds.

Gio was the perfect choice to helm this new venture. He has well established roots in hospitality, having spent seven years of his career in London, prior to which he had gained valuable experience back home in Italy. “I guess I’ve moved around since being in London. From the W Hotel in Leicester Square, to the Rosewood over in Holborn, I’m lucky enough to have worked in some of the best venues in the city,” he says. “After working with the Rosewood, an opportunity arose which interested me, and I think I knew from the off that I wanted to be involved. I couldn’t ignore the idea of the The Coral Room. Restaurants and bars have always been like bread and butter to me, you know? This felt like the beginning of a place which I wanted to be associated with.”

Gio was first introduced to The Bloomsbury last year when he was invited to meet with members of the team about the upcoming project. “The vision was clear. I was very happy to be given the opportunity to helm The Coral Room – and just to be invited in! The dream was always to be able to open a place afresh – it’s exciting to be part of a new opening, and to watch something unfold in front of you like that,” he says. Once on board, Gio worked closely with the team at the hotel and the interior designers in order to help perfect the vision that would become The Coral Room. From the trademark coral walls to the elegant fused marble bars and other immaculate details, Gio has been at the centre of the project, ensuring that functionality and good looks went hand in hand.

It’s an attention to detail that has paid off. The bar inhabits what was once a handsome but underused reception area. With its incredibly high ceilings and wooden panelling – now updated in striking coral – it was fitting that this huge Edwardian space should be brought back to life as a grand salon bar for the 21st century. The dining options, I’m pleased to say, are as desirable as the location itself, with a fantastic brunch menu, a selection of fine English sparkling wines and an inimitable cocktail list for the evening – I’d especially recommend the Barber & Barrel whiskey sour, a personal favourite.

Gio and I are passing back into The Coral Room via the terrace when he observes: “You know, I guess you could say it’s a grand café, and I’m the gatekeeper. We’re open from 8 o’clock every morning until late. The food and drink offerings are amazing, and the location ties it all together. It’s a meeting spot for Bloomsbury.” Gio goes on to explain how The Coral Room is used as an office away from work, or perhaps a living room away from home, by many people within the creative industries, agencies and companies in the surrounding area. As he greets guests around the room, it seems that he has got to know quite a few of them already.

It’s here ladies and gentlemen, the coveted shortlist for Imbibe Personality of the Year 2018. Over the past few months we’ve been keeping our eyes open and ears to the ground, looking out for the bartenders, somms, F&B managers and anyone else in the on-trade who’s absolutely killing it.

Having had a detox, guests enjoyed a ‘retox’ with a Bloody Mary Masterclass hosted by General Manager Giovanni Spezziga in collaboration with Crystal Head Vodka.

The masterclass was followed by a Canadian-style brunch, where there was a choice of three Crystal Head Vodka Caesar cocktails including the classic Bloody Caesar, a refreshing Morning Thymecombining Crystal Head Vodka, apple juice and ginger ale and finally an Elderflower Power which is a mix of Crystal Head Vodka, elderflower cordial, lemon juice, grapefruit juice and topped with grapefruit soda, all sure to quench your thirst on a hot summer’s day.