Mr Fogg's Residence opened in 2014 and has expanded into a small group of themed bars across London. The original on Bruton Lane is committed to the Phileas Fogg conceit: Victorian explorer's drawing room, exotic memorabilia, vintage globes, and a cocktail menu organised as a travel itinerary.
The cocktails are elaborate and theatrical. The drinks are well made — the bartenders take the craft seriously despite the theatre — but the experience is more about the room than the cocktail discipline. The Around the World menu is the right entry point.
The crowd is special-occasion couples, themed-bar enthusiasts, and visiting travellers. Best for one visit. For more disciplined cocktails, Connaught Bar or The American Bar are the better Mayfair options.