Hakkasan Mayfair’s four festive cocktails

Four new cocktails arrive at Hakkasan Mayfair this Christmas, each conceived to complement the restaurant’s modern Cantonese kitchen. The Emperor’s Jewel, Emerald 88, Ying Ying and Classic Champagne Cocktail mark the ceremonies December brings: dinners planned in advance, tables reserved with purpose, evenings that carry weight.

The head bartender, Masahiro Urushido, built each drink around the restaurant’s philosophy of precision and restraint. The Emperor’s Jewel carries amber warmth and spice; the Emerald 88 glows with a single bright green botanical; Ying Ying balances bitter and sweet in reference to duality; the Classic Champagne Cocktail returns to fundamentals: bubbles, a sugar cube and bitters. Shot against Hakkasan’s restrained dark interior, each drink glows with internal light.

Akhtar Nawab opened the first Hakkasan in Soho in 2001, introducing modern Cantonese cooking in an environment of deliberate darkness and controlled luxury. The Michelin star followed. The Mayfair location on Hanbury Street extends that template: each Hakkasan adapts to its city while maintaining core discipline. The cocktail programme reflects this consistency, operating within the same framework of intentional design that governs every element, from acoustics to plate arrangement.

Hakkasan Mayfair sits on Hanbury Street in London’s Mayfair, its entrance marked by the discretion that founder Akhtar Nawab has always preferred. The original restaurant opened in Soho in 2001, establishing a template that the Michelin star would later recognise: modern Cantonese cooking delivered in a setting of considered luxury and darkness, where the food and drink command the room. Subsequent locations have followed that discipline, each one calibrated to its particular city.

Christmas is when dining becomes occasion. A restaurant built on Cantonese technique and the idea of precision in service recognises this moment. These cocktails are not casual; they are drinks for the dinner that has been planned, the table that has been reserved, the evening that carries weight. They sit alongside a kitchen that operates on the principle that every plate should demonstrate command of heat, ingredient and timing.

Reservations for Christmas at Hakkasan Mayfair are taken through the restaurant’s official channels. The cocktails form part of the full offer: a sequence of drinks and courses designed to mark an occasion that deserves marking.

Hakkasan Mayfair’s head bartender, Masahiro Urushido, shaped the four drinks around the restaurant’s philosophy of precision and restraint. Urushido’s approach to cocktail construction mirrors the kitchen’s discipline: each ingredient serves a defined purpose, no flourish without function. The Emperor’s Jewel draws on aged spirits and warm spice notes; the Emerald 88 uses a single dominant botanical to achieve its vivid colour and clean taste; Ying Ying balances opposing elements, bitter and sweet, light and deep, yielding the duality its name describes. The Classic Champagne Cocktail returns to fundamentals, recognising that celebration sometimes needs nothing more than bubbles, a sugar cube and bitters.

Akhtar Nawab opened the first Hakkasan in Soho in 2001, introducing London to modern Cantonese cooking delivered in an environment of deliberate darkness and controlled luxury. The Michelin star followed, recognising a kitchen built on precision with heat, technique and ingredient selection. The Mayfair location, which occupies Hanbury Street, extends that template without repeating it: each Hakkasan adapts to its city while maintaining the core discipline. The cocktail programme at Mayfair reflects this consistency, operating within the same framework of intentional design that governs every element, from dining room acoustics to plate arrangement.

The four drinks remain available through the festive season at Hakkasan Mayfair, available to guests dining à la carte or through the restaurant’s tasting menus. Reservations can be made through Hakkasan’s official website or by contacting the restaurant directly on Hanbury Street. The cocktails pair with the full range of the kitchen’s Cantonese offer, from dim sum to larger courses, and form part of the dining experience rather than standing apart from it.

Imagery courtesy of Hakkasan (@hakkasanlondon).