A peep into the magnificent world of Rafayel cocktails

The earliest known printed use of the word cocktail was in The Farmer's Cabinet on April 28, 1803. Drank a glass of cocktail—excellent for the head...Call'd at the Doct's. found Burnham—he looked very wise—drank another glass of cocktail.

The first "cocktail party" ever thrown was allegedly by Mrs. Julius S. Walsh Jr. of St. Louis, Missouri, in May 1917. Mrs. Walsh invited 50 guests to her home at noon on a Sunday. The party lasted an hour, until lunch was served at 1 pm. The site of this first cocktail party still stands. In 1924, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis bought the Walsh mansion at 4510 Lindell Boulevard, and it has served as the local archbishop's residence ever since.

''When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. Sooooo, let’s all get drunk and go to heaven!''

A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients — at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit, a cocktail is never two or more Alcopops mixed together. 

The earliest definition of cocktail was in the May 13, 1806, edition of the Balance and Columbian Repository, a publication in Hudson, New York, in which an answer was provided to the question, "What is a cocktail?". It replied:  Cocktail is a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters—it is vulgarly called a bittered sling and is supposed to be an excellent electioneering potion, inasmuch as it renders the heart stout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head. It is said, also to be of great use to a Democratic candidate: because a person, having swallowed a glass of it, is ready to swallow anything else.

 

"He was white and shaken, like a dry martini"

- PG Wodehouse

"The three-martini lunch is the epitome of American efficiency. Where else can you get an earful, a bellyful and a snootful at the same time?”

- Gerald R. Ford 

"Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water."

- WC Fields

I like to drink martinis. Two at the most. Three I'm under the table, four I'm under the host.

- Dorothy Parker

Our mixologist, Albert

A mixologist is a bartender or someone who specializes in the creation of cocktail recipes. The term usually implies special expertise and professionalism.

Now open - Gallery Rafayel (art on the Left Bank)

Is there enough art around you?

The gallery Rafayel (art on the Left Bank) is dedicated to the promotion of contemporary fine art offering you beautiful original works of fine art, paintings and drawings – straight from the Artist.

The gallery Rafayel (art on the Left Bank) is for YOU, the art lover and collector. You can stop buying faux art and create your own wonderful array of originals and meet the artist behind them.

The gallery Rafayel is the ideal choice to build your art collection or to gift them to your loved ones.

We welcome you to The Gallery Rafayel (art on the Left Bank).

 

Enjoy!

 Laurence Longueville | Gallery Rafayel (art on the Left Bank) | 34 Lombard Road | London SW11 3RF

T: +44 20 7801 3600

Rafayel's pick of the day - Muhammad Yunus

It is inspirational personalities like Muhammad Yunus, economist, founder Grameen Bank and 2006 Peace Prize Nobelist, whose vision and level of social responsibility paves the way for global corporate conscientiousness to accelerate its direction towards making a better world.

Global Social Summit, November 5, 2010

Muhammad Yunus, Founder Grameen Bank

I’m encouraging young people to become social business entrepreneurs and contribute to the world, rather than just making money. Making money is no fun. Contributing to and changing the world is a lot more fun.

Poor people are a like bonsai tree, a little tree. You pick the seed of the tallest tree in the forest and take the best seed out of it, and plant it in a flower pot. You get a tiny little tree, we call it a bonsai. Nothing wrong with the seed, you’ve got the best seed possible. Nothing wrong with the tree, because you actually picked the tallest tree in the forest. But actually it grows this far… why? Because we put them in the flower pot. The base. Society is the base. And society is so stingy it doesn’t give the poor people the space to grow.  So I say, change the base! If you change the base, anybody will be as tall as anybody else! My belief is poverty is not caused by poor people. Poverty is caused by the system. Poverty is caused by the policies that we pursue.

People can change their own lives, provided they have the right kind of institutional support. They’re not asking for charity, charity is no solution to poverty.

We have created a society that does not allow opportunities for people to take care of themselves because we have denied them those opportunities.

I was teaching in one of the universities while the country was suffering from a severe famine. People were dying of hunger, and I felt very helpless. As an economist, I had no tool in my tool box to fix that kind of situation. I went to the bank and proposed that they lend money to the poor people. The bankers almost fell over. They explained to me that the bank cannot lend money to poor people because these people are not creditworthy.

Poverty is unnecessary.

Muhammad Yunus (1940 – ) created the microcredit, and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006

Awarded for corporate social responsibility

Fun with Fireworks

Guy Fawkes Night draws ever nearer and a selection of London... Fireworks Displays are taking place throughout the capital to mark the occasion in traditional style. Only one place to go and admire all the fireworks in and around London on 5th and 6th of November - Rafayel Hotel - the best vantage point.

A little bit of history…

*Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Bonfire Night (more casually in recent times as Fireworks Night), is an annual celebration held on the evening of 5 November to mark the failure of the Gunpowder Plot of 5 November 1605, in which a number of Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, attempted to destroy the Houses of Parliament in London.

The occasion is primarily celebrated in Great Britain where, by an Act of Parliament called The Thanksgiving Act, it was compulsory until 1859, to celebrate the deliverance of the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, organised by Robert Catesby, Thomas Wintour, Robert Wintour, Guy Fawkes, John Wright, Christopher Wright, Robert Keyes, Thomas Percy, John Grant, Ambrose Rookwood, Sir Everard Digby, Francis Tresham, and Thomas Bates was plot to assassinate James I of England and restore Catholicism to England.

The 13 conspirators planned to place a hoard of gunpowder in an undercroft directly underneath the House of Lords. The plotters believed it to be the perfect place to hide explosives, as the undercroft had gone unused for some time. As October came and the plot was finalised, concerns arose that there may be Catholics present in Parliament when the device was to explode.  On Saturday 26 October William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle, Francis Tresham's brother-in-law, received an anonymous letter warning him not to attend Parliament. On Friday 1 November the King was shown the letter, and it was later decided that a search of the Houses of Parliament would be undertaken on Monday.

According to the King's account, searchers discovered a servant nearby a large pile of firewood in the undercroft on Monday 4 November. He informed the searchers that the firewood belonged to his master, Thomas Percy. The servant's true identity was Guy Fawkes. As the searches had so far failed to locate anything untoward the King demanded that a more thorough search must commence. Shortly after midnight a search party under the command of Thomas Knyvet discovered Fawkes in the undercroft. Fawkes, who identified himself as John Johnson, was placed under arrest, and his possessions searched. He was discovered to be carrying a pocket watch, matches, and torchwood. The search team then unearthed barrels of gunpowder hidden beneath the pile of firewood.

Fawkes, still using the alias John Johnson, claimed when interrogated that he had acted alone. "Johnson" was relocated to the Tower of London on 6 November, where he was to be tortured, after the King gave his consent for the torture to take place. On 7 November Fawkes confessed that he had not acted alone, and the full extent of the plot was unearthed. The plotters were all executed, aside from Catesby and Percy, who had already been killed amidst their refusal to surrender, however the bodies were exhumed and their heads placed on spikes outside the Houses of Lords.(*Source: Wiki)

Spectacular shows

If you can’t make it out for a fireworks display during bonfire night weekend, rest assured. A number of displays will be held before and after the weekend, giving you the chance to enjoy a spectacular show at your convenience.

Friday 5th November
Barkingside Fireworks Display
Displays at 19:00 and 20:00
Bishops Park Fireworks Display
From 18:00, displays at 19:30 and 20:00
Clapham Fireworks Display
Display at 19:30
Crystal Palace Fireworks Display
From 18:00, displays at 19:00 and 20:30
Kingston Fireworks Display
From 18:30, display at 20:00
Southwark Fireworks Display
From 18:00, display at 19:00
Totteridge Fireworks Display
From 17:30, display at 19:15
Walthamstow Fireworks Display
From 18:00, display at 20:00
Wanstead Fireworks Display
From 18:30
Westway Fireworks Display
From 18:15, display at 19:00
Wimbledon Fireworks Display
From 18:30, displays at 18:45 and 20:30
Saturday 6th November
Barking Park Fireworks Display
From 17:30, display at 20:00
Barnes Fireworks Display
From 18:30, display at 19:55
Battersea Park Fireworks Display
From 18:00, display at 20:00
Beckenham Fireworks Display
From 18:00, display at 20:00
Blackheath Fireworks Display
Display at 20:00
Carshalton Park Fireworks Display
From 18:00, display at 19:00
Chislehurst Fireworks Display
From 18:00, display at 19:30
Danson Park Fireworks Display
From 18:00, display at 20:00
Ealing Fireworks Display
From 18:00, display at 19:30
Enfield Fireworks Display
From 18:00, display at 19:30
Epsom Fireworks Display
From 17:30, display at 19:30
Kempton Park Fireworks Display
From 18:00, display at 19:45
Morden Fireworks Display
From 18:30, displays at 18:45 and 20:30
Norman Park Fireworks Display
From 17:00, display at 20:00
Ravenscourt Park Fireworks Display
From 18:00, display at 20:00
Roundwood Park Fireworks Display
From 18:45, displays at 19:30 and 20:00
Southgate Fireworks Display
From 17:00, display at 20:00
Sunday 7th November
Richmond Fireworks Display
From 17:00, display at 19:00
Victoria Park Fireworks Display
Display at 19:30
Saturday 13th November
Lord Mayors Show Fireworks Display
Display at 17:00

Good begets good...

Hotel Rafayel must be making some kind of record! It seems to enjoy a good review every day in one place or another, be it the hotel rooms or the restaurant or the spa facilities, a claim not many hotels can make.

Nothing like a happy customer... read some of our latest guest reviews. 

Stunner!
Great hotel, v clean, convenient location.

Reviewer: JT (Gastronaut)

"The food at Banyan on Thames is simply SUPERB, the TT offer makes it even more appealing, the lamb dish is devine and I will be going back as soon as I possible can."

• overall: 9.0
• food: 9
• value: 9
• service: 9
• toilets: 9
• ambience: 9 
• recommend: 9

birthday treat next to the Thames.
"We stayed for a special birthday visit to London. We found the location fine and enjoyed walking along the Thames and across to Chelsea. The free pick up service from Clapham Common ( we arrived from Euston) was on time and very useful. We used the 170 bus which stops outside the hotel and goes to Victoria. It runs every 12 minutes and until 12.50 am, so absolutely fine.
Hotel staff very efficient, the "Mississippi" bedroom was very spacious and beautifully appointed and offered far better quality and value than any central london hotels of a similar price. The restaurant was equally excellent, staff were polite and not overbearing and the food was lovely - the real bonus being a 50% reduction on the food bill for hotel guests. We would definitely stay here again."

 Reviewer: (Anonymous)

"This restaurant never disappoints, 1st class food 1st class service. I have been 3 times this month and plan to go back again next month i love it that much. I have recommended to family and friend and they all share my opinion on Banyan on the Thames. This is my favourite restaurant of the year. Even if they didnt have the 50% offer on I would still pay full price for the food."

• overall: 10.0
• food: 10
• value: 10
• service: 10
• toilets: 10
• ambience: 10
• recommend: 10

Great Hotel!
Staff were very friendly, pickup & drop off at Clapham Junction Station was a great little bonus as included in the price paid. Reception is quite colourful but the room itself was very tastefully decorated, everything was in perfect working order. The room was very very spacious, had lovely decor & nothing was too much effort. Would recommend and would definetely visit again.

Modern and Well Presented
"Hotel Rafayel is easy to find and nicely located in Battersea which was ideal for me. Check-in took a little while as there didn't appear to be many people manning the reception desk but the staff were extremely friendly. The lobby is fairly small and cosy and has a pleasantly modern feel without coming across as cold.  The room I had was very nicely presented. It was a 'Yangtze' river view room, spacious and very modern. The bed was comfortable, the bathroom was very large and well specced with a fantastic shower - in fact the rooms really were very good indeed."

"We went to the hotel spa for a quick afternoon relaxation and to have a facial and it was pretty much as expected. The spa was not big, only sauna steam room and a small jacuzzi, but ok for a hotel spa. After relaxing at the sauna and pool, we had our facials and then tea and cubcakes in the relaxation room which was cozy, but a bit cold I thought. We left the Rafayel feeling relaxed and clensed, and feeling we got what we had paid for. However, all in all, a good experience."

would definately go again
brill. stunning rooms, good customer service. Had a few probs with complimentry transport..were left waiting an hour but everthing else was A1

"Fantastic hotel."

Reviewer: (Anonymous)

Banyan on thames in battersea was a delightful experience. The food was exceptional standard and very tasty. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone. The 50% food discount made it very affordable as well. 9/10

• overall: 9.0
• food: 9
• value: 9
• service: 9
• toilets: 9
• ambience: 9
• recommend: 9

"Very friendly staff, willing to help. When we requested a new room due to a party taking place above us, they gave us the option of a new room whilst giving us useful information on the event. Valet parking in a secure car park. Restaurant was expensive but we did get 50% off as hotel guests. Good views over the river"