The Garden Room at The Lanesborough Hotel, London

Nick Hammond
Posted: February 15, 2011

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Pre-embargo sticks, rare and aged Cubans and collector's items litter the cigar menu. And if you take Ruo to one side, he may even tell you about the cigars that don't even make the menu...

"When I come back from one of my trips," he laughs, "the regulars are here waiting for me. They're asking 'What have you got?' because they know the good stuff won't be around long enough to get on the menu!"

If you're feeling particularly flush, The Lanesborough can suit your hedonistic mood.

Giuseppe Ruo stocks the cigar menu and can prepare a killer Martini, too.

A Cohiba Behike from the original blending of this classic cigar will set you back a cool £2,000 a stick ($3,226), or a Dom Perignon £500 ($806). You can also accompany your cigar with some of the oldest bottlings and vintages in the world; how about a shot of Cognac bottled in 1770 and a snip at just £4,000? ($6,453)

These acquisitions are just a small example of how The Lanesborough goes that extra mile for its guests.

"My lemons are shipped in from Sicily, these olives from near my home in mainland Italy," he says, as we taste the incredible fruits which are nearly the size of plums.

"Everything we do is done to the best, the very best, and that includes cigars. I only smoke Cubans because they are the best. The soil, the sun, the rain—all this is perfect for cigars and it cannot be replicated."

With his custom-built Davidoff cigar scissors and trusty Dupont lighter to hand, Ruo awaits you in The Garden Room. Treat yourself and visit one of the finest places to enjoy a cigar you'll ever find.

The Lanesborough Hotel

Non-residents are welcome at The Garden Room, which opens daily from 4:30 p.m., but a minimum spend of £25 ($40) applies. Get in early if you want to bag that elusive seat by the fire.

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