"Does it look like I give a damn?," responds Daniel Craig's James Bond in Casino Royale when asked how he would like his martini made. Had he only consulted Ian Fleming, or indeed the Dukes Hotel in London, Craig would have been far more specific.
The Dukes is a stylishly discreet 5 star establishment in Mayfair, which backs onto Green Park. Within its unassuming walls lies some remarkable anecdotes in the Fleming/Bond success story. Fleming was known to write at the hotel — indeed, he even had a favorite table in the bar — and it's where he came up with the Vesper martini, which contains a bare minimum of vermouth and of course is shaken not stirred. Legend has it that the Dukes bar played host to previous Bond alumni Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan who, upon finding out they had won the role of 007, immediately celebrated with the famous martini.
You may not be in the running for the part once Daniel Craig decides he's had enough, but that needn't stop you from watching resident bar manager Alessandro Palazzi teach you how to make the perfect martini. Now do pay attention 007...