The following is an extract from my article for Issue 73 of The Rake Magazine. Read it in full here.
Dukes Bar in London is renowned for its martinis, but equally so, we imagine, for the man behind them. Alessandro Palazzi has been in the hospitality industry since the 1970s, and his unwavering determination to make each of his guests feel like royalty is just one of his many charms. Another is his perennial sense of style, which he describes as diplomatic, acrobatic and charismatic.
Alessandro Palazzi, photographed by Kim Lang.
A generational family ring.
We met him on one of his rare days off-duty, and even then you couldn’t help but feel in awe as he walked into the room, with a coolness and swagger befitting a master of his craft. After he had regaled us with stories of his time at The Ritz Paris, and later Dukes Bar, the conversation turned to the struggles of the hospitality industry in the midst of the Covid pandemic. Even on a note as sombre as this, however, there was a sense of optimism in Palazzi’s voice. “I’ve been in the business for 45 years,” he said. “Hospitality will always bounce back, because it’s about the people.”
Keeper of the Quaich.
Omega Speedmaster with Palazzi flannel strap.
The importance of friendships was clear when he talked about his style — whether it was The Armoury’s City Hunter jacket purchased after seeing it through a friend (a certain Mark Cho), the trousers made for him by Gianluca Migliarotti of Pommella Napoli (using a Fox Brothers cloth named the Palazzi flannel), or the Anderson & Sheppard Martini motif pocket-square gifted to him by Paul Feig, each piece was considered — and made — with love.
Read more in Issue 73 of The Rake Magazine.