Living It up in London: London Hotels and Restaurants by Devanshi Mody
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Read Devanshi's guide to the hottest places to stay, see and dine in London...
Hot Hotels in London
The Langham
London’s literati and glitterati convened. The season sizzled to a start with the “coming out ball” of the Langham. History repeats itself. It also revamps itself. The grand dame, as Europe’s oldest grand hotel (first opened in1865) is called, has had a face lift. Or should we say Sleeping Beauty has awoken kissed by rosy-lipped Dawn (to borrow from Homer). And she is “the very Pink of Perfection,” if we are to continue with Shakespeare.
She is certainly very pink- apparently, a la Marie-Antoinette, the hotel owner’s wife decided on a signature capricious pink. What better way to chase away the blues than plunging into la vie en rose? This abode of unbridled luxury is a little bit quaint, a little bit quirky, somewhat funky with lots of fantasy, subtly stylish but scandalously sexy- like a beautiful woman of alluring ambiguity. Arrests the mind. Beguiles the senses. Endlessly enchanting.
Their new Infinity Suite is London’s most sensational. As for the designer bathrooms redolent with oriental Chuan products… ooh… But do extract yourself from the beguilement of your suite for one of the world’s best breakfasts upon which I lavished hours. Caresses over croissants aren’t devoid of charms especially if they be London’s finest, finely served in The Landau restaurant where antiquarian boiserie gallantly courts brocaded banquettes.
Enjoy can-rival-Paris viennoiserie prepared by the French pastry chef. Don’t miss his extraordinary toasted brioche. Breakfast over, the Landau transforms into a magical fine dining restaurant par excellence. The Bijou Afternoon Tea is the jewel in the crown of afternoon teas. This gastronomic extravagance unfurls in the scintillating Palm Court: delicate sandwiches comprise a variety of canapé-sized breads served with an exuberance of rich and unusual toppings including decadent truffle cream and other extravaganza.
The exquisite cakes are modelled on haute joaillerie including creations of Cartier, Bulgari, Asprey… This is Place Vendome on a plate! Priceless too is the wit of Will, the savviest, smartest concierge in London. Where there’s a Will there’s a way. And today all roads lead Langham way.
The Westbury
Gracing fabled Bond St, Mayfair’s most glamorously discreet hotel stands swishly refurbished, slickly serviced. The beautiful people adorn its champagne pink marble-pillared lobby. Smart art studs ruche fabric walls. Dashing and dynamic 30-year-old owner Azad Cola’s exciting expansions for the future will impart further whah-whah-whoom into this property prestigiously rooted in polo.
Sponsors of the season’s most elite events like the Westbury Shield, Serpentine Summer Party and Cartier Polo, the hotel is associated with the princely and partying types. Their placidly-shaded right royally worthy suites waltzed in rich fabrics exude understated elegance. And here are marble bathrooms with chic Hermes toiletries, pour changer. Check into the suave St George Penthouse Suite or The Hanover Suite.
Suit your palate gastronomically too. The fine dining restaurant Artisan is style incarnate. Chef Andrew Jones offers craftily displayed culinary creations, delightfully punctuated with surprise petits fours, that oft lure the Duchess of York and family. At breakfast try the crispest waffles and cherry Danish pastries.
The trendy Polo Bar is the lunch hot spot for super sandwiches between insane shopping sprees. But the new ‘high impact visually’ afternoon tea takes the cake. After a zingy pre-tea palate cleanser plunder plump and perfect sandwiches and delicate, delec-tea-ble rose-and-lychee cup cakes strikingly presented on a specially-created wooden platter. What sophis-tea-cation!
Claridge’s
Some say that if you have but 24 hours to live then the only thing to do is check into a suite at this legendary London institution. But don’t waste 24 hours deciding on which one- after all, romantic or racy, the Claridge’s suites are all ravishingly irresistible.
The recently refurbished, sexified art décor Linley suite is arguably the most stylish. The marble bathrooms offer full-sized luxury Asprey toilet articles whilst the walk-in wardrobes are larger than most homes. The beds are big enough to sleep a family but if you think not then opt for the beautifully immense Brook or Davies Penthouse Suites, the former chromatically more feminine albeit contemporary whilst the latter is blue and charmingly quaint.
The lyrically lovely piano suites beckon too and the marvellous 212 is where the Prince of Yugoslavia was born. But some seem to have checked permanently into The Fumoir, London’s lushest little lounge-bar. This is the place to see and be seen, unless you’re stuffing your face behind a mountain of gorgeous chocolate fudge and sinfully rich butter biscuits at the bar next door.
That’s if you haven’t already glutted on one of London’s finest afternoon teas. Hopefully, the Lawn Tennis Tea includes an in-built work out. Otherwise the Thai masseuse at the spa will work you out!
The May Fair Hotel
Its super swank Penthouse Suite is wild: sofas and upholstery in furs and hide incite the animal instinct. Romp rumbustiously – indeed, few London suites lend themselves with such panache to pulsating parties.
The terraces teeter dizzily over London and the bathroom is ultra sexy as is the raunchy round bed if you’re here for summer romancing. The hotel’s other exuberant suites, and they offer a dozen to tempt and torment you, swaddled in velvets, satins and lush linens are also lavish love nests or party places, although not for smouldering BBQs.
The heady Opium Suite swirls you in sensuality whilst the outrageously pink Schiaparelli Suite is for frolicsome frivolity. It’ll lure the ladies, and therefore the gents… As for the spa, luxuriate in their chocolate body wraps. Ah, what decadence! Beats Cleopatra’s milk baths.
No 5 Cavendish Square
I fortuitously stumbled upon this little jewel. Quelle decouverte! I like secrets, but can’t be selfish and deprive the world of London’s best-kept secret. Owned by a charismatic Sicilian count, the boutique hotel and private club enchantingly comprises quaint and quirky spaces, pretty gardens and terraces.
You don’t always find these little verdant pockets and open spaces within London hotels. Their new club-lounge was voted London’s best and draws a chi-chi crowd whilst the elegant older embellish the library and beautiful rooms upstairs which are replete with original antiques and exquisite artefacts.
The restaurant, now specialising in authentic Sicilian cuisine, is perhaps unique in London and especially addictive. Suites with lavish Sicilian marble bathrooms entice. The Egyptian suite is staggeringly, exotically opulent but the raunchy red one is the sultriest number in London.
The Berkley
The Berkeley's smart, grey-hued Berkley Suite spaciously stores your purchases (if you’ve been good and bought only half of Harrods) whilst other suites are immensely terraced. Throw a party! London’s only roof-top spa boasts park and city views, indoor pool with retractable roof and sexy sun deck which the glam set adore. As they do the en vogue Pret-a-Por-Tea afternoon tea: The hotel’s pastry chefs visit Fashion Week shows and re-incarnate the catwalk collections (dresses, shoes, handbags) in pastry form.
The Soho Hotel
A transformed car park is amongst London’s funkiest, most flamboyant, celeb-luring addresses. Excess and exuberance manifest themselves in riotous hues. The avant-garde flirts with antiques. Pink pervades the precincts but the Soho suite is rose and grey whilst Apartment 5 is motley.
A £1 million mammoth black cat greets you at the entrance. Crossing it isn’t unlucky as superbly-trained staff treat you to the best service in town. Taste it over wonderful breakfasts and top notch teas fat with London’s loveliest creatures, who pour and purr in the beautiful living rooms and library.
The Grosvenor House
The refurbished historic hotel re-launched as a JW Marriott hotel with 80th birthday celebrations and other glam events. Their new Rose Heart Tea is a must-do. Expect rose petal jams, rarefied rose-scented éclairs, rose macaroons, rose water mille feuille. I still fantasise about the daintiest of pastries.
The rooms and corridors rather recreate the cake colours. But the splendidly-situated hotel offers London’s only breakfasts on terraces facing Hyde Park.
The Sofitel, St James
Infuses the London scene with French flair. Their suites effuse characteristic quiet luxury a la francais. This is naturally a gastronomic haven, being French-owned, and houses the celebrated Brasserie Roux. Their afternoon teas are un vrai delices with real French pastries. Glut away without worrying about being guillo-tea-ned.
The hotel uniquely prepares picnic baskets brimming with goodies to savour in delicious locations. The parks mightn’t be the most inspired options, but remain an ever green choice.
Flemming’s of Mayfair
You’d walk past thinking this a private club. The discreet address with charming library is fabulously located by Shepherd’s Market and Berkley Square. With fully-serviced, old-fashioned apartments from just £300/night (in the heart of Mayfair- unbelievable!), where better to check in if with family? Fleming’s remains unrivalled in the price-location-comfort equation.
Spa-ctacular
The Dorchester Spa
London raves about this unbelievably glam spa luring ladies and gents alike with a bewildering variety of exclusive treatments, including for pregnant women, yummy mummies et al. Try the ultra luxury Caviar Facial by Kerstin Florian- decadence epitomised.
Tea-totaller’s Temptations
The Brown’s Afternoon Tea
Awarded London’s best this year. Tradi-tea-nally, beau-tea-fully executed afternoon teas. Some judge an afternoon tea by its sandwiches, others by the scones. Browns trumps with both. Sandwiches get no finer. Pamper your palate with fabulously-flavoured, tenderly-textured sandwiches, London’s most addic-tea-vely, tea-tea-latingly-textured scones and the French pastry chef’s pa-tea-sserie. Fan-tea-stic!
The Metropolitan Cour-tea-san Tea
As crumpets come with strumpets and Chantilly cedes to scan-tea-ly, tea time has become naugh-tea. Indulge in guil-tea-less frivoli-tea with inspired creations like ethereal fruit compotes and breadless sandwiches: smoked salmon or cucumber and cream cheese set in a glass without the fatteningly offensive bread. Confab over lively-hued pastries.
The Covent Garden Hotel
Cool cup cakes and scrumptious scones are unusually served with wonderful cinnamon butter in a quintessentially English setting.
New Numbers
Dolada
The year’s most exciting restaurant is run by a fashion-conscious and inspired young Chef Ricardo who has a Michelin-starred restaurant in Italy. His wackily clever creations have bewildered the Brits but have Italians addicted. Try astonishing cream-less carbonara or “pizza” constituting a Murano glass alembic containing shots of liquefied mozzarella, pesto, tomato and olive oil which you swig before biting into crusty pizza bases. This chef is a master craftsman and consummate artist with all the madness of genius.
Laya Lina
Belly-dancing fiends hit Knightsbridge’s modern Lebanese restaurant. Award-winning Chef Jihad Rahbani stuns with his contemporised, refined Lebanese cuisine. Inspired! Commence in the space-age lounge and finish amidst super service and fab live entertainment that lure London’s fun-loving elite.
Artisan du Chocolat
Eat and drink chocolate at the contemporary Chocolateria. Discover luxury fusion chocolate bars, couture chocolates, liquid sea salted caramels and chocolate granitas. Take away London’s most whimsical innovations.
Food Fantasies
Kai
The best Chinese cuisine I’ve tried is served with personally-touched slickness. Lakshmi Mittal, Brad Pitt, Tom cruise and Mick Jagger agree. Discover “veggie” crispy Peking duck and innovative chais (meat/sea food dishes recreated with tofu substitutes). The disgusting-sounding pumpkin-coconut-purple-rice dessert astonishes as do homemade ice cream and chocolate.
Hakassan
You cannot enter this trendily relaxed subterranean restaurant unless you’re on the guest list. But the celeb-studded Michelin-starred venue isn’t snooty, although it famously revolutionised Chinese food. The tofu chicken and sticky rice are to-die-for. Canoodle over oodles of noodles.
Yauatcha
Is about Michelin-starred designer dim sum, electric blue interiors and stunning waitresses. Ask the charming manager Imran for assistance if you’re daunted by the bewildering choices. He recommends everything. Relish the extraordinary, rarefied innovations from London’s best pastry chef. A Frenchman, bien sur.
Tamarind
Mercifully authentic despite the Frenchified culinary antics at London’s other Michelin-star Indian restaurants – and it's still playing to packed houses. The craft is on the plate and not the walls, as gentlemen chefs Chef Alfred Prasad, Peter and Gopal adhere to traditional recipes with tongue-tickling treats. Their korma is especially memorable. The service is utterly delicious.
Locanda Locatelli
The cuisine is authentic, un-inundated in oil or cream and startingly simple. Almost Mamma-in-the-Cucina trattoria-style food, not newfangled innovations expected at a Michelin-star restaurant. But simple flavours triumph as Mr Locatelli masters textures making the most divine, melt-in-your-mouth gnocchi. As for Locatelli’s tiramisu - mamma mia!
Corrigan’s
London’s “Restaurant of the Year.” The three-Michelin-star-worthy service and gastronomic British cuisine compensate, especially starters like soups and Welsh rarebit compensate. I who abhor eggs adored the poached egg and asparagus. Desserts are unexceptionally excellent. Should you prefer not exploding, settle for the chocolate declinaison.
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