We were excited to launch our London chapter last month, and it was wonderful to meet some of our UK-based members as well as make new connections. We were curious to learn where our new network likes to spend their time, from dining and drinking destinations to the best shopping and hotels to stay at. Copy-and-paste a couple of locals’ must-visit lists, or curate your tour with intel from design and hospitality industry insiders.
Dine: The Omakase dining experience at The Fuji Grill at Beaverbrook Townhouse is very special. Omakase, a Japanese culinary experience, translates to ‘I leave it up to you,’ meaning leaving the meal completely up to the chef. Guests can choose from 12 or 20-courses and the dishes are ever-changing so they complement the season, highlight the best of Japan’s gastronomy and perfectly suit guests’ individual tastes.
Drink: Spoilt for choice in London. The hidden terrace at The HARI hotel in Belgravia is a fantastic neighbourhood gem and has regular fun pop ups. For Summer, the riverside terrace at The Mitre Hampton Court is hard to beat - complete with it’s own vintage boat and 6 new self-drive boats you can Skipper to cruise the Thames with friends and family.
Stay: You can’t beat a grand dame hotel and it doesn’t get better than The Goring a stone’s throw away from Buckingham Palace. The only hotel in the world to have a Royal Warrant from the Queen, and the last five star hotel owned and run by the same family for over a hundred years. It has bags of personality; the hotel’s mascot is a resident Shetland pony named Teddy (also an instagram sensation and owned by a Goring family member), and the hotel has the largest garden in central London, larger than Centre Court at Wimbledon.
Shop: I love championing boutique brands and PAOLITA in Notting Hill is a firm favourite for fabulous colourful print swimwear, resort wear and ready-to-wear collections. Another favourite which is a sustainable brand is PAPER London. My favourite homeware store is Summerill & Bishop, they design and collaborate with artists to create wow factor tableware pieces.
PAOLITA (Andrew Meredith)
Dine: My go-to breakfast spots are Colbert in Sloane Square or Langan’s Brasserie in Green Park. Perfect mixture of chic and professional for great breakfast meetings. I love the Granola at Colbert, forever my favourite.
My favourite dinner spot is Bar de Pres on Albermarle street, such a sexy little spot with a great bar that I love to sit at. A French, Japanese fusion from Cyril Lignac you have to try the fried sushi and crab galette. For drinks I love George Club or The Connaught Bar for fabulous Gin Martinis, my drink of choice.
The Connaught
Shop: I love Joseph on Brompton Cross, if I was going to go shopping I could easily while away a few hours in here. Beautiful pieces from Joseph but equally a whole mix of designers. I love their selection, it is almost chosen for me. A Stroll down bond street can also never disappoint.
Stay: My favourite locations at the moment at Beaverbrook Townhouse and The Twenty Two. Inspired and interesting design led hotels which also have great bars and restaurants attached. Plus they are both in great locations.
Beaverbrook Townhouse
Amble down: I love a walk down Pavillion Road just behind Sloane Square so many wonderful food shops that have been expertly curated. Stop here and have a coffee and an ice cream and then walk up Sloane Street to Hyde Park.
The PuRe PR team gave us the scoop on all the spots design lovers have to hit in London.
Design Centre Chelsea Harbour
Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour is the world’s premier destination for design and decoration excellence. Home to 120 showrooms and over 600 of the world’s most prestigious luxury brands, it is the largest of its kind in Europe. More than a resource, it is a thriving platform, both creatively and commercially, for an exceptionally dynamic industry.
Tottenham Court Road
Andrew Martin has opened its newest showroom on Tottenham Court Road. The spacious showroom runs over two vast floors, transformed from head to toe in Andrew Martin’s signature Aladdin's cave design style. Brimming with vibrant neon artworks, sprawling sectional sofas, drapings of rugs and a selection of statement headboards too, there is a wealth of excitement and treasures to discover. Other showrooms include Timothy Oulton, Heals and west elm.
Burleigh at Fortnum & Masons
Opening in 1707, Fortnum & Masons is an upmarket department store in Piccadilly, London. Burleigh, the heritage pottery brand handcrafting its wares in England since 1851, is proud to stock its beautiful Prunus Collection at Fortnum & Mason, crafted from the finest English earthenware and hand-decorated using tissue transfer decoration. A brand that prides itself on a sustained use of time-honoured manufacturing processes, Burleigh is the only pottery in the world to decorate its wares using tissue transfer printing, a method dating back over 250 years. There are now just 12 craftspeople in the world who have the precise skills needed to continue Burleigh’s decorative lineage.
The Monocle Shop
The Monocle Shop (34 Chiltern St, London W1U 7IU) in London has moved to a bigger space on 34 Chiltern Street. A stone’s throw away from the Monocle Café, the shop is packed with interior and design brands. Shop for Monocle products and collaborations including travel guides, books, fragrances, bags, accessories and previous magazine issues. Also visit String Furniture; the Scandinavian design icons are proud to stock its String System and exclusive Monocle x String Pocket shelf at the interior and design shop.
Renaissance St Pancras Hotel
The Grand Midland Hotel at St Pancras Station in London once stood proudly as the most impressive hotel in London. With spectacular Gothic-Revival architecture, the hotel set a new standard in luxury and comfort. However, when the hotel closed its doors in 1935, it gradually fell into a state of disrepair. In January 1999, Brintons was given special permission to use the Grand Staircase in the derelict former Midland Grand Hotel building (now the St Pancras Renaissance) as the backdrop for the photographs that were used in its ground-breaking ‘some things in life wear better than others’ advertising campaign. The campaign was built around a series of elegant costumes that were designed by Vivienne Westwood but made from Brintons Axminster carpet.
We tapped the Bacchus team for the hotels to call home, from classics to recent openings.
1 Hotel Mayfair (just opened)
Hotel Mayfair, located on Berkeley Street overlooking Green Park, is London’s very first mission-driven sustainable luxury hotel, setting the standard for a new kind of luxury experience that positively impacts the planet. The UK brand flagship, 1 Hotel Mayfair is a nine-story hotel, housing 181 guest rooms and 44 suites, showcasing the best of sustainable design. Flooring in the guest rooms is crafted from fallen trees from local parks, bringing the outdoors in and highlighting the wood’s natural beauty. Dovetale, a celebrated restaurant with terrace and garden seating, will be headed up by Michelin-starred chef Tom Sellers (Restaurant Story), alongside a neighbourhood coffee shop lobby bar. Opening later this summer, the hotel will feature a bespoke fitness centre and Bamford Wellness Spa.
Dovetale
Rosewood London, centrally located in the heart of London on High Holborn, is situated a stone’s throw away from Covent Garden, and has the feel of a stylish London residence. Housing 263 guestrooms and 45 suites, including the Grand Manor House Wing, an exclusive seven-bedroom suite with its very own postcode, the hotel boasts 11 event spaces and the Mirror Room, serving elegant, innovative cuisine and afternoon tea. The Holborn Dining Room and year-round outdoor terrace offer British classics with a twist whilst Scarfes Bar serves creative cocktails alongside live jazz.
Nestled in the heart of Shoreditch, London’s creative and cultural hub, is the Mondrian Shoreditch, a 120-room 5 star hotel offering an elevated accommodation experience in the East and several established food and beverage brands including world-famous chef Dani Garcia’s first culinary experience in London - Bibo’s Shoreditch.
Notting Hill townhouse hotel The Laslett has just reopened its alfresco terrace in time for the summer, with a new cocktail and food menu, including the new favourite is the 'Honey Spritz’ cocktail made with the London-based bitter Beesou - Bitter Honey Aperitif, to welcome locals and travellers alike. The terrace is a sun-filled haven surrounded by herb and citrus-filled terracotta pots, home to regular live music and the hotel has also partnered with Hackney Gelato, to offer the “East to West Sundae” for the warmer days on the terrace.
Treehouse Hotel London, Oxford Circus
Treehouse London is located in Langham Place in Marylebone, one of London’s most vibrant neighbourhoods. Designed to appeal to the child in all of us, Treehouse is playful, curious, rustic and nostalgic, with all rooms perched high in the city skyline and feature big bay windows that look out to some of London’s most iconic landmarks. The hotel features Madera, sister of acclaimed fine-dining Mexican restaurant Toca Madera in Los Angeles, as well as Pizzeria Mozza, serving classic Italian fare. The hotel’s crowning jewel is The Nest, a photo shoot-worthy rooftop bar with spectacular 360-degree views of London. The bar and lounge features a tandem swing set, areas for cosying up in blankets and viewing the cityscape, and stylish spots for catching up over cocktails and small bites.
Henrietta Hotel, Covent Garden
In a tucked-away townhouse in the heart of Covent Garden, the discreet Henrietta Hotel has the added advantage of feeling like your own central-London address brought to you by the fashionable French friends behind the Experimental Cocktail Club. Guests at Henrietta Hotel can enjoy the imminent proximity of the centre of London as well as an intimate escape in the lovely neighbourhood of Covent Garden.
There’s something for everyone on the KWT Global London team’s list.
If you love art and love food this is your place. With famous works adorning the walls and even a floor that is a work of art by Rashid Johnson. Food is old school British with a twist, keep a look out for the famous lobster pie complete with lobster head emerging from the pie crust. The Dover sole and triple cooked chips elevate Fish & Chips to a whole new level. Don’t forget it's also a great option for a client breakfast, with everything from kippers to bacon sandwiches, served with a Bloody Mary of course.
Incredible quality inspired food in an unpretentious, minimalist interior in Shoreditch coming from a team with a Michelin star pedigree. Look out for the red neon on the brickwork outside down a Shoreditch backstreet. A place to go small or large. Run by two sommeliers with a light touch, all staff share their knowledge of the great range of wines which complement the delicious, experimental menu. Currently including smoked eel Caesar Salad or Iberico Pork Neck, artichoke and grilled apricot.
A stone throw from the iconic Portobello Road, Granger & Co Notting Hill is a great affordable Brunch spot with an Aussie vibe. The interior is chic and airy, transporting you to Australia whatever London’s weather. The menu is a range of antipodean favourites from courgette fritters to ricotta hotcakes, with impressive cocktails to match. Try the rum, honeydew melon and green chilli cocktail, paired perfectly with the ‘fresh aussie’ brunch plate of salmon, poached eggs, and greens. For a boozy brunch or evening catch up, Granger & Co. is perfect.
Contemporary Japanese in the heart of Fitzrovia for a cool, refined evening. Sushi and sashimi is presented in gorgeous omakase-style wooden trays, served with wasabi root freshly grated at your table. Décor blends traditional looks and contemporary touches, with a menu embodying the artistry and precision expected of modern Japanese cuisine; Spoil yourself with their sake and wine pairing to enjoy a perfectly balanced experience. Sublime service and faultless flavours, a perfect place in one of London’s calmer neighbourhoods.
For London this is very unusual – a candlelit banquet. Beast is a restaurant like no other. An expertly crafted tasting menu offers the epitome meat from land and sea. This comes ready paired with wine from the in-house sommelier or opt for the a la carte menu and Beast boasts a selection of over 300 types of wine from across the globe, all impressively lined up on view. Beast is uncompromising in the simplicity of its offer, the quality and atmosphere. Though maybe not the best for vegetarians.
The RHC team is an authority in this category, with a slew of recommendations including spots from the World’s Best Bars list.
This subterranean bar at the London outpost of The NoMad hotel group is a little elegant, a little ominous, and a lot of fun. There’s a distinctly roaring twenties vibe thanks to its high-drama interiors filled with dark florals, low lighting, and intimate seating, so it’s worth ordering a more dramatic drink. Enter the Crown Cup, a glamorous collaboration between Absolut Elyx and NoMad London to mark the venue’s opening. It’s a fruit-forward drink of Absolut Elyx, a vodka with enriched cranberry, lime, and passionfruit. It is served in a gorgeous copper crown cup replicating the one Queen Elizabeth II wore.
Crowned the Best Bar in the World in 2022, Lyaness is a mandatory drinking spot for cocktail lovers. Set on the South Bank in the Sea Containers hotel, the bar is in the former site of Dandelyan, also named Best Bar in the World. Like Dandelyan and Seed Library, it is another boozy playground for Ryan Chetiyawardana, a.k.a. Mr. Lyan. The menu takes five signature ingredients and builds from there with items you’re unlikely to find anywhere else, like oyster honey, grass amazake, and blood Curaçao. If you’re overwhelmed by choices, just talk to the waiter, and they will steer you towards something undoubtedly delightful like the Dufftown Manhattan, which pairs smoky Scotch with Fruit Furikake, green peppercorn, a dash of vermouth, and a jab of koseret bitters. The cocktails are excellent, but the spirited tea and the view alone are worth the trip.
You’ll wind up in a wonderland of cocktails if you’re brave enough to trek down a rabbit hole of a dark hallway and even darker stairs inside the One Hundred Shoreditch Hotel. This is the Bond villain-inspired lair of cocktail master Ryan Chetiyawardana, known as Mr. Lyan, and serves up nine classic cocktails, albeit with inspired twists. Take their version of a Penicillin, traditionally made with a peaty Scotch at Seed Library they swap in a smoky mezcal, add a dash of spicy galangal, and the results are a brilliant play on the original. Their Sansho Leaf Martini gives the staid cocktail a verdant twist on standard choice (and it pairs perfectly with their smiley-face potato snacks). They also offer non-alcoholic versions of several of their drinks and beer and wine, making it an inclusive drinking environment.
Bonus round on us: if you’re not local or don’t have a trip across the pond planned, get a taste of the Oaxaca Old Fashioned Served at Side Hustle, NoMad London Hotel with the below recipe.
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