11 London Openings To Know About
HOTELS
Andre Fu At The Berkeley, Mayfair
Alongside the launch of Claridge’s Spa, interior architect André Fu has designed a new suite at sister property the Berkeley. The Knightsbridge Pavilion Penthouse is the fourth super-suite Fu has created for the hotel. On the corner of Hyde Park, the space takes inspiration from its natural surroundings, highlighted by the selection of vivid green onyx, which integrates the colour of park. The suite features a reception area, living room, entertainment bar, outdoor terrace, master bedroom and bathroom, study, walk-in closet and guest bathroom, as well as an optional connecting twin room. Set within a ‘glass box’ integrated within the hotel’s existing outside terrace, the Knightsbridge Pavilion Penthouse has echoes of mid-century design, using natural stone, foliage vignettes, organic lighting and intertwining hand-crafted woodwork to striking effect.
Visit The-Berkeley.co.uk
The Hoxton, Shepherd’s Bush
The Hoxton is gearing up to open its fourth London hotel on 12th December. The Hoxton Shepherd’s Bush will be on the edge of the green, with interior references and opening programming paying homage to the west London area. Aiming to become a destination for locals and tourists, the hotel will have 237 playfully designed bedrooms, while the group’s signature Apartment event space will be in place for relaxed meetings and parties. On the food front, Thai-Americana restaurant Chet’s will serve up fiery flavours, natural wines and spicy coriander martinis; there will be a large open lobby with vintage seating and cosy corners; and a central wraparound bar and terrace will be the spot for guests to enjoy cocktails and coffees.
Visit TheHoxton.com
Sun Street Hotel, Shoreditch
Sun Street Hotel is a five-star property launching on the edge of Shoreditch at the end of the month. The hotel pairs a sensitively restored Georgian terrace with eclectic interiors that nod to the area’s history: there will be 41 guest rooms, including seven suites, and guests will be able to choose to spend the night in either Georgian or modern-styled rooms. All bedrooms will have king-sized beds, Oxford pillows, a twice-daily maid service and Penhaligon’s toiletries. Stuart Cauldwell, previously of Borough Market's Roast, will head up the wood-panelled restaurant and has created a menu with a focus on seasonal produce. The Courtyard will be a buzzing space on warmer days for drinks and al fresco dining, and the hidden Sun Deck is reserved exclusively for residents and members to enjoy. Meanwhile, the sunlit Orangery is the space for breakfast, morning coffee or pre-dinner drinks, and there will be a labyrinth of chic lounges and bar areas dotted around the property.
Visit SunStreetHotel.com
DAN PRESTON
RESTAURANTS & BARS
Mount St. Restaurant & Rooms, Mayfair
Artfarm – the company behind the Fife Arms in Braemar, Roth Bar & Grill in Somerset and the recently launched Audley Public House in London – is set to open Mount St Restaurant & Rooms. Transforming a beautiful building in Mayfair, the restaurant will come with a collection of four beautifully designed spaces to bring together food, drink and world-class modern art – such as original pieces by Lucien Freud, Andy Warhol and Henri Matisse. We think the space looks stunning, in particular the central bar, which is made from enamelled lava stone with a crackle finish and curved glass panels, framed by striking ceiling lights. Championing British craftsmanship, the management uniforms have been designed by Savile Row’s female master tailor Kathryn Sargent using fine British wool; tableware has been designed by Richard Brendon; and the wine glasses are part of a collaboration between Brendon and Jancis Robinson.
Visit MountStRestaurant.com
Elis, Bethnal Green
Rafael Cagali, the chef and owner of two-Michelin-starred Da Terra in Bethnal Green, launches his second restaurant this week. Named Elis, the new space is a tribute to his mother, whose first restaurant and jazz bar in São Paulo was named after famed Brazilian musician Elis Regina. Elis will be a more relaxed interpretation of Cagali’s Brazilian-Italian heritage. Dishes on offer include cod fritters, gnocco fritto, crab tagliolini verde and baby monkfish tail with black tucupi glaze. The wine list will be a concise selection of 10-12 bottles curated by Keeling Andrew & Co, creators of Noble Rot. Seating 30 guests, Elis is in the historic Town Hall Hotel, with bespoke design elements in collaboration with Studio Nathan Miller.
Visit RestaurantElis.co.uk
CHARLIE MCKAY
Straker’s, Notting Hill
Thomas Straker – the chef best known for his popular cooking videos and comforting recipes on TikTok – will open his debut restaurant at the end of October. Just off Portobello, Straker’s will bring Thomas’s ethos of ‘food you want to eat’ into this permanent space. The menu will be heavily influenced by the Italian approach to cooking and the buzz around most dinner tables in Italy – expect to see a number of ‘primi’ pasta dishes such as pillowy potato gnocchi and ragù alongside larger plates of roasted turbot with buttered chanterelles and chives. For anyone after an aperitif or cocktail with dessert, a small but concise menu of contemporary classic cocktails will offer negronis made with a blend of vermouths made in house or – our pick – a clarified margarita.
Visit Strakers.London
Restaurant St Bart’s, Smithfield
The team behind Nest in Hackney and Fulham’s Fenn has launched Restaurant St Barts. Here, diners will be guided through a 15-course tasting menu championing seasonal produce from across the British Isles, beginning at the bar with snacks including poached oyster and pea with lovage granita, and Welsh wagyu bellini with Exmoor caviar. Guests will then be led through to the main dining room, which overlooks the cloisters of hidden gem St Bartholomew-the-Great Church, where they’ll be served plates such as cured red mullet kohlrabi terrine; Cornish lobster with preserved peppers; and cod loin poached in mushroom stock topped with pickled Wiltshire truffle-infused butter sauce. A Hackney honey and lavender dessert will round off the meal, followed by petit fours and a classic British cheeseboard with fruit loaf and pickled prunes.
Visit Restaurant-StBarts.co.uk
Mu, Dalston
After a fun night out? From the team behind Hackney favourites Brilliant Corners and Giant Steps, Mu is a new Japanese restaurant and live music venue in Dalston. The neighbourhood spot serves Japanese dishes from its charcoal robata grill (think mackerel with daikon and ginger and scallops with yuzu kosho) alongside thoughtfully curated natural wines and seasonal cocktails. Best of all, live music is on offer every night of the week, and currently encompasses atmospheric solo piano from Yohan Kebede of Kokoroko, free jazz from a network of London’s most accomplished improvising musicians, traditional Cuban music, Brazilian trios, and folkloric Mande music from West Africa. On Sundays, Yohan Kebede hosts a jazz trio including Rio Kai and Harry Ling, playing sets featuring the timeless compositions of musicians such as Wayne Shorter, Art Blakey and Erroll Garner.
Visit Mu-LDN.com
Piazza at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Previously only for ticket holders, Piazza at the Royal Opera House is now open to all, offering refreshed interiors and a fifth-floor terrace with panoramic, landmark views over Covent Garden. Exec chef Richard Robinson – formerly of Tom’s Kitchen, The French Laundry and Per Se – has created an elegant and understated menu of modern British dishes based on the capital’s finest market produce: think London-made burrata and heritage beetroots; and lemon sole with English sparkling wine, mushrooms and Pershore broccoli with citrus and pine nuts. The dining room itself has been beautifully refreshed by interior designer Naomi Cleaver, with the walls decorated with sketches of celebrated costumes, selected by the Royal Opera House’s exhibition curator. Spectacular outfits are showcased in displays that change with the Royal Opera House’s calendar, while the Piazza’s sweeping, wraparound terrace features upholstery crafted from costume fabric.
Visit ROH.org.uk
CHARLIE MCKAY
FELIX SPELLER
CULTURAL HOTSPOTS
Leighton House, Kensington
The remarkable studio-house of Victorian artist and former president of the Royal Academy, Frederic, Lord Leighton, reopens on 15th October following a major transformation. On the edge of Holland Park in Kensington, the museum is famous for its opulent interiors, including the Arab Hall, which features exquisite mosaic floors and tiles acquired through Leighton’s travels to Turkey, Egypt and Syria. The redevelopment reveals previously unseen historic features to the public for the first time, alongside an ambitious exhibition programme that will run throughout the year. New for 2022 is Leighton’s Winter Studio, an extension of the original house built at the end of the 1880s to allow him to work through the winter months. This striking space is now fully restored and integrated into the rest of the historic house’s interiors – and, even better, there’s now a gorgeous café.
Visit RBKC.gov.uk
Knotel at Old Sessions House, Clerkenwell
Flexible workspace group Knotel has opened at the historic Old Sessions House in Clerkenwell – the same building that houses Florence Knight’s hot restaurant Sessions Art Club. Once the largest courthouse in England, the Grade II-listed building has been beautifully restored to grandeur – offering an unparalleled destination to work. Mixing the essential facilities of a modern workplace with iconic spaces and cultural experiences, the work club aims to support businesses to foster company culture and host on-site events. The model allows companies and individuals to select from flexible memberships that provide varying levels of access to desk space, meeting rooms, food and drink options and in-house events.
Visit Knotel.com
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