Best time for a romantic Week-End - Christmas!
London surprises not just with the most beautiful Christmas decoration all over the town, still every year you'll find new restaurants, run by young and ambitious cooks, with a big heart for fresh and local produces.
Such as the Core by Clare Smyth, which opened in the very heart of Notting Hill in 2017. The two Michelin stars restaurant is a true revelation, not just for the mouthwatering food but also for the romantic, still chic, interior, thanks to the female Chef Clare!
- Bond Street, for beautiful Christmas decoration & Shopping
- Fortnum & Mason, for food lovers
- Borough Market, taste the delicious food specialties from all over Great Britain
- Selfridges - you must see the fantastic library (wide range of travel and food books also)
- take a ride on the London Eye
- Shard, top of London
- Harrods, still one of it's own
- Go to Leadenhall and see the traditional stores such as the Pen Shop
- see Tower Bridge
- go for a pub tour like the locals
Core by Clare Smyth
Core is the debut restaurant of Clare Smyth, the first and only female chef to run a restaurant with three Michelin-stars in the UK. Many years in the shadow of her former boss Gordon Ramsay in Hospital Road, her many awards included 10/10 in the Good Food Guide, five AA rosettes and an MBE for services to the hospitality industry. Since opening in August 2017, Core has received numerous awards including two stars as new entry in the 2019 Michelin Guide and Clare even received the World's Best Female Chef Award by the World's 50 Best Restaurants.
After a truly wonderful evening with mouthwatering dishes, these numerous awards seem just very well deserved! Every dish of the 7 course tasting menu was created with best British produces and we truly never enjoyed such a fantastic potato and roe so far! The ambiance was romantic, lots of candles all over, intimate lighting and compared to other famous cooks around the world, we could enjoy a beautiful feast in a more than warm atmosphere.
Still, watching the very professional team in the open kitchen, directed with the love to detail eye of Chef Clare Smyth, this was an experience of a lifetime for us. We look forward to come back soon!
The Ninth
The Ninth is a restaurant by London-based chef Jun Tanaka. Located on Charlotte Street in the heart of London's buzzy Fitzrovia neighbourhood, the contemporary, yet warm and inviting 90 seater restaurant offers up simple but refined French Mediterranean-style dishes, all made for sharing.
With over 20 years' experience working in London's top restaurants such as Le Gavroche, The Restaurant Marco Pierre White and The Square, where he was trained in classic French cuisine by Marco Pierre WHite, Phillip Howard and The Roux brothers, the US-born, UK-raised chef Jun Tanaka has become a household name in the restaurant industry as well as a recognised face on television
Jason Atherton's Emporium is wide!
- Michelin starred Pollen Street Social
- Romantic Little Social with the best Irish Ox Cheeks all over the world!
- Social Eating House with a very lively atmosphere
- Temple & Sons with a huge Charcoal grill
- Berner's tavern....within Hotel Edition
- City Social
- Social Wine & Tapas
The Ned - 9 restaurants in one building
Cecconi's restaurant - the Ned
All-day Venetian brasserie, serving northern Italian dishes in a classic setting.
We loved the appetizers, such as crab salad with avocado and the carpaccio.
To be honest, the chicken was not really haute cuisine and it might be recommended to go for one of the pasta dishes.
The Lutyens Grill - the Ned
Situated in a private Wood-panelled Dining room on the ground floor - once used as the former Bank Manager's Office.
Highlights of the American grill Restaurant is the clubby, old-school grill feel, enhanced by the traditional trolley Service -
with meat carved or fish filleted right at your table.
We enjoyed the fantastic Dover Sole as well as the very romantic atmosphere and the nice, attentive service!
Ned's Club upstairs (Rooftop Restaurant) - the Ned
The Roof Bar features a retractable roof and heaters, so you can make the most of the view all year round. There are views of the City and St Paul’s Cathedral, and an international menu prepared on the rotisserie grill and wood oven. Hotel guests are able to make same-day reservations on the Roof.
We loved the fantastic view, the lovely breakfast choice and the charming staff!
Olli Dabbous, still lots of surprises coming up
When Dabbous opened his 1st Restaurant the "Dabbous" end of 2013, we were lucky to catch a table on 7.2.2014!
They served exellent fresh & local food to very reasonable price. The atmosphere was relaxed in an industrial chic.
In 2018 Ollie Dabbous sets new goals... unfortunately he closed his 1st restaurant "the Dabbous", but opened the well acclaimed restaurant the Hide.
The Mandrake Hotel
Inspired by the medicinal properties of the plant after which it is named, this daring, unique and totally new hotel concept was converted from a RIBA award-winning building on Newman Street, Fitzrovia.At the heart of The Mandrake is the Jurema bar with outdoor terrace, designed by landscape architects Bureau Bas Smets. Jurema is a laid-back caba affair surrounded by a lush, evergreen sanctuary of hanging passionflower and jasmine plants. Staying in one of the 30 bedrooms is relaxing and heard to believe, to sleep in the heart of busy London!
The Mondrian Shoreditch
The brand new Mondrian hotel sits in the heart of Shoreditch, Londons crative and cultural hub. Here you can find several signature food and beverage brands. The total highlight for us was world famous chef Dani Garcia's Bibo Retaurant. Mouthwatering fresh tapas and extraordinary wines, hard to find better around London! Start your day by a super casual breakfast at restaurant Laurel's on the roof including a morning swim in the nice pool aside the restaurant. This is a really casual and cool hotel during summer in London!
Hotel The Ned
Here comes the story of a perfect transformation....
When Nick Jones, the founder of Soho House & Co, first saw the City's disused Midland Bank building in 2012, he fell in love. 'The property had been empty for nearly eight years but there was something about it – the details and scale of it – that just floored me,' Jones explains. The moment he left, he called Ron Burkle, Soho House chairman and investor. And soon the refurbishment of the former Midland bank started.
Ham Yard Hotel - Soho
In the midst of Soho and moments from Mayfair, Ham Yard has an urban village feel. The hotel revolves around a tree-filled garden with a bronze sculpture centrepiece by Tony Cragg. Interiors are designed by Kit Kemp in her award-winning modern British style.
Alongside the hotel's 91 individually designed bedrooms and suites are 24 apartments, 13 independent stores and a restaurant and bar with outdoor dining. There is a drawing room and library, rooftop terrace, Spa and Gym, theatre, private event rooms and bowling alley.
Hotel Café Royale
Location...Location..Location...
Right on Piccadilly Circus you'll find the beautiful, restored Hotel Café Royale
This luxury hotel in London enjoys an unrivalled setting, where the elegance of Mayfair, energy of Soho and sophistication of St. James combine. It's where history, culture, business and the stage are just steps away. That's one reason why, for 150 years, people who make a difference have made their way through these doors. For Oscar Wilde and Muhammad Ali, Winston Churchill and David Bowie, David Chipperfield and Albert Adrià, Hotel Café Royal has always been the vibrant living room of London, the place to convene, converse and celebrate.
