The Lobby Lounge @ The Metropolitan Hotel by COMO, London, England, United Kingdom

After our lunch at Benares in February 2016 – please see review – we visited the Metropolitan by COMO Hotel in London.

 

We made a quick stop to warm up at the Lobby Lounge, because it was a bit cold and raining during our February afternoon while out and about.

 

We had already some experience with COMO, having stayed at the Halkin Hotel, just a few steps away.

 

We were impressed by the stylish and whimsical, but comfortable interior design.

 

Would it have been a bright day, the lobby would have been light flooded due to the floor to ceiling windows.

 

The staff members were very discreet, not really visible and arrived just in time when you needed them, like magic, so this was an outstanding experience. Of course they were charming and efficient too.

 

We ordered tea, hot chocolate, a Vital Veg Juice and the Cashew ice cream sundae with walnuts, blueberries and verbena jelly.

 

The juice and sundae were from the COMO Shambala Cuisine Menu.

 

The juice included locally grown tomatoes, carrots, celery, peppers, cucumber, fennel, pumpkin, parsley, basil and lemon juice. It was delicious.

 

The hot chocolate was rich and the tea again by JING.

 

The sundae was really interesting and the jelly the most unique part. It was refreshing. The textures and flavors worked well together. We didn’t miss “normal” milk based ice cream at this time.

 

The bill was just under 40 GBP (ca. 52 Euro or 58.80 USD).

 

We would return again and we would want to stay at the Metropolitan by COMO Hotel in our future.

 

©2016

Benares London, England, United Kingdom

When planning our holiday to Fuerteventura and London in January/February 2016 we wanted to try a Michelin stared restaurant during our full day in London. We had three favorites and had to make a decision. We studied the menus and decided to book a table for lunch at Benares.

 

The chef patron is Atul Kochhar and his restaurant Benares holds 1* Michelin star.

 

The restaurant is named after the spiritual capital of India, Varanasi, which was also called Benares.

 

Benares is located at Berkeley Square in the Berkeley Square House which offers an unassuming façade for this grand restaurant.

 

Reception is located on the ground floor as well as the cloak room. We were greeted with a warm Namaste and brought upstairs to the dining room. It was divided into a larger space with a bar, private dining and a smaller, quieter room. We were in the furthest most private section and appreciated it.

 

At first there weren’t many fellow diners. It picked up and by the time we left each table was taken in the restaurant which created a good buzz.

 

The design was sultry with low lightning and photographs of Varanasi on the walls which added a touch of originality and authenticity.

 

One waiter was designated to us. He took our order and also made recommendations.

 

We decided to have a three course meal with Jing Tea Pairing, a bottle of water and two cocktails.

 

A greeting from the kitchen were mini poppadoms with different chutneys. We liked the slightly spicy one best out of the three on offer.

 

The first tea was a Jing Jasmine Silver Needle Cold Infusion. As the description implied it was served cold and was nicely refreshing.

 

Our starters were Paneer and Black Quinoa Croquettes with a Walnut Sesame Chutney and the Tandoori Lemongrass Infused Corn Fed Poussin with a Young Leafy Salad.

 

The textures of the croquettes were interesting and the chutney added nice flavors. The poussin was an excellent choice with the flavors very subtle, but satisfying.

 

The tea served was a Lemongrass and Ginger Hot Infusion. It was one of our favorites and paired perfectly well with the appetizers. It reminded us of teas we have enjoyed in Thailand for example.

 

Our main courses were chargrilled Cauliflower and Broccoli with Tomato, Fenugreek Gravy. The cauliflower and broccoli were on the one side tender, but had a good bite too. The spice mix made it exciting.

 

The matching tea and our favorite was the Nilgiri Frost and was a black tea. It had very good flavors and rounded up our meal to wonderful effect.

 

Our desserts were Rose Panna Cotta with Peppered Strawberry and Carrot Halwa and Cake with Mandarin Ice Cream. It was accompanied by Masala Chai. The chai was a surprise. We had previous experiences with chai and they came normally with milk. This one didn’t. The spices were subtle and it was very enjoyable.

 

The desserts were colorful, lavish and light. Our waiter was very well aware of our allergies and dietary requirements and advised us, that my fiancé shouldn’t try my dessert because it contained raisins. We had been in e-mail contact before about our needs, so we didn’t have to mention them during our meal again. This was very impressive in our eyes.

 

Our cocktails (one alcoholic, the other non-alcoholic) were served after our meal. He had the Cherry Kiss containing Wyborowa Vodka shaken with muddled Maraschino cherries, Visciolata Cherry Wine, Paan Liquor, Passion fruit Puree and Gomme Syrup. My Winter’s Dream included lemon grass, lemon juice, rose syrup, lychee juice and homemade orange bitters. We liked the presentation and flavors of the cocktails. We would want them to try again, they’re superb.

 

An older gentleman from the neighboring table was intrigued and wanted to know about the cocktails we enjoyed. He also ordered my fiancé’s poussin and when it arrived the waiter told him: “Here is your chicken.” We were a bit surprised by the visit and the “chicken”.

 

Before it was time for the invoice we received petite fours. They were inspired by Valentine’s Day, since it was the next day and our lunch visit was part of the Valentine’s weekend. We loved them.

 

The bill was 140.57 GBP (ca. 177.90 Euro or ca. 199.70 USD).

 

Our meal exceeded our expectations and was totally different from the Indian cuisine we are normally used to. We would return again.

 

©2016

 

Lowndes Bar & Kitchen @ The Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel London, England, United Kingdom

During our stay in February 2016 at the Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel in London, England, UK - please see also review - we had dinner at the Lowndes Bar & Kitchen.

The bar itself was near the entrance from the hotel. Otherwise the dining room was setup like a modern restaurant. One of the waiters brought us to our table in the center of the contemporary designed space.

We liked the small lamp and the flower on the table, which added a warm feel to our experience.

It wasn't very busy, but there were a few other tables occupied with a family and some couples which all looked very happy.

Our dinner included a bottle of still water, three berry smoothies, two Scottish smoked salmon parcels with avocado, shallots and tomato, chicken biryani and the Lowndes mango chicken salad. As dessert we shared the vanilla crème brulee.

With the order came a bread basket and butter. The bread was still warm.  The dishes were colorful, fresh and light. Only the chicken biryani was very large and better suitable for two or three persons instead of one.

The waiter was delighted we liked the berry smoothie so much he recommended us earlier. Service was attentive and friendly.

The meal cost 105 GBP (ca. 132.25 Euro/ca. 148.25 USD).

We would return to the Lowndes Bar & Kitchen, since the quality of the food and the service are very good, but would be more careful what to order, since the portion size of the chicken biryani was very generous.

©2016

Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel London, United Kingdom

When planning and booking our holiday to Fuerteventura we returned via London to Dublin and decided to use the weekend completely, spending two nights there. Having stayed previously at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower, which we liked, and having passed the Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel numerous times, we thought we should book the Lowndes to have experience with all two Jumeirah properties in London.


The location is ideal - just a few steps from the Pierre Herme Boutique and easy walking distance to Harrods and Harvey Nichols.

We arrived shortly before 8 PM at the hotel and were welcomed warmly and with a hot towel. Check in was quickly completed.

To our surprise we were upgraded from an Executive Room to an Executive Suite. The receptionist accompanied us to our suite and also provided us with important information about the hotel.

For example we could use the pool and fitness facilities of the Carlton Tower, if we wanted to.

Leading off the small, but elegant lobby was the entrance to the Lowndes Bar & Kitchen, where we had dinner (A review is going to follow). The hallway, leading to the elevators, had a residential feel. On an intricately designed table were magazines like Baku and Marie Claire waiting.

Floors could be only accessed by a swipe of the key card, so security was high, since the reception had to be passed first before even reaching the elevators.

After a short tour of our suite we were left alone.

We fell in love with the room immediately. It had views over the entrance and the neighboring buildings. It wasn't the largest suite and more like a junior suite. The open plan design worked well. The suite was detailed and felt like a home.

There was a large comfortable seating area, a table with Jumeirah, London Where, Woman & Home and Home & Garden Magazines.

The coffee table book was about the Jumeirah Carlton Tower and its famous guests over the past 50 years.

The Flat Screen TV was mounted to the wall and was swivable, so it could be watched from the sofa, the bed and the writing desk. There were over 90 channels available and all the necessary international ones, like Bloomberg and CNN.

The wardrobe contained some storage space, the safe and the mini bar, which was well stocked with our favorite Sunraysia Juices. Prices were as expected in a 5 star luxury establishment. Hildon water cost 3 GBP (ca. 4 Euro or 4.40 USD), Champagne was 35 GBP (ca. 45.50 Euro or 51.10 USD), beer 5 GBP (ca. 6.55 Euro or 7.30 USD), Jack Daniels and Johnny Walker, Gin and Vodka 7 GBP (ca. 9.15 Euro or 10.25 USD) and snacks from 2.50 GBP to 5 GBP (ca. 3.30 Euro to 6.55 Euro / ca. 3.65 USD to 7.30 USD). We snagged the Kinder Bueno. It was halal and tasted somewhat differently than the shop bought European version. It was imported from the United Arab Emirates.
There was also a Nespresso Coffee machine.

The large bed was extremely comfortable and we loved the headboard with a Scottish pipe print, which was unique.

The writing desk with a London map print was large and like the rest of the furniture made from dark wood. We also found the "Concierge Chronicle" there. The head concierges of the Carlton Tower and the Lowndes give recommendations what to do and what to see. For example Szymon Romanski  of the Lowndes recommended the Chelsea & Belgravia Chocolate Tour, Kensington Palace, Salmontini and the Star Tavern.

We encountered Szymon in person, who is a clef d' or concierge. He was coincidently just a few weeks earlier on holiday in the Canary Islands. Szymon was friendly and warm and of course could answer our easy question without problems. Before dealing with us he was organizing transportation to Gatwick Airport for another guest.

Other details we liked were the very fast and reliable internet access, the deaf friendly phone and the key card holder and key cards. They had the Lowndes building printed on them.

The color scheme of the room was neutral.

We liked also the carpet design, which reminded us about Missoni, but it was brown and beige.

The artwork was modern and one was large and Celtic inspired.

The turn down service was every night between 19.00 and 20.00 hours. It included two bottles of water and a little gift. On the first night it was a Temple Spa lip balm, the other it was mint crisp chocolates. On the night before Valentine's Day Rococo chocolates were left in addition. There was also an accompanying letter from the General Manager Ian Richardson wishing a Happy Valentine's and also advising that the hotel had a high occupancy rate and that the breakfast at Lowndes Bar & Kitchen could be busy.

Back to the turn down: The bed was made up and mats and slippers provided.

In regards to changing sheets and towels, a disc was left on the bed and guests can choose what, if anything, needs to be changed.

We used the wakeup call and shoe shine service, which were punctual and our shoes looked like new.

The bathroom was medium sized with a sink, toilet, bidet, and bath tub/shower combination. We liked the photography of flowers, the Temple Spa amenities and the tile decoration.

We had in room breakfast each morning. We shared a Continental Breakfast and ordered in addition mixed berries, an egg white omelette with smoked salmon, tomatoes, peppers and onion, a French Toast with maple syrup and had green tea and a mixed berry smoothie. All was very delicious and beautifully presented. We liked the Thursday Cottage jams.
Tea was by Burchall and coffee by Caffe Torelli "Famously Italian".
We paid ca. 40 GBP (ca. 52.10 Euro / ca. 58.45 USD).

All the staff encountered was pleasant and efficient.

As always check out arrived too soon.

We would love to return again due to feeling welcomed and at home, the excellent location, comfort and details of the hotel and the excellent food.

©2016