The options are endless when it comes to choosing where to stay in London but let me let you in on a little secret – Hotel Saint, SAYS CARA HOUCHEN.
Perfectly situated in in the heart of ‘The Square Mile’ and inspired by the site’s ancient 2,000-year-old Roman history, Hotel Saint is at the crossroads of several of London’s most vibrant neighbourhoods – including Spitalfields, Shoreditch and Whitechapel.
This East London hotel is within walking distance from historical, tourist, gastronomic and cultural attractions. The Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Brick Lane and Borough Market as well as Whitechapel Gallery.
Conveniently you can hop on the Metropolitan line at Kings Cross and be there in 14 minutes, and it’s not only quick to get there but it’s right next door to Aldgate station so no Google Maps necessary!
Check-in is as simple as the journey there, the team are ready to welcome you and if you need any advice they are on hand. We were staying in one of the suites and I don’t often say this – as I’m not one to spend a lot of time in a hotel room as I like to be out exploring – but they are well worth the upgrade.
The view of the city skyline is priceless, and with one side of the room floor-to-ceiling glass windows, we could admire the view of the historic neighbouring St Botolph’s Church from the comfort of our king-sized bed.
Space is not something you are short of which is perfect for relaxing after hours of sightseeing, shopping and cocktails.
The hotel also boasts a rooftop bar, Jin Bo Law, on the 14th floor, which offers sweeping panoramic views of the city including the Shard and the Gherkin. You don’t have to be a resident to enjoy drinks here so add it to your list for your next visit even if you don’t stay at the hotel.
While we were there the restaurant was undergoing renovation work, but the team pointed us in the direction of some great alternatives including Crispin in Spitalfields.
We dined at Crispin for our evening meal, and I would highly recommend it if you enjoy seasonal sharing plates and natural wines. It’s open all day and the food offering makes it difficult to choose – we nearly ended up with the whole menu!
My y highlights were: the Portland crab with pink radicchio – the crab was generously served so you weren’t poking around under the leaves for a mouthful and the soda farl with ox tongue, celeriac remoulade, cornichons, and capers was some serious sandwich. Every bite was delicious and messy and I was genuinely sad when it was finished.
As Crispin has a fantastic wine list, we also took away a couple of bottles, and I will definitely be back.
Our stay at Hotel Saint was faultless – it was comfortable, spacious and we had everything we needed. It offers a luxurious stay without the hefty price tag that often comes with the promise of skyline views. And they also offer stays on Sundays from £99 when booked with a Monday – so why not take that extra day?
Away from the hotel we headed to Mayfair to try The Barley Mow. This traditional London boozer offers a good old-fashioned pint in the stunning ground floor bar or you can head upstairs to the restaurant and tuck in to refined but brilliantly British dishes. But before the food, the staff here are a lot of fun, they were genuinely interested in where we had come from, and they took the time to go through the menu and point out the gems.
It may have only been 1pm but they sold me immediately on the Negronis, and let me tell you they deliver a bloody good cocktail. The atmosphere is relaxing and although you are surrounded by traditional pub features there are splashes of opulence everywhere – it’s the perfect pairing.
I went for oysters to start which were, fresh and delicious and the perfect opening act for the classic main – pie and mash with parsley sauce. There wasn’t one bit left on my plate, but I left room for sticky toffee pudding, and thank God I did.
This dessert seems to have become my go-to barometer of food of late, if it’s not up to scratch it leaves me feeling disappointed but this one was everything you want in this pudding. Rich, just the right side of sweet, not served as molten lava but hot enough to melt the ice cream slightly on the top. It was fabulous and so was The Barley Mow.
They offer Sunday lunch and breakfast plus live music every Wednesday and Thursday, just watch out for those negronis, you may find yourself going for lunch and still being there for breakfast!
Our other pitstops included The Shard, if you are feeling a little decadent, try GONG bar on level 52. You need to pre-book even for drinks and the prices are not for the fainthearted but grab yourself a window seat and those bespoke champagne cocktails will take away the pain from your wallet. We arrived at 4pm and watched the city light up as the sun set – it was definitely a memorable experience.
If you are a fan of steak, Blacklock is for you. They have five restaurants around the city, but we chose to eat in Covent Garden. The menu includes a variety of starters including pig’s head on toast and offers lighter lunch bites such as a steak sarnie but the blackboard of meat – which includes the weight of each cut – appeared to be a challenge so we ordered the biggest Porterhouse available with a side of beef dripping chips, obviously.
Other top tips
If you are only in London for a few days plan your itinerary before you get there – it means you can see as much as possible in that time.
If you travel by train remember that a lot of the attractions, including the Wembley Tour, The London Dungeons and Madame Tussauds, offer National Rail Days Out 241 tickets, simply go to www.nationalrail.co.uk and get a code to use when booking.
