The Londoner to open six new restaurants & bars in Leicester Square!

An earthquake is about to hit the West End's dining scene - say hello to the Londoner. Peter Gray reports.

The forthcoming opening of the Londoner hotel is not just one of the most exciting hotel launches of the year but probably also one of the most exciting hotel launches OF ALL TIME in the capital!

Super boutique doesn’t really even begin to do justice to this superb venue but that’s the term the hotel have coined to describe the venue, which is set to open in Leicester Square on the 6^th of September 2021.

The hotel will boast 16 storeys, 350 rooms, a wellness retreat, ballroom & numerous event spaces. However, it’s the venue’s restaurants and bars that have caused the biggest stir among restaurant hungry Londoner’s and so it is to them we turn in this article.

Whitcomb’s

Escape to the Mediterranean with The Londoner’s new signature restaurant, Whitcomb’s. The restaurant’s a la carte menu will ‘transport diners to sunnier climes’ with seasonally based dishes which ‘evoke the essence of contemporary French cooking’. Expect a mix of classics like escargot with white wine, seared filet mignon with chanterelle and aged Parmesan, and grilled lobster with cognac.

The wine list, meanwhile, will showcase a selection of wineries from across the world while paying homage to France’s ‘inimitable terroirs’.

The Stage

The glitz and glamour of the West End theatre scene is the inspiration for The Londoner’s Stage restaurant. Accents of cream and gold establish the venue’s visual theme of opulence and avant-garde, while low level armchairs and chic bar dining offer the venue an intimate, yet seductive feeling. And topping the bill at the restaurant will be The Stage’s superior Champagne offering.

Whether you want to begin your day with a Champagne breakfast, indulge yourself with the Londoner’s Champagne Afternoon Tea or Round of the day with The Stage’s Grand Finale, the Londoner will have the perfect vintage for you and your guests. And just to ensure that you don’t get ‘stage fright’ from quaffing too much champagne, the venue’s wine offering will be accompanied by a selection of savories which include Beluga Caviar, seasonal rock oysters, charcuterie, and artisan cheeses. A curated entertainment line-up will complete the menu at London’s newest and most exciting West End stage.

The Residence

OK, this one is exclusively for hotel residents, so you’ll have to book a room to experience The Residence but it certainly sounds worth it!

An exclusive collection of discrete areas made for relaxing, working and indulging, the venue will boat its own restaurant (The Drawing Room) and bar (The Y Bar) as well as a Whisky Room with an ‘intimate 14-cover parlour, for guests to explore the world of Whisky including the rare, renowned and the yet-to-be-discovered’.

Refuel

If you are lucky enough to visit The Londoner’s Spa, The Retreat (above), then you will need to pay a visit to Refuel, too.

The venue, which is only open to hotel guests and gym/Spa users, boasts a food and beverage designed to refresh, recharge and rejuvenate, with detoxifying smoothies, beauty juices, nourishing body wraps, and Ayurvedic morning ritual bowls.

8 at The Londoner

Breathtaking views, stunning interiors and a selection of mouthwatering dishes and beverages are on the menu at The Londoner’s rooftop venue, 8 at the Londoner. Boasting drop dead gorgeous views of everything from The Shard to the towers of Canary Wharf, 8 is going to be the go to place for those who want like a touch of luxury with their city views.

8’s stunning interiors are worth a double take, too. There’s the chic lounge area with its cosy and cute central firepit and the Japanese-inspired minimalist terrace, and let’s not forget the breath-taking Shima Garden out back.

The food offering at the venue is headed up by former Nobu head chef Kuenhi Won, who has fashioned menu full of world-class modern Japanese cuisine, with small dishes and signature plates, an extensive robata offering with meat, fish and vegetarian options, and a moriawase section with tartare, sashimi and sushi rolls.

You’ll be able to wash it down with an equally impressive selection of drinks include Champagne, sake, an ‘exclusive Japanese whisky’, and a list of ‘creative and explorative’ cocktails.

Joshua’s Tavern

Named in honour of 18th century painter and famous gin drinker Sir Joshua Reynolds, neighbour drinking spot Joshua’s Tavern will specialize in terroir-led gintonicas.

The Londoner has sought to create the kind of drinking den that Sir Joshua would have frequented in the 18th century, and they are hoping that the tavern will act as a hub for the area’s creative community as well as a watering hole for the less creative but just as thirsty!

Over 50 regionally sourced gins will take pride of place in the new bar, with a Mixologist ensuring that every one meets The Londoner’s very exacting standards.

A selection of copper tank beer, wines and a selection of other spirits, meanwhile, will keep non gin drinkers happy while a ‘selection of Tavern Tid-Bits including Roquefort-filled biscuits and ‘nduja and Taleggio pastry bakes’ will ensure that drinkers have something to wash down their spirits with.

And just to ensure that everyone who visits the tavern comes away entertained, the venue will host a programme of live musicians. We think Sir Joshua would approve.

In-Room Dining

However, if you find yourself staying at The Londoner and you really can’t be arsed to get yourself to any of the above mentioned restaurants, then the venue’s In-Room Dining options will prove more than sufficient.

The hotel are promising an in-room dining experience that will provide a “culinary tribute to haute couture”, with menus fashioned to look like iconic fashion magazines and dishes that “inspire and push the boundaries of traditional”. What this means in practice is anyone’s guess but knowing The Londoner it will probably be extravagant, glamour and very, very tasty.

The food & drink team at The Londoner

The food and beverage offering at the hotel are the work of the venue’s Creative Director Amir Jati, and the hotels team of executive chefs Matt Downes, Shailesh Deshmukh and Neil Armstrong.

With a wealth of experience and a string of prestigious awards under their belts including heading up Nobu’s global private dining and events team, the team seem set to establish the Londoner as the capital’s premier hotel dining experience.

The Londoner is quite possibly the London hotel opening of 2021 and their food and drink offering – all six restaurants and bars – is as good as anything we have seen in a hotel in London. Enjoy!

The Londoner opens on the 6th of September 2021. More information about the hotel can be found here.

For information on other great hotels in London, please click here.