London Two Ways

South Kensington

London hotels don’t come more classic than The Kensington—or more central to the city’s top attractions. Located on the Queen’s Gate within a short amble of the Royal Albert Hall, the V&A, Kensington Palace, and the Natural History Museum, the boutique hotel is charmingly British down to the period fireplaces lit year-round.

Rooms and suites are cozy cocoons of comfort—beautifully scaled and elegant in every way. Traditional decor (think: toile fabrics, four-poster beds with gilded accents, and marble baths) lends a definitive sense of heritage yet is anything but old-fashioned. Appointed with residential-quality furnishings and art, suites feel like proper London apartments with balconies, floor-to-ceiling windows, and that most coveted of city amenities—space.

Tradition meets modernity at Town House, a Regency-inspired, sun-washed restaurant offering creative British dining all day. This is the place for The Kensington’s famous afternoon tea in homage to the world’s top artists. The iconic service begins with cocktails (we recommend the Girl with Balloon) and proceeds to a menu of sweets and savories accompanied by rare teas like Jasmine Silver Tip and Single Estate English Breakfast from Malawi. It’s a treat to linger over and a fortifier before an afternoon on the museum circuit.

Model Mode

The Royal Borough of South Kensington has a long tradition of art and design, with dozens of galleries, art studios, and museums. The giant among the latter, the Victoria & Albert Museum, features the uber-popular (and often sold out) “Naomi in Fashion” exhibition through April 6. The retrospective of Naomi Campbell’s life in fashion spotlights the dresses and accessories the supermodel made famous, including the 12-inch platforms that caused her to trip on the Vivienne Westwood catwalk

Peek inside the Naomi exhibition with our video: palmbeachillustrated.com/naomi

Le Film

Art house cinema lovers flock to Ciné Lumière at the Institut Français for thought-provoking French and global films both new and classic, as well as cultural events around literature and world affairs. It makes for a wonderful evening of entertainment and enrichment. 

Mayfair

Farm to Feast

The slow-food movement has found its spiritual home in Farm Shop, a deli and wine bar featuring goods grown on a 1,000-acre farm in Somerset. The in-house forager curates a bounty of “wild food” and locally grown products like cider and honey, and invents recipes for small-batch pickles and condiments (try the excellent birch sap and tomato relish) that make lovely souvenirs.

The wine bar is an experience in its own right. Located in a basement space beneath Farm Shop, it serves handcrafted wine as well as heritage cheeses and charcuterie, all produced locally. Try them on a sharing board and linger over a glass (or three) of sparkling rosé. Though it’s in the heart of Mayfair, Farm Shop transports you to Britain’s bucolic countryside. 

Best of British

There are many reasons to visit Claridge’s, but the most delicious is found behind glamorous Art Deco doors. The entranceway speaks to the hotel’s history as a Jazz Age London institution beloved by the most fashionable members of European society and sets the stage for an elevated dining experience. Amid marble surfaces, leather banquettes, and golden flourishes, servers present contemporary English cuisine reflecting the quintessential flavors but none of the heaviness.

Don’t miss Sunday lunch, that most British of traditions. The service includes two or three courses of specialties like roasted Herefordshire sirloin, pea velouté with quail egg, and Norfolk Black Leg chicken with truffle stuffing. Claridge’s Chocolate, which you break with a mini hammer to reveal a brownie and chocolate mousse, is a must even if you don’t think you can manage another bite. Take your time and make an afternoon of it; isn’t that what Sundays are for? 

Art Attack

When your black cab pulls up to The Beaumont, you’ll likely notice the steel appendage on the hotel’s facade, a cubist aberration on an otherwise classic structure. What’s that about? The short answer is: art.

The sculpture, the work of British provocateur Antony Gormley, is the exterior of ROOM, Gormley’s ode to darkness. ROOM is, well, a room fully clad in dark oak and decorated with nothing but one simple bed. This is functional art at its best, a sculpture you can inhabit. Though the cave-like space feels austere, it’s meant to invite a meditative pause and a confrontation of self without the distraction of worldly possessions. It’s a beautiful intention, though the claustrophobic may not agree.

Gormley’s masterpiece is the crown jewel of The Beaumont’s remarkably curated art collection, which includes original works by Robert Motherwell, Alexander Calder, Terry Frost, Cornelia Parker, and scores of others. The one that stands out for most guests is Le Maître d’École by Belgian artist René Magritte, since it’s front and center at the Le Magritte Bar. From the lobby to the bathrooms, there is no part of The Beaumont that is not graced by art.

Thanks to a recent renovation, the hotel has unveiled a new wing with 29 rooms and two new private dining rooms. The existing rooms and restaurants have been refurbished with custom furniture and art appointments that enhance the hotel’s storied Art Deco design. Accommodations feel spacious, bespoke, and truly residential, a rarity in London and an asset to glamorous Mayfair.