The Langham hotel, within credit card throwing distance of the shops of Oxford Street, enticies with its Chuan Spa, fine dining restaurant, glamorous cocktail bar, and Palm Court, famed as the place where the tradition of afternoon tea was born.
A lavish £80m refurbishment reasserts the brilliance of this Victorian hotel first opened in 1865 - the first grand hotel in London and possibly the most stylish. Roux at The Landau restaurant and Artesian cocktail bar are stunning (thanks to architect David Collins) while the Palm Court makes the perfect place for afternoon tea. The grand ballroom, Chuan Spa and 16-metre indoor swimming pool add to the feeling of luxury but also confirm this as a very special place to stay.
There's a long tradition of taking tea at the Langham Hotel - the first grand hotel in London - where the mid afternoon meal has been served in sumptuous surroundings since 1865. Follow the strains of the piano to the lavishly designed Palm Court where you can enjoy the SeasonaliTea (so called because the menu changes according to the seasons) in crystal chandelier lit surroundings. An almost ridiculous level of attention to detail - the hotel won the Best Tea Service award at the 2018 Afternoon Tea Awards - means you can choose from 30 different types of tea... and you're invited to try every one. We sampled two. The special 150th anniversary Langham blend, described as "the most complex tea blend in the world", combines 150 ingredients for a drink so delicate it doesn't need milk - the perfect accompaniment to precisely cut finger sandwiches. The English flower blend - a chamomile tea with rose petals and lavender - goes particularly well with scones, served with lemon curd as well as the more traditional cream and jam. Perfect pastries are not just visually appealing - with gold leaf balanced on caramelised puff pastry - but make use of the fruits of the day and executive pastry chef Andrew Gravett ensures that the cakes are lighter and healthier but you wouldn't know it from the taste. If you can't manage to eat it all (we couldn't), leftovers are presented in a beautifully decorated Liberty print box and every tea-taker can enjoy a discount of 10 per cent at the Regent Street store.
You'll eat your breakfast off Vera Wang crockery and exchange your coat for a tag designed by Bill Amberg when you dine at The Landau at The Langham Hotel. It's that kind of place. The kind of place that has plush, thick-pile carpets and a 'service philosophy' which includes black napkins to go with the ladies' little black dresses. Bring your appetite with you if opting for their speciality 'tasting' menu - you can make your way through up to eight courses, best taken with wine pairing. The kichen is in the safe hands of the famous Roux family; Albert and Michel Roux Jr have appointed their protege Chris King as chef - a rising star who has worked at Le Gavroche for the past five years. His cooking style and the menus reflect the Roux trademark - think classically-constructed French dishes cooked with a lighter touch. Specialities include roast rack of Romney Marsh lambwith carcked wheat, marjoram and olives, chorizo filled rabbit leg with langoutines, and roast fillet steak with seared onions and wild garlic bearnaise. Food that has been so carefully laboured over it could be described as modern art, served in a deluxe setting at eye watering prices.
Enjoy dominoes and daiquris on Mondays from 5pm or sax on Saturday nights from 8pm at one of London's most glamourous hotel cocktail bars. When the landmark Langham, one of London's oldest hotels, celebrated its 140th anniversary in 2007 it was in the middle of a £50 million David Collins-design facelift. The Artesian kept its name but emerged more splendid and opulent than before. Where else would get "energised ice" that's "purer, colder and denser than regular ice"? If you think you don't need such fripperies clinking around in your cocktail, think again. It makes the drinks more potent.
Building on the history of the British tavern, The Wigmore is an elegant pub from the team at The Langham hotel next door. The former banking hall has been transformed into a luxurious drinking den with a design by Martin Brudnizki, drinks from the team at Artesian and food overseen by Michel Roux Jr. Here you get great wines on tap, cask ales and craft beers, including The Wigmore's very own house Saison brewed in partnership with Bermondsey's Brew By Numbers, together with cups of punch, house 'hoptails' and a selection of classic mixed drinks. On the menu are hearty British dishes that include a raised veal and ham pie, devilled lamb's kidneys and paprika-glazed short rib with bone marrow crumb.
Chuan Spa, based at the Langham Hotel, is the ultimate in spa and wellbeing experiences. Designed to create a tranquil atmosphere to maximise relaxation, Chuan Spa offers a luxury haven in the heart of the bustling capital. In English, the word 'Chuan' means a 'serene course of water' - entirely appropriate seeing as, in Chinese culture, flowing water is seen to be the source of life and balance. The spa's philosophy is steeped in the values of traditional Chinese medicine and guests can transcend into an almost ethereal state of relaxation with therapies designed to re-balance and revitalise the body and soul. With six private treatment rooms, including a couple's spa suite, pre and post treatment area, vitality pool and herbal steam rooms and saunas, Chuan may be the perfect place to unwind after yet another hectic week.
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