Afternoon all,

My second travel question of the day, apologies.

Anyway, for my wedding anniversary I’d like to take my wife away for a night or 2 in London. I’m thinking a posh hotel, a night at the theatre and a good meal or 2. Does anyone (CFH?) have any suggestions as to a bloody good hotel (quite happy to throw a bit of money at this), a good show (comedy would be good, not too high brow) and a decent restaurant (Open to ideas on this but quite like the idea of a proper, old fashion kind of place). I’d also take a few ideas for good pubs as well, I was in Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street at the weekend and loved it, that kind of place would be appealing.

Hotel if you don”t care about cash – The Dorchester

EDIT: https://gc.synxis.com/rez.aspx?Chain=5310&hotel=60011&locale=en-us&__utma=239222038.2115008959.1403093651.1403093651.1403093651.1&__utmb=239222038.6.10.1403093651&__utmc=239222038&__utmx=-&__utmz=239222038.1403093651.1.1.utmcsr=google|utmccn=(organic)|utmcmd=organic|utmctr=(not%20provided)&__utmv=-&__utmk=61349743

there you go

Claridges? Not all that expensive, relatively.

http://www.claridges.co.uk/luxury-hotel-offers/weekend-indulgence/

Posh posh or boutique chic?

http://www.foxandanchor.com/market-suite.html

Great pub as well.

The 4 Seasons on park lane

http://www.fourseasons.com/london/

or for the other side of town maybe Khe Kensington?

http://www.doylecollection.com/hotels/the-kensington-hotel

@lunge – a top London hotel is off the charts expensive. Stay somewhere more average and spend the money on dinner/show. I recently stayed in the Millenium on Grosvenor Square in Mayfair for about £100 a night via booking.com

What time of year ? Any particular part of London ?

Hotel, so many to chose from but if you want something nice and boutiquey, tucked away in St James is Dukes (£350+ per night, no breakfast 🙁 )

EDIT: You might look at The Goring (where Kate Middleton spent the night before the wedding), they have a very nice little bar/garden was there for a work drink recently. Very close to the Palace and public transport (Victoria Station / buses etc)

For comedy type show you have Book of Mormon or perhaps Wicked

For an anniversary dinner how about Clos Magorie

Let me know what you think and I can make some more suggestions

(I used to work next to the Old Cheshire Cheese, consumed many a beverage in there)

pubs – there are many thousands, some are really quiet at the weekend though – when we know roughly where you are staying we can make some recommendations – everything from old boozers to west end gastro

Some clarification.

Hotel wise, happy to spend £300 ish per night if needed but if I do it need to have a “wow factor”. Both Dukes and Claridges look appealing.

Location wise, open to ideas, central ish, was thinking Mayfair but mainly as I am not very imaginative.

Food, Clos Magorie looks good, you’re definitely on the right track.

Crash on the sofa at Flashearts London pad?

The Dorchester (great place to eat) is being boycotted at the mo by the likes of Stephen Fry over ME laws and attitudes towards manlove.

Some of my favourite pubs include the Princess Louise, Holborn, The Lamb, Lamb’s Conduit St, the Coach and Horses and the French Pub in Soho. All have historic interest as well as god beer.

‘god beer’…. a Freudian slap?

i would say it depends what you want . Dorchester in my view is stuffy and boring and full of jerks. 😀 there are loads of cool hotels in london. Boutique chic is the way to go.

The Dorchester is top recomendation and I would second that, their Alain Duccasse restaurant is very posh and very swanky. Book in advance.

Second choice would be the Landmark or Jumeraih, lovely places and the later has Hestons restaurant for dinner.

Never rated Claridges or any of the ‘usual’ 4 star places. Tried most when we were looking for a wedding venue.

As for shows if its humour then prescilla queen of the desert is a hoot if its still on and camp fun is your thing.

If it was me I’d eschew the super fancy options and go for the fanciest suite in somewhere like the Zetter. It would be memorable and to my mind a better experience that a “standard” tariff option at a pricier hotel.

Nosh, I can help there, NOPI on Warwick St (Ottalinghi’s restaurant) but you’ll ned to book 4 weeks in advance.

Zetters, and you are spoilt for food round there, foxlow, quality chop house, modern pantry, st John etc. cocktails in the town house, dovetails belgian beer bar, jerusalem tavern and that really old one tucked down the alleyway off hatton garden) or the craft pub off leather lane plus others. (avoid smiths of smithfield its for essex wives)
far less tourists cluttering up the place and you can walk into town or a short cab/tube/no 19,38,55 bus ride away.

@lunge – Clos Magorie I have eaten at a few times, food is good and I think prices relatively reasonable. I think it won a “most romantic restaurant” award which is fair and I thought would work for the anniversary

EDIT: re @bikebouy’s post I have yet to eat at Ottolenghi’s as it’s always booked ! I have had lunch in the Deli and its exceptional.

Have to say I was a bit underwhelmed by the experience/price factor at both the Zetter and Nopi.

Off to Bob Bob Ricard on Friday…

I’d rate the Dean St Townhouse. Lively but cosy bar, big rooms, doesn’t feel like a big impersonal hotel.

I also stayed in a Room For London fairly recently — the boat thing on top of the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank. Pretty romantic but you need to win a lottery to stay there. Literally, not figuratively.

Yeah, I’d really like to try St John, reasonably priced and interesting menu.

Good thread peeps looking at ideas for wedding anniversary.

Loving the Fox and Anchor so more of those style would be great.

eaten at the fox and anchor a fair bit, their pies are great but it isn’t ‘fine dining’ (thats not a criticism) a couple of doors up hidden down an alleyway is cafe du manche, really nice bistro where they often have live piano music, their cote du boeuf is fantastic. i would still pick the quality chop house for a foodie blow-out though.

To clarify it was the rooms I was talking about although the pub looks good too.

Sorry, a little late to this, but hope I can add my two penn’orth.

Hotel – The Goring, as per Jambalaya’s note above. Yes it has Middleton connections these days, but it’s a family owned and run five star hotel that’s like stepping in to the set of a Christie novel without once feeling forced or fake. The canapes before dinner are a joy as well. If possible, a balcony/garden room is the pick (I forget what number we had, sorry!). The staff are excellent, the cocktails divine, and the overall ambience is something that will remain forever as a positive memory for me.

Pubs –
Cask SW1 for you! Superb beer, in a quirky location.
Marquis of Westminster, just around the way. Sip a few beers and people watch on the Pimlico Riviera.
The Phoenix, Smith St, SW3. Very, very Chelsea, but very, very good.
(So many more to consider…!)

Food – I’m a massive fan of Mon Plaisir at Seven Dials. A real French bistro, and as with the Goring, neither fake nor forced, just very, very real. Superb Calvados list and the foie gras is legendary!

Shows? Not my thing, I’m afraid!

The 39 Steps is worth considering on the show front. Not a big or glitzy production, but very funny.

Hope it’s not too late.
Here my tips.

Restaurant –> Caldesi: great Italian cuisine.

Hotel –> Hotel President in Russell Square. My favorite hotel in London 🙂 Back in the 60′ the Beatles stayed there. I managed to find a great price on Hotelsclick.

Pub –> Find a nice pub by the Thames. I am a big fan of the The Dove (19 Upper Mall
Hammersmith).

I’m afraid I cannot give any tips on shows as I am not into it 🙁

Just to add again about NOPI, I went there yesterday for late Lunch and got in with 1/2 wait.

Just sayin like

Smithfields/Clerkenwell area is surpisingly good for food and drink. Fox andAnchor as above; great for a ‘snack’ and a good pint. A bit noisy for a nice romantic meal though. But that area would be a good choice, as it’s a lot quieter than the west end on a weekend. Lovely to stroll around the city in the evening, looking at buildings, maybe wander downto the river.

Struggling to recommend anywhere i he centre of town to be honest, as we tend to eat/drink out in the suburbs where you’re not payin tourist tariffs. But then we also rarely visit the same place twice (too much choice and we like to try as many places as we can), so dont get an idea of consistency. And even the most highly rated places can have off nights; the Ottolenghi place in Islington was very dissapointing. I’d say it’s maybe better to wander into a place, and be pleasantly surpsised, thnan get your expectations up for some trendy joint where you’ll feel a bit ‘pressured’ if it’s busy, and maybe left feeling underwhelmed. I tend to eat in the expensive places only when others are paying, and truth told, I prefer the smaller family run places where you don’t get the pretension and fripery, just good food.

Went to the Dorchester for my in-laws anniversary. It was exceptionally good but I would prefer somewhere like Dukes or another boutique style hotel like the Covent Garden in Monmouth Street (which has a lovely brasserie). Murano is a great little restaurant and good value for what it offers. Shows I don’t know, not a fan I’m afraid.

Hotels I like the lanesborough. Mrs kilo was looking at the rooms in the shangrila in the shard the other day and said they were quite wow, we had high tea at the weekend there and it was quite impressive views from the 35 th floor

I think you would struggle to get much more old fashioned than Rules in Covent Garden.

Corrigans in Mayfair is also recommended.

Chancery court hotel and use there rosewood restaurant, it all had complete refurb last year, and the restaurant is getting excellent reviews

Restaurant – Sheekey’s – very nice, relatively informal.

If you go to the Fox & Anchor, you have to try the Scotch Eggs. They are simply immense!

Update. So far I have booked Clos Maggoire for a meal on 1 night, an excellent suggestion, thanks to jambalaya. I’m still undecided as to where to go on the second night but like the idea of somewhere a little different given the first booking.

Hotel wise, I’ve made the decision I’d like to be either around Covent Garden or around Green Park/Hyde Park/Piccadily area. I’ve also decided that whilst I want to throw some money at this, much more than £350 per night is pushing it a touch. If anyone has any other suggestions that fit this I would be very grateful.

Finally, culture wise, I’m entertaining The Book or Mormon but may scrap his and have afternoon tea somewhere posh instead. With this in mind, is tea at The Ritz or The Savoy worth it or is it all rather stuffy and overpriced?

Thanks again for all your help so far.

It’s been a while since I’ve done Tea at the Savoy and IIRC it took about 2.5hrs (at least thats the slot you have)
It’s well worth it IMO, bit of nostalga and quite eclectic in surroundings and taste and you do get rather a lot to eat, Tea and Cake it ain’t.

You probably won’t do it again..

FWIW, a friend recently went to see The Book of Mormon and was crying with laughter from start to finish.

Scrap the musical and go to Strinfellows if your in Covent Garden

was looking at the rosewood hotel in a magazine the other day. Not sure I could afford that but it looks STUNNING!

The Holburn Dining Room is there too and looks like a very nice place to eat. Or you could try the gymkhana (www.londongymkhana.com)for posh indian food in a gorgeous setting!

Took my missus to The Criterion for dinner a number of years ago, was a good meal and not ridiculously expensive, would recommend it.