This June I had the privilege of being invited to speak at the Jaipur Lit Fest London at the British Library about my new book Masala Memsahib. I normally stay with friends but chose to stay alone and indulge myself. I chose The Lanesborough – a hotel I had my eyes on for many years. Awarded AA Hotel of the Year, on the doorstep of Hyde Park, just a short walk from Harrods, Harvey Nichols and London’s most exclusive shopping district; Sloane Street and Knightsbridge, this grand luxury mansion has undergone an inspired renovation by the famed interior designer Alberto Pinto. The hotel is home to luxurious suites and rooms, modern British dining at The Lanesborough Grill, the vibrant Library Bar and Garden Room. Even though it’s in the middle of some serious traffic, once inside, you hear no noise at all since all the long Regency windows are soundproof.
Stanley Kubrick used The Royal Suite (in picture) to shoot Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in 'Eyes Wide Shut' and Stevie Wonder has played on The Library Bar’s piano Courtesy The Lanesborough
In all the years I lived in London, I don’t think I ever really explored the parks of London. Hyde Park is a magnificent stretch of greenery in central London, literally ten steps from the hotel. My parents took us boating on Serpentine Lake as children and I remember going to Speakers Corner with my father on a Sunday morning to listen to the mad hatters freely talking about anything. Incidentally, Speaker’s Corner is where radicals and revolutionaries from Karl Marx to George Orwell have come to have their say. The Serpentine Lake in the park also has a Lido, home to the oldest swimming club in Britain and is open all summer. There’s also a shop, a decent cafe and restaurant and events in the park all summer. And like all Royal Parks in Britain it is free and open to all.
The manmade Serpentine Lake is a favourite with locals for boating Shutterstock
I arrived at Lanesborough on a Friday afternoon just in time for their newly-launched Bridgerton Afternoon Tea. Being a fan of Bridgerton, I was intrigued and booked a table for two. Delicious pastries inspired by the characters from the TV series and the most delectable little finger sandwiches so so tasty with that extra oomph — smoked salmon and horseradish cream, egg mayo and truffle, whipped cream cheese tartlet with crispy kale — all paraded on a lovely silver three-tiered cake stand. I devoured them all, then the scones with thick clotted cream, strawberry jam and also lemon curd — much more refined than jam, honestly.
The Bridgerton Afternoon tea at The Lanesborough Grill Courtesy The Lanesborough
The Lanesborough Grill is transformed into a floral Bridgerton drawing room. There’s nothing quite like it in London. A Regency icon in London, Lanesborough House was rebuilt in 1825 in the fashionable classical style by William Wilkins at the high point of the Regency era and today, London’s quintessential Regency building and therefore the perfect place to host a Bridgerton-themed tea.
Karen Anand at the British Library for the Jaipur Literature Festival London Courtesy Karen Anand
That evening, I took a taxi to the British Library for the opening of the JLF London. On my return to the Lanesborough, I popped into the discreetly positioned Library Bar off the Lobby entrance, to have a drink and a snack on my own, something I never normally do. It looked like an old Mayfair Gentlemen’s Club with waiters in velvet jackets and bow ties, low lighting and comfortable armchairs. I sat in the corner and was attended to by the very charming Frenchman Michael, who explained that he used to be a deep-sea fisherman. I tasted the famous Lanesborough Gin. Unable to drink it neat, the barman made me a delicious Gin Sour and Michael brought me a platter of half a dozen British oysters and a plate of smoked salmon. At this point, I must tell you that I love nothing more than oysters and at the Lanesborough they serve them with the most mouth-watering pickled vinegar, shallot, ginger and cucumber dressing. Now I am going to ask for it every time I have oysters! The flavours were gentle and yet complementary to the raw mouthful inside the shell.
The Library Bar an old Mayfair Gentlemen’s Club with waiters in velvet jackets and bow ties, low lighting and comfortable armchairs Courtesy The Lanesborough
I slept like a baby that night — I’m not certain whether it was the wonderful evening with Michael and his culinary and spiritual offerings or the most plush bed and soft sheets in the pink suite. To my mind, there is nothing better than clean white luxury hotel sheets to give you a great night’s sleep…and the fact that you don’t have to worry about locking the front door, making sure the dog is inside and getting dinner on the table!
Chef and CEO Vivek Singh heads the The Cinnamon Club, which is popular with members of Parliament Courtesy The Cinnamon Club
The next day was my talk which went off superbly. I took friends to Cinnamon Kitchen for lunch after. I’ve known the Chef and CEO Vivek Singh for many years ever since he was at The Cinnamon Club, a stunning restaurant a stone’s throw from the hotel. It remains one of my favourite Indian restaurants in the city. Popular with members of Parliament since it is literally next door to the Houses of Parliament, the restaurant is situated in the old Westminster Library and has retained the bookshelves and the wonderfully high ceilings. Vivek now oversees several Cinnamon restaurants and I was keen to try the Cinnamon Kitchen in the trendy Spitalfields area, housed in a former warehouse of the East India Trading Company. We sat on the terrace, ate banana leaf-wrapped fish and shrimps with an Alleppey coconut curry, ox cheek vindalho and mango kulfi — all so reasonably priced and a real taste of home.
Cinnamon Kitchen in the trendy Spitalfields area serves a real taste of home with its Indian menu Courtesy Cinnamon Kitchen
The next day I had invited a friend for lunch to the Lanesborough since the Sunday lunch menu looked enticing. We had a couple of slices of the Hereford Beef sliced in front of us on the silver gueridon trolley by the affable Francesco, a perfectly made Beef Wellington (not an easy feat), Isle of Wight Tomato Salad with tomato sorbet and a cold tomato soup, Coronation Crab, the biggest and tastiest Orkney Scallops I have ever had with a champagne foam. Chef Shay Cooper’s modern and innovative British cookery, with a focus on seasonal produce from around the country ticked all my boxes and renewed my faith in great British cooking. The Grill Room is a richly decorated dining room, naturally illuminated during the day by a domed glass roof which makes eating there all the more special.
L-R: Isle of Wight Tomato Salad with tomato sorbet and a cold tomato soup, Beef Wellington and Coronation Crab at The Grill Room Courtesy The Lanesborough
Unfortunately there was no time for dessert or cheese. We were rushing to the Tate Britain, one of London’s most stunning art galleries, again a 10-minute taxi ride from the hotel. Originally a prison in the 19th century, it first housed Henry Tate’s private collection and then became a repository of British art. They have permanent galleries and mesmerising exhibitions, immaculately curated and displayed with a whole area of tasteful merchandise. The Gallery is free but you need to book and buy tickets for private exhibitions.
Originally a prison in the 19th century, the Tate British has a large collection of British art Shutterstock
I’ve been coming to London for so many years but never have I had such a wonderful experience of living in the city as my recent trip. The Lanesborough is my definition of real luxury — ‘your home away from home’, they say. My home doesn’t look like this but that doesn’t take away from the exemplary service, the top notch quality of food and cocktails and the comfort. It’s not inexpensive but certainly worth the treat. I’d go back in a heartbeat.