Best Spas in Pitstone

"Arguably the most beautiful department store in the world, Liberty is housed in a fairytale Grade II-listed Tudor revival building built in 1924, seven years after founder Arthur Lasenby Liberty died. A maze of cave-like rooms is laid out around three central atriums, stacked high with merchandise and artistic displays. The store’s fabric department—where visitors can admire Liberty’s world-famous patterned, print, and floral fabrics—is a must-see."

"London is home to some of the most beautiful shops – whether you’re an interior design nut or just like to look from the outside. Wandering around London, it’s almost impossible not to pass a lovely little storefront or a beautifully decorated boutique. From The Old Curiosity Shop to Alice’s to the interior of The Liberty Store, there is no shortage of inspiration and beauty (Daunt Books is another blogger fave)."

"You could be forgiven for thinking the Liberty department store building is a lot older than it is. At first sight, the timber-framed front looks late medieval, but in fact it’s a Tudor Revival building from the early 20th century. Arthur Liberty previously owned several store sites in and around nearby Regent Street."

"Housed in one of London’s most glamorous hotel, The Dorchester Spa promises an experience as opulent as its surroundings. A warren of light, bright spaces and dramatic-yet-intimate areas, facilities include a fitness centre filled with Technogym equipment, nine treatment rooms, a relaxation room, experience showers, steam room, hair salon and wittily named Spatisserie cafe. Available Monday to Thursday, the signature spa day at The Dorchester is dubbed the Beau-Tea-Ful Spa Experience and, you guessed it, culminates in a classic afternoon tea."

"With Art Deco-inspired interiors, The Dorchester’s spa oozes 1930’s glamour with a modern edge. From manicures to full-body scrubs their treatment list is extensive and all are highly tailored to clients’ needs. Facilities include a mani-pedi suite, relaxation room, and male and female aromatic steam rooms and experience showers."

"Decadent art deco features line The Dorchester's exclusive spa. Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, Mayfair, London, W1K 1QA. Tube: Hyde Park Corner Station"

"Sopwell House Hotel is a grand affair, with more than 100 rooms, two restaurants, a spa and 12 acres of grounds to its name. Among all of that the best place to relax is in the cocktail lounge, where afternoon tea is served. It’s a long, breezy room that begins with a marble-topped bar and stretches all the way to a library, with little alcoves and giant sash windows along the way."

" A combination of hotel, leisure complex & conference centre, the former Georgian country home of Lord Mountbatten is just a 20-minute train ride ..." Read our full review"

"The 10,000 square-foot agua spa at Sanderson in London's Fitzrovia is a dazzling all-white space providing pampering, spiritual relief, and tranquillity. With walls of white, flowing curtains, the 14 all-white treatment rooms, chill-out zone and meditation beds creates a cloud-like ambiance with the sound of running water added to the atmosphere. Try the Natura Bisse signature treatment that analyses your skin and creates a programme designed specifically for your skin or the Natura Bisse Diamond Experience offering a multi-sensory cosmetic lift using ingredients that penetrate into the deepest layers of the skin, providing the firmness necessary to stimulate regeneration and reinforces the skin's natural defence system."

"The Tom Dixon-designed Thames-side hotel has transformed this part of the South Bank. The designer’s first complete hotel comes with portholes and a curved copper hull as well as a little bit of disco-ball shimmy in the air. His aesthetic flows down to the subterranean spa, where a huge copper droplet appears to drip through the ceiling from in the relaxation lounge."

"Until 2007, Londoners had no idea what an affordable spa was, until Spa London opened up its first spa-tique in Bethnal Green. Now there are several all over London, but the favourite must be in Swiss Cottage. Signature body treatments, facials and massages are up for grabs from as little as £30 — rare in this part of town."

"6 floors up from the madness of Leicester Square lies an oasis of calm in the form of the AWAY Spa at W London. The spa is all-white and minimalist, with smooth, sleep lines. A team of celebrity therapists are on hand to help you: from the signature facials by Su-Man and advanced aesthetics of Dr. Wong, expert tanning of James Harknett, to Ruthie Belle's stunning eyelashes and hair styling of Sergio Giannasso."

"This luxe Soho spa at the W Hotel on Leicester Square is the go-to place for glamour, perfectly placed for pampering ahead of a night on the town. Revitalise your body with one of their tailor-made treatments or revive your soul in their sauna and steam rooms. Book a ritual or package for a loved one, including specials for the ‘modern gentleman’ and ‘the entrepreneur’."

"This vibrant and superbly sexy London hotel and spa is an energising experience from the spa to the restaurant. Putting you in the mood to party and recover the next day, it’s a breath of fresh air in the heart of Soho."

"King’s Head is a local hotspot, and it’s run by the Chiltern Brewery, so you’ll find the bar stocked with ale from Chiltern. The pub is open from 11am to 11pm Monday through Saturday, and the pub stays open from noon to 10:30 pm on Sunday. Food service is available all week long."

"Restaurants British Southwark. Jammed onto the side of an architectural practice in Southwark, this serene Aussie-style café-restaurant is something of a quiet classic in this part of town. Come the weekend, the standard breakfast menu (lots of eggs and avocado, as you’d expect) expands into brunch territory with a host of sizeable salads and burgers, waffles, pancakes and favourites such as sweetcorn fritters."

"Somewhat bemusingly, it claims to be the oldest French restaurant in London despite only being founded in the 1940s. Still, the menu is brimming with classic French dishes, so we’ll forgive this apparent fib."

"What do you get when you put a Korean, a Filipino and an Aussie chef together?" enquires one reader. The answer is 100 Hoxton, a low-lit, concrete-hued hangout that gives fusion food a good name. "You'll want to order every small plate", insists one fan – perhaps braised octopus with garam masala or crunchy, salty soft-shell crab with peanut brittle and a dousing of fresh lime from the dinner menu."

"From soft shell crab doused in honey and garlic sauce through to Asian takes on ceviche and hand-dived scallops, Rapsa is bringing a delicious taste of the Philippines to Hoxton High Street. Staking their claim as one of London's best places for seafood, it's well worth a visit."

"‘Ting’ is derived from the Chinese word for living room, but there can’t be many front rooms that boast the views enjoyed by guests to this restaurant on the 35th-storey of the Shangri-La at the Shard hotel. But whilst the views and the light, chrome-bright, modernist atmosphere are very undomestic, the welcome is genuinely warm: the waiting staff have a skip in their step and an effusively charmant manner. As for the contemporary British menu devised by Jeremy Brown, it is based on simple, seasonal dishes and is ooh-inspiringly pretty and satisfyingly tasty, with intriguing (and successful) wine pairings suggested for each dish."

"At the peak of The Shard, British cooking is elevated by Chinese flavours and French technique|© The Shard. Head up to the 35th floor of The Shard to Ting Restaurant – an elegant European-style restaurant with just a touch of Asian influence. Tucked into the Shangri-La Hotel, Ting – named after the Mandarin word for ‘living room’ – deploys flavours such as Chinese five spice, shiso and soy to robust staples of British cooking like pork belly and suckling pig, making for a meal that’s equal parts smart and satisfying."

"Restaurants Chinese Soho. The original of a Sichuan gang that also includes BaoziInn, Barshu is a refreshing change from Chinatown’s mostly Cantonese restaurants. Come here for prairie tripe, fragrant and hot pig’s trotters, stir-fried chicken gizzards with pickled chilli and other fiery tongue-tinglers – just remember to have plenty of soothing tea on tap."

"Chinatown, like the indomitable village in Asterix, has largely held out against the culinary renaissance that has transformed the capital into the roiling galaxy of restaurants, tasting rooms and trend-infused “concepts” that it is today. To go into Soho, to those identikit MSG joints feels like a throwback to the Dark Ages. Leave it to the tourists, right?"

"You might think Bar Shu – adorned with slatted blinds, latticed woodwork and tasselled lanterns – was a sweet-and-sour honeytrap for Soho tourists; but you'd be missing out on possibly the best Sichuan food in... Top ChoiceBritish in East London"