Best Spas in The Rookery

"Reopened after extensive (and expensive) renovation in 2019, the Mandarin Oriental is nothing less than stunning. The hotel’s Edwardian footprint interplays with tranquil, quirkily contemporary interiors and bright colors; the suites and rooms finished in sparkling Art Deco style are by innovative designer Joyce Wang; and there’s an exceptional basement spa with an added Philip Kingsley hair and scalp bar, and a mani-pedi studio by celebrity French podiatrist Bastien Gonzalez. The exterior is all iconic red brick and cream and the building feels quintessentially English, while the interior is restrained yet innovative, color-popping yet elegant, with added floral displays, bronze and silver embossed leaf-themed wallpaper, and fun 1920s-style pendant lights created from equine hair culled from the Horse Guards’ stable."

"This hotel was renovated only recently in 2000, and that’s a good thing too because ever since it has established itself as a prime and elite force in the world of Luxury Hotels. The hotel generally embodies a very Victorian aesthetic, and it features “Foliage”, a renowned Michelin-starred restaurant. Besides the stellar rooms and restaurant, you can also access their pool, spa, terrace, gym, or onsite parking."

"Combining French gastronomy with American influences must have raised a few chef's eyebrows in Daniel Boulud's native France, but diners vote with their forks, relishing both moules à la cr è me or the 'Yankee'... Top ChoiceThai in Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields"

"Sitting grandiose in Knightsbridge on the edge of Hyde Park, a stiletto’s click away from Harrods and Harvey Nichols, The Berkley oozes elegance and Art Deco grandeur. Perhaps it’s because numerous designers have collaborated with the hotel, including Paul Smith, who designed a range of bespoke crockery for the catwalk-inspired afternoon Pret-a-portea. The hotel has 190 rooms, 55 of which are suites, many with terraces overlooking Hyde Park and some bigger than most London flats."

"The Berkeley Hotel‘s latest show-stopping suite is the Opus Suite, designed by Andre Fu. With over 3,000 square feet of space and 270 degree views of Hyde Park and Knightsbridge, the Opus suite is truly spectacular. The beautifully designed room feels stylish and homely and you’ll want to linger all day in the living salon next to the fire place."

"Swap buzzing Knightsbridge for the serenity at the Bamford Haybarn Spa at The Berkeley. This spa spirits the peace of the Cotswolds into the city. Revitalise mind, body and soul with holistic treatments using pure, organic products."

"With its enviable location in the heart of London, situated on the borders of Knightsbridge and Belgravia and with panoramic views of Hyde Park, The Lanesborough has long been considered one of the world’s most luxurious hotels. Its elegant décor, exquisite cuisine, unsurpassed attention to detail and world-renowned service are second to none. The hotel’s restaurant, Céleste, is renowned for being among the best in the city and boasts a Michelin star."

"Awarded the No. 1 Hotel in London by the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards, the Lanesborough is part of the Oetker Collection. Found in the centre of Knightsbridge the hotel is comprised of 93 suites and bedrooms, an opulent spa, dynamic bars, a ‘Withdrawing’ room and its Michelin-starred restaurant, Céleste. Here you receive dedicated butler service 24/7 – no matter what grade of the room you choose."

"This romantic riverside hotel and spa boasts a 4-star rating thanks to its sleek 98 rooms and apartments. Tucked away on a historic cobbled street by Eton Bridge, it's the ideal spot for a bit of R&R thanks to the amenities including a gym, spa treatments, outdoor jacuzzi and sauna. Meanwhile the rooms are bright and spacious yet still cosy, for a homely feel."

"With beautiful views of the River Thames and spires of Eton College, this historic hotel – named after Sir Christopher Wren, architect of St Paul’s Cathedral – occupies an enviable spot. Expect ancient grandeur in the main house, and contemporary mod cons in the newly renovated wings."

"Pros: The location is good, it is great to have breakfast on the Thames and Eaton Bridge early in the morning. The same English breakfast. The parking lot needs to be parked outside."

"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"

"Another exceptional example to file under Eating Seafood Is The Only Reason You Need To Turn On Your OOO, Prawn On The Lawn is a great little fish-fuelled restaurant on St. Paul’s Road in Highbury. Not only a top spot to perch and tuck into a whole John Dory, this place is also a fishmongers so you can pretend you’re in the midst of a seafood market you just happened to stumble upon between trips to the beach. It’s also worth noting that their other restaurant is in Padstow, so they really do know how to do that whole relaxed seaside thing, with a little truffle oil and ‘Cornish negronis’ thrown in for good measure."

"Fishmongers by trade, the team at POTL mean business when it comes to seafood and have builtt up one of Islington’s best-loved restaurants. With no actual lawn in sight and a lot more to offer than just prawns, they specialise in small and sharing plates, from monkfish satay with coconut sambal to lemon sole dripping in ‘nduja butter and tarragon. Then there’s oysters from all over the British isles, whole grilled fish for the table and the signature POTL Fruits de Mer (served chilled on ice)."

"The brilliantly-named Prawn on the Lawn is not just a restaurant but also a fishmonger. This means the menu changes on a daily basis depending on what fish have been caught. Sample small plates include the favourite Prawn on the Lawn as well as Porthilly mussels with clams and manzanilla, and cod with Sri Lankan black curry."

"Sitting atop the South Place Hotel, Angler makes apparent early on its elegantly versatile nature. With "sustainable seafood from British waters, paired with the best seasonal and local produce", as well as world-renowned sommelier Benoit Allauzen, Angler is a double-hitter, and might just be the wine-enthusiast's seafood paradise. Their tasting menu includes everything from smoked eel to minestrone, and they offer a Sunday BBQ which reinvents the form: mackerel-squid sliders, prawn and pork belly skewers, and Cornish cod goujons."

"Restaurants British Moorgate"

"For most British diners, lobster has a very definite reputation – fancy AF. But while the meat is always at a high price point, our American cousins aren’t quite as burdened with the same white-tablecloth associations. Enter Bob’s Lobster, London’s (relatively) new lobster roll king, which has recently turned its roving seafood van into a permanent restaurant and wine bar."

"BOB's Lobster Wine Bar & Kitchen serves delicious seafood dishes in London Bridge, with a quirky street-food twist in the form of a VW campervan. Signature dishes include ahi tuna tacos, lobster mac 'n' cheese, lobster roll and a £1 oyster happy hour every weekday."

"The Cinema Museum in London was founded in the 1980s by Ronald Grant and Martin Humphries. Grant and Humphries filled the museum with objects from their private collection of cinema memorabilia. The museum is housed in the workhouse where Charlie Chaplin lived during his childhood."

"London’s Cinema Museum is devoted to keeping alive the spirit of cinema from the days before the multiplex. Admission is only via joining one of their regular guided tours, which costs £10."

"The Wallace Collection, in Hertford House, a grand 19th-century townhouse on Manchester Square and the former residence of the Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, now plays host to the family’s extraordinary collection of art and artefacts. It features exquisite examples of Urbino maiolica and Sèvres porcelain, miniatures kept in covered cases and imperious armoury on the ground floor. But the star attraction is the collection of works by European artists such as François Boucher, Anthony van Dyck, Peter Paul Rubens, and Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn."

"Not so much a gallery as an art-filled time portal, this considerable collection of 18th and 19th century fine art and design at Hertford House is the work of Sir Richard Wallace and his ancestors. Paintings in the collection include works by Rembrandt, Fragonard, Rubens, Canaletto, Velazquez and the wonderful Laughing Cavalier by Franz Hals. Hertford House, Manchester Square, Mayfair, W1U 3BN, wallacecollection.org"

"The Wallace Collection is a London art gallery made up of the collection of the Marquess family. The art all dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries and was gathered by five generations of the Marquesses along with Sir Richard Wallace, who was an illegitimate Marquess son. Today, the collection contains more than five thousand pieces."

"Restaurants British King’s Road. Given its name, you’d expect this horticulturally themed venue to tick all the alfresco boxes, and the Ivy’s terrace doesn’t disappoint. By day, its leafy trellises, bloom-filled terracotta pots, water feature and velvet chairs will put you in an off-duty mood faster than you can order an Ivy Garden Royale; at night, fire pits, roaring hearths and lap blankets keep diners toasty and the vibe as chic as can be."

"Located on the Kings road, London’s most desirable shopping district, The Ivy Chelsea Garden is the perfect place to sit back, relax and enjoy afternoon tea. A fun place for celebrity spotting, both the restaurant and garden are lavishly accentuated with flowers reflecting the season. Expect to see an explosion of fantastical blooms over the coming weeks for Valentine's."

"Next on our list of the best desserts in London, it’s The Ivy. Are you looking for decadence?. Then you need to visit The Ivy Chelsea Garden."