A NIGHT AT ST.JAMES’S HOTEL & CLUB

A couple of weeks before Christmas Jonny and I were kindly invited for an overnight stay at St. James’s Hotel & Club. In all of my eight years of living in London I could count once, maybe twice of me staying in a hotel in my own city. I mean it does make sense, I have a bed in London so don’t need to pay for another. I was looking forward to experiencing what it’s like to stay in London as a visitor waking up to the city on your doorstep. St.James’s Hotel & Club is perfectly located in a cosy cul-de-sac in the heart of Mayfair just a short stroll away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

We stayed in the Westminster Suite and were blown away by its private roof terrace where we had the most wonderful views of the city. The room was beautifully decorated with silk wallpaper, hanging chandeliers and luxurious sofas.

Before dinner we met head pastry chef Steve, where we had a festive chocolate masterclass. We got to make three types of truffles: salted caramel ganache balls, a passion fruit-infused white chocolate version, followed by my favourite Champagne chocolate truffles . We used melted Valrhona chocolate which tasted divine. This was such a lovely experience as we got to learn about the process of chocolate making and chat about all things chocolate.

After a quick freshen up, it was time to head downstairs to the cocktail bar & restaurant. Seven Park Place is the multi-award-winning restaurant onsite at St James Hotel & Club. It’s run by chef William Drabble and landed a Michelin star in 2010, a year after opening. We started off with some gin cocktails, before shortly being seated in the restaurant.

With the restaurant having only 26 covers and nine tables, it makes a really special and intimate dining experience. We picked the a la carte menu (3 courses £75) and were happy to let the sommelier match the wine for us. I knew instantly what I would be having for starter. The poached lobster tail was cooked to perfection, it came with a cauliflower purée and lobster butter sauce. Full of lots of flavour.

On to the main course. I went for the saddle of lamb which was served with turnips, onions and thyme. I loved the flavour combinations here, my plate was happily cleared. Of course, no meal would be complete without dessert. The passion fruit souffle with dark chocolate sauce caught my eye and tasted incredible.

Share:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.