Classy Edwardian elegance with a touch of dry humour...
OUR VERDICT
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The last time I came to The Goring’s Michelin-starred restaurant, it’s no exaggeration to say there were more kitchen staff than guests. The food was superb, the service charmingly attentive, and the hotel itself warm, welcoming and sophisticated – but the restaurant decor was well, a bit tired, and this big old traditional dining room was crying out for a splash of the magic drawing the crowds into the hotel’s buzzy cocktail bar and afternoon tearoom.
Nick Rochowski Photography
After a five-month refurbishment led by designers Russell Sage, it reopened this month, and it’s a feast for the eyes: big, bold, hand-painted floral wallpaper, plush semi-circular banquettes and beautiful big planters of greenery. Gone is the controversial giant Swarovski “twigs” chandelier; instead, softer lighting, a jazzy music soundtrack and a deep red carpet bring the room together and make it feel much more inviting. Executive chef Graham Squire and his team have a brand new kitchen downstairs to work on their seasonal English dishes, and there’s now a chef’s table for those who want to get up close to the action.
I’m delighted to be asked back to review. There are few hotels that have left such an impression on me.
Hotel history
Founded in 1910 by Otto Goring, it’s the only five-star hotel in London still owned and run by the family that built it. Small, personal and luxurious, it’s the very essence of boutique with just 69 rooms. Many know it for hosting the Princess of Wales on the eve of her wedding (regulars still talk about the ‘Middleton effect' on prices and popularity), but its reputation as an ‘annexe’ of nearby Buckingham Palace goes way back.
It was the first hotel in London to have en suite bathrooms and central heating, way before the palace itself invested in such modern luxuries. Visiting overseas royalty would often choose to stay here to enjoy a little more comfort and privacy than their Royal hosts could provide.
In more recent times, it was the favourite haunt of the Queen Mother (her ‘usual’, a lobster and caviar seafood cocktail known as Eggs Drumkilbo, is still on the menu). In 2013, it was awarded a Royal Warrant for Hospitality, the only hotel to hold that honour.
Nick Rochowski Photography
First impressions
It’s everything you’d expect of a classy royal favourite: liveried doormen, Gainsborough silks, giant silver cloches and cosy leather wingbacks. But like a handsome Savile Row suit with a flamboyant lining, there’s a playfulness too.
The stunning Fromental wallpaper in the lobby (which took four artists eight weeks to paint) features quirky animal depictions of the Goring family's past and present and long-serving staff members. Light switches in the rooms have pre-programmed modes of ‘Bright’, ‘Cosy’ and ‘Ooooh!’.
A giant life-sized fluffy sheep, hotel mascot Baa-rbara, is nestled by the bar – there’s a smaller version in each room for guests to take home – and in the dining room, a portrait of the Goring family as The Beatles hangs cheekily between the gilt-frames, a reminder that this small family hotel isn’t afraid to laugh at itself.
This relaxed, unstuffy approach runs more than decor-deep. In last year’s Sunday Times workplace listings, The Goring was voted by staff as one of the best places to work in the UK, and a glance at the TripAdvisor reviews reveals thousands of testimonies to the charm and friendliness of those who work here.
Restaurant manager James is a perfect example: chatty, friendly with a lovely dry banter, he seats us at one of the two-person curved banquettes, which offers a wide angle on the rest of the room. Table theatre is a big part of the new look, explains James, with dishes like the Dover Sole and Beef Wellington filleted or carved at the table. A head-turning trolley wheels out giant sliver cloches, and the rum baba is flambéed at the table. The window banquettes are a perfect viewing point.
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The menu
We start with a glass of Goring champagne, a lighter version of Bollinger created for the hotel’s 100th birthday. The dinner menu features six starters and seven mains, all focused on seasonal English products. The aforementioned Eggs Drumkilbo, with lobster, caviar and roasted tomatoes is one of the most popular starters, with the Longhorn Beef Wellington, served for two and the Dover Sole, with globe artichoke in barigoule, warm tartare and crispy beer batter in close competition as The Goring’s most iconic dishes.
The food
I opt for Roast Orkney scallops which are served with a puree of pea and lemon verbena and a meaty crust of nut-brown butter. They are truly one of the nicest things I’ve ever tasted. Main courses of Cornish cod cured in Earl Grey tea, with mussels, seaweed, a gooseberry and herb emulsion and Rhug Estate lamb, served in a hot pot pie with lamb fat carrot, pickles, and BBQ gem relish, are simply delicious.
Bread (soft, warm, superb) comes with salt butter and marmite butter, and we have sides of Wye Valley asparagus with hollandaise sauce and English pea, maple smoked bacon and lettuce.
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The afters
There’s just room for pudding: a Yorkshire rhubarb and lemon shortbread tartlet, with Madagascan vanilla and Oak Church strawberries and raspberries with violet mousse and toasted almonds. Both are utterly delicious and washed down with a glass of Chateau Lafou Sauternes, 2020, from the hotel’s 500-plus wine list.
It’s a triumph of English cooking, delivered with a friendliness that is sometimes missing in restaurants of such quality. Perhaps it’s a matter of scale – with just 60 covers, staff are relaxed, calm and chatty. Or just the easy charm of a family-run business that knows its clients well and has been finessing its service for over 100 years.
Sample restaurant pricing:
- Eggs Drumkilbo £35
- Beef Wellington £120 for two
- Dover Sole £74
- Scallops £27
- Cornish cod £44
- Rhug Estate Lamb £46
Nick Rochowski Photography
The gardens
There’s one aspect of the hotel we’ve yet to see. The Goring has the second largest private garden in London (first is Buckingham Palace), and the following day the windows are wide open from the beautiful foliage-filled afternoon tearoom. The sunshine streams in as the tables are set for the 110 guests who visit each day for cakes, sandwiches and a glass of champers (from £70-99 a head).
It’s a wonderful setting, with vivid botanical textiles, lobster pots, greenery and seaside paintings. Looking out over the garden room, enjoying a coffee with a friend at a comfy seat near the bar, is a familiar face. It’s actor Bill Nighy. As I leave, I think if there was ever a human manifestation of The Goring, it would be him: quintessentially English, full of charm, elegance, and class, but with a twinkly roguish humour.
Rooms from £870 per night; thegoring.com; The Goring, 15 Beeston Place, London SW1W 0JW
David Cotsworth
