Times have changed since The Savoy, London’s first luxury hotel, opened its doors so many famous faces have since walked through.
The grande dame of The Stand is a hotel of firsts – the first hotel in Britain lit by electric lights and the first with electric lifts – it even offered Britain’s first serviced apartments decades before branded residences.
In its 135th anniversary year, this Edwardian/Art Deco gem must now compete with London’s increasingly competitive ultra-luxe hotel scene and, after a £100 million refurbishment in the noughties, is in the middle of another minor facelift. Among the refresh is a new all-day dining experience: Gallery, and the addition of a florist and ‘scone shop’ Scoff in the foyer. Each addition plays to the hotel’s rich storied history as it looks towards a new era.
Location
Situated off the Strand in Savoy Court (the only road in the UK where vehicles are permitted to drive on the right), the hotel is superbly positioned, within a short walk of Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden and the theatre district. The Savoy prides itself on being the only five-star hotel in London with a view of the river.
Interiors
Gallery is a reimagining of the Thames Foyer, the glass-domed atrium in the heart of the hotel, where guests were served traditional English cream teas accompanied by the tinkling of a pianist. The pianist is still there, but the giant birdcage that partly obscured the magnificent stained glass domed window has gone – and with it a slab of natural light-blocking whimsy.
Walking a line between updating a place groaning with so much history while retaining its character, is a fine one, but Shayne Brady’s interiors draw out the Savoy’s heritage with a lightness of touch.
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The restaurant has bags of charm and it’s very easy to feel at home here: silhouettes of dancing figures grace the walls – a nod to the room’s party-focused past – the soft lighting lends the space a warm glow on a December day, and the leather seats are so delightfully comfortable that soon lunchtime slips into teatime.
Food & Drink
The Savoy is synonymous with its afternoon tea, but the newly opened Gallery restaurant takes guests through from breakfast to dinner with all meals in between.
Still, on the afternoon Spear’s visited, the tea (£80 pp for the traditional tea) was the most popular choice for fellow diners. And it did look magnificent.
But lunch was worth passing over the finger sandwiches and clotted cream scones for.
The dishes are designed to be shared, or as a more conventional three-course meal and include dishes inspired by The Savoy’s famous celebratory French chef Auguste Escoffier who transformed the hotel’s fortunes with his inventive dishes (he appears to have been forgiven for the indiscretion that got him sacked in 1898).
The tacos made in honour of his Sole Veronique were a standout, combining sole with Bacchus grape and hispi cabbage. Among other starters was a truffle-rich croque monsieur; rich, juicy scallops, and creamy lobster rolls that allowed the sweetness of the lobster to shine. They were accompanied by a superb flinty Sancerre.
Standout mains included a succulent Rhug Estate rib eye with peppercorn sauce and fat wild mushrooms and rose-pink trout teamed with pak choi and miso. The vegetarian options were inventive and included a colourful Korean-spiced cauliflower steak that brought this humble veg to life.
Full, we opted for a sundae as a dessert expecting a dainty glass of ice cream. Instead, a huge bowl of assorted ice cream and cream, finished off tableside with guests’ choice of toppings arrived. It was difficult not to feel like a child in a 1950’s film taken out for a Christmas treat.
Service
The Savoy set the benchmark for service when it opened more than a century ago and continues to impress. The balance between making guests feel like royalty and making you feel at home was achieved with ease and grace.
Worth knowing
Scoff, the scone shop, is the Savoy’s patisserie with a British accent. Pastry chef Nicolas Houchet has dressed up the humble scone offering flavours including strawberries and cream and Spear’s favourite, tiramisu.
For those who have scoffed a huge ice cream sundae, or for anyone seeking to take a slice of the Savoy home, the scones can be taken away.
The verdict
Exemplary service in a delightful space – and the food is very good too.
Details
The Savoy, Strand, London WC2R 0EZ
Tel. +44 (0)20 7420 2111
savoy@fairmont.com
