Eight Excellent Restaurants with Rooms
05 November, 2018
- Words by
- Gilly Hopper
When
When
dinner is an epic, hours-long affair, it’s comforting to know
that your bedroom is merely steps away. Come for the food and stay
for the fluffy hotel robes; these restaurants where you can bed
down – and refuel again come breakfast – are renowned world over.
The best bit? Getting stuck into the wine menu knowing you don’t
have to drive home.
hotel
The Pig
Brockenhurst, United Kingdom
hotel
La Colombe d’Or
Venice, Italy
Starting life in 1920 as “Chez Robinson” a café-bar with an
open-air terrace where people would dance at the weekends, the
property reopened as an inn comprising of just three rooms. During
WWII, painters and the literati sought refuge on the Riviera, and
with them came an boastable collection of art – from Matisse,
Picasso, Leger, Braque and Chagall – some of which was given in
exchange for a stay or a few meals.
Whether you opt for lunch or lodgings (or both) a visit of La
Colombe d’Or is a diary-worthy experience. Traditional French
dining caters to indoor and outdoor sittings – the leafy terrace
enclosed within old stone walls harbours the best tables. Choose
from signature Provencal dishes and timeless French classics like
steak with gratin dauphinois or Burgundy snails, and finish with a
gateau au chocolat. Despite its grandiose folkloric history, rooms
at La Colombe d’Or are casual but comfortable. With all the French
charm of a countrified, family-run auberg, bed down in soft white
linens in a soft white room hidden in the hills. A word of advice
to those who are easily distracted: ensure eyes remain firmly fixed
on whichever masterpiece you are lucky enough to be sleeping
with.
hotel
Nomade
Tulum , Mexico
Holistic living has never felt quite so indulgent. Luxuriate in
one of 38 spacious rooms, plotted on the main beach of Tulum – the
master suite comes with solarium with a large balcony offering
views of the ocean and a rooftop solarium; in short, surrounds are
near-perfect. The aesthetic is stripped-back walls, artisan design
and natural materials, to complement your beyond-beautiful
setting.
With the beach in your immediate vicinity, it makes good sense
to dine on the sands, with the percussive sea replacing Spotify for
the evening. At La Popular – the hotel’s fish-market-inspired
beachside restaurant – is stocked daily by local fisherman. Menus
capture local roots and flavours of the coast. Go for the octopus
and shrimp ceviche, the guarniciones and the fish tacos and wash
down with the house cocktail: Frezcal. For the vegans among you,
Macondo’s wholesome fare focuses on seasonality and sustainably
farmed ingredients. The 20m, family-style table carved from one
single tree trunk puts a whole new spin on communal dining.
hotel
The Witchery
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Situated in a 16th-century merchant’s house, the restaurant at
The Witchery is all about sharing – from small plates to snatched
looks and gossip-fuelled dinners. Dine on a European menu with a
focus on seafood in one of two dining rooms. Both laden in rich
baroque detailing – think red leather seats, ancient oak panelling,
hung tapestries and heraldic painted ceilings – the experience here
defines eating by candlelight. Upstairs, check in to one of nine
indulgent suites. Red, black and gold are the colours du jour,
draped across every idle ledge and object in sight. One for the
maximalists, expect rooms (overlooking the Royal Mile) to include
decadent beds, antique furnishings and silk-upholstered walls,
while some rooms have a private entrance hall. Sip on champagne and
sample baked cookies, while you acclimatise to your opulent
surrounds, which, while not antonymous with the restaurant
downstairs, have a decidedly sexier atmosphere.
hotel
Central Hotel and Café
Copenhagen, Denmark
hotel
The Bower House
Shipston-on-Stour, United Kingdom
Located between the Cotswolds and Stratford-upon-Avon, The Bower
House’s 1731 historic facade precedes it. A light blue and white
exterior guides you to the entranceway of this former women’s
clothing shop, step inside to reveal retro-chic interiors, complete
with eclectic furnishings, bold colours and striking artwork.
Five bedrooms are similarly zany (if a tad more traditional than
the ground floor of the house) – palm tree and lion print
wallpapers and celestial tiling in the bathroom should paint the
scene for you.
Munch on a locally sourced menu in the adjoining restaurant
where unfussy but technically skilful food is served with a smile.
For breakfast, choose between scrambled eggs with avocado and toast
or a bacon bap (with a mug of tea), while dinner is dishes like
roast pumpkin risotto or mixed seafood pappardelle.
hotel
11 Howard Soho
New York, United States
We always figured Koons and Calder would happy bedfellows make.
Proving that theory right, the 11 Howards’ impressive contemporary
art collection sets the tone at this suave but subtle New York
spot. Designed by Space Copenhagen, the hotel’s social spaces draw
a artful crowd who gravitate to The Blond after 9PM. The glossy
party pad, donned with dark-blue velvet booth seating, marbled
mirrors and a spiral staircase leading up to the bar, lives up to
its own hype. Rooms adopt a more muted palette and are decked out
with modern amenities like in-room iPads for 24-hour room service
and customisable minibars.
When you rise from your slumber, head for Le CouCou on the
ground level of the hotel. Breakfast is a more casual affair than
other sittings, comprised of runny eggs or pancakes dressed with
blueberries and creme fraiche. Run by chef Daniel Rose and
restaurateur Stephen Starr, here the linens are crisp, the candles
are flickering and the cuisine is an update on classical French
fare. Dinner reservations are also notoriously difficult to
attain.
hotel
L’Enclume
Cartmel , United Kingdom