This former police station-based London newbie is making headlines for all the right reasons.
09 September, 2021
"Have you stayed at NoMad yet?" was the question on everyone's lips when this hotel finally threw open its doors in 2021 - having been in the making since 2012. Perhaps the most hotly anticipated opening of 2021, the NoMad London - much like its US siblings in New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas - is a place to see and be seen.
We had to pinch ourselves when we peeked out of our bedroom window in the morning to a full-frontal view of the Royal Opera House and theatreland gently starting to stir below. Set in the grade II-listed former Bow Street Magistrates' Court and Police Station, the building's Covent Garden location is hard to beat.
You've no doubt seen the hotel's foliage-strung atrium all over Instagram, as The Nomad Restaurant and Bar - headed up by Ashley Abodeely, with Pietro Collina and Leo Robitschek behind the renowned cocktail menu - has already become a destination in its own right. If your hard-earned doesn't quite stretch to a room, dinner here will give you a taste of what's made NoMad somewhere everyone wants to stay.
A distinctive NoMad feel means interiors are homely, arty and unique. The 91 rooms and suites offer hardwood floors, pink-hued marble fireplaces, mammoth beds and clawfoot bathtubs. We were obsessed with our pearlescent bathroom of shimmering tiles and gold hardware, and with the gorgeous mid-century lighting throughout the hotel, which beautifully illuminates the idiosyncratic art that adorns the walls.
You'll struggle to choose from a menu spanning far more imaginative offerings than the usual suspects - the breakfast burrito being a highlight.
The aforementioned atrium restaurant is abuzz with diners slurping on frozen-cucumber oysters, twirling king crab tagliatelle, tucking into suckling pig and rounding things off with rum baba. The sommelier is particularly friendly and will guide you through a global wine list.
Guests can also head to Side Hustle. Based on a classic British pub, it packs a colourful punch, with a menu featuring tacos, tostados, margaritas et al.
Yep, just next to the restaurant. Slick and seductive, it's an ideal place for a date even if you're not staying. Take it slow and stay until closing time.
You can visit the Bow Street Police Museum below the hotel - book at reception and a member of staff will show you around. If you're into British crime dramas, this one's for you.
