There are two restaurants in the hotel. Vintry Kitchen serves Asian-inspired tapas with a strong Japanese influence; a highlight is the Wagyu sando, where the juicy, tender slab of beef – lightly battered with an excellent tonkatsu sauce – is flanked by pickled cabbage and fried bread slices. Miso features heavily in other small plates (such as glazed aubergine, grilled cod and padron peppers); all go down particularly well with the Italian frizzante wine available from the barrel. The fragrant queen scallops explode in the mouth with a buttery flavour.
Mercer Terrace is a greenhouse restaurant with a heated terrace granting lovely views of St Paul’s Cathedral. The moreish pig’s head croquette, served on a bed of pickled fennel, is the star appetiser. For mains, go for the cod fillet with garlic crust or Dorset blue lobster.
The basement bar DND (short for ‘Do Not Disturb’) is as close to an authentic speakeasy as it gets, with bedazzled photos of 1920s vaudeville stars, boudoir lampshades and Charleston tunes in the background. Try the Average Joe, a cocktail with Bulleit rum and a homemade syrup containing banana, cardamom and thyme. The smooth but intense barrel-aged cocktails are interesting choices.
Breakfast is a continental spread of pastries, cold cuts, cheeses, fruits and yogurts, with à la carte items (green tea ricotta pancakes; smashed avocado on toast) available from £8-12.
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