Sir Frank’s Bar Inside the Beaverbrook Town House
When it comes to quality hotels, London is not playing around. Especially in the food and beverage department. Luxury lodges here are home to dozens of bars and restaurants regularly regarded among the best in the world. So when Beaverbrook Town House opened earlier this year, as Chelsea’s newest boutique guesthouse, it brought with it an F+B program that aims to impress.
And it’s impossible to ignore. Immediately upon check-in at the 14-suite property, the alluring Art Deco stylings of Sir Frank’s Bar beckon you. It’s a whimsical space with a brightly-lit backbar of well-curated spirits, beneath stain glassed paneling. Turquoise-accented walls are lined with an assortment of ephemera of a bygone era.
Although the bar snacks here flaunt a Japanese inspiration—a prelude to the dining experience in the adjacent room—signature cocktails take their cue from live theatre. Of them, Bank Heist is a real showstopper, rendering peated scotch with Frangelico and chocolate wine under a jar of smoked oak chips. It’s name is an homage to “About A Bank Robbery,” which premiered on London’s West End in March 0f 2016. Whatever preparation your prefer, you won’t have to guess the reference; the menu writes it all out under each description.
The Bank Heist is prepared at Sir Frank’s Bar
For the main course, head up the steps into the cozy confines of the Fuji Grill. The pale green walls of the room, holding woodblock prints of sakura and assorted Japanese landscapes, hint at the fare that’s to follow. And yet it’s still full of surprises. Red bream is plated under a white truffle ponzu jelly; Scottish langoustine is dusted under English Bergamot. Even the miso is modified—into cappuccino form with a tofu foam topper.
Arrive from Wednesday through Saturday and you can reserve counter space at chef Goemon Ishikawa’s innovative omakase experience. The two hour dinner costs $267 per guest, exclusive of special wine and sake pairings from an exhaustive list of offerings from head sommelier Giovanni Tallu.
Cold smoked Japanese A5 Wagyu
The immersiveness of the dining carries through into the guest rooms. Sizable and well-appointed, each one is an ode to a different historic theatre house of the city. The suites in the five story property afford enviable views of the quiet Chelsea neighborhood—as well as exclusive access to Cadogan Place Gardens throughout the length of your stay. Rates start at $500 per night.
But of greater interest to the seasoned drinkers out there, no doubt, will be the liquids available in room. Here you’ll find an elegant copper-clad bar cart lined with four batched cocktails in 200ml sizes. All you’ll have to do is add ice and use the provided shaker. Book a stay in one of the studio suites and you’ll be greeted with a bottle of Sloe Gin from local craft darling Sipsmith—to go along with a complimentary minibar.
Of all the myriad attributes to appreciate at Beaverbrook, one of the most commendable is that it somehow feels like its been a part of London for years. It’s a key asset in a market where world-class luxury has been a mainstay for centuries and yet some of it is starting to feel stale and tired. Fresh and nostalgic, all at once, this property is poised to standout as an instant classic.
A bar cart lined with batched cocktails; backdropped by the tiered townhouses of Chelsea.