What’s the draw?
With a recent change of ownership, the hotel formerly known as Mondrian London has shaken off that moniker and metamorphosed into, simply, Sea Containers London. Having closed for a little while for some minor refurbishment (including at its award-winning bar, but more on that later), it’s re-opened with an updated look and feel. Rooms and suites are cut with clean, Nordic lines, bathrooms hewn from sumptuous marble. If you can stretch to a suite with a balcony, the view – across the shimmering, twinkling Thames to the lights of the City – is borderline unbeatable.
What to eat?
The main event here is the aptly named Sea Containers Restaurant. The restaurant’s become more casual, with the kind of menu built for lounging and digging in, elbows on the table, to dishes like haggis croquettes with a slick of pungent mustard, al dente asparagus with white onion and capers in grassy olive oil, and a textbook mac n’ cheese. Drinks-wise, you’re in the safest possible hands at Lyaness, the updated version of venerated bartender Mr Lyan’s award-winning Dandelyan, with a menu of slick, ambitious and delicious cocktails. Upstairs, 12th Knot bar completes the set.
Key info
Address: 20 Upper Ground, SE1 9PD
Rooms: 92
Event spaces: 3
Nearest station: Blackfriars is a five-minute walk away
What else?
With its own spa, Agua, tucked away on its own floor of the hotel (run in collaboration with facialist Kate Kerr), a 56-seat cinema operated by Curzon and a massive gym to add to its two bars and restaurant, you’ll theoretically never need to leave the premises throughout the duration of your stay. If you do want to venture out, you’re in a pretty decent part of town for eating and drinking: the OXO Tower Restaurant’s a few doors up, and it’s a pretty short walk up the Southbank to Clink Street and the southern entrance of Borough Market if you’re so inclined.
Rooms from £195; seacontainerslondon.com.
