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LONDON
Situated in Chesham’s Place, a serene residential neighbourhood in London’s Belgravia and just a stone’s throw away from the famous and glitzy Sloane Street and sought-after area of Knightsbridge, The Hari Hotel is consistently rated as a leading luxury hotel throughout the U.K. and Europe, making it the ideal destination for those seeking an understated luxurious retreat and something akin to a refined ‘home away from home' experience. We check into the sophisticated Belgravia hotel for a one-night stay in total bliss.
From couples seeking a romantic staycation to those temporarily in town for business, The Hari offers just about everything you need for a special experience. It has 85 designer rooms and 14 luxury suites, and each room is designed with velvet upholstery, contemporary art pieces and lavish marble bathrooms. From the opulent gourmet restaurant and intimate outdoor garden terrace to The Hari Bar and its wonderfully stylish yet cosy interior design, The Hari pulls out all the stops in its mission to provide guests with a truly special and personal stay.
Image Courtesy of The Hari London
It has been a turbulent and testing year for us all and with the U.K. having been in lockdown for such an extended period, the collective desire to seek refuge within art, beauty and comfort has transformed into a necessity for many. What one can expect to find during their stay at The Hari is an invigorating blend of all three aspects, allowing their guests to immerse fully in the perfect sophisticated London staycation experience that offers comfort and convenience in true contemporary style. Art aficionados, in particular, will find The Hari a most attractive destination with the Saatchi Gallery, Taschen Shop and several other reputable artistic establishments dotted around Sloane Square reachable in just 10 minutes by foot. Aside from being blessed with its proximity to London’s finest galleries and museums, the hotel on its own is a haven for art itself. With the pandemic having deprived countless art students and graduates of the significant opportunity to exhibit their work, The Hari has opened their doors, walls and chambers to numerous students, and you’ll find their original art displayed in various areas throughout the establishment from the moment you step through the front door and into the hotel lobby.
Image Courtesy of The Hari London
Our Studio King Suite
Upon stepping into the suite, the first noticeable aspect of this gorgeous room was the ample and generous amount of natural light that was let into the space. The floor to ceiling window from the magnificent and lavish marble bathroom that overlooked the picturesque Belgravia neighbourhood captured my attention first and foremost. It’s safe to say that this glossy marble bathroom in shades of white, black and cool grey with a bay window enormous bathtub and spacious walk-in rainforest shower is the pinnacle of unparalleled modern luxury. Enjoy being spoilt by endless amenities, specifically fragrant and skin-soothing Noble Isle bath products and no shortage of natural daylight in the wonderfully open and bright bathroom.
A grand king bed stands opposite a plush red velvet sofa and a sleek glass coffee table with a gorgeous arrangement of white orchids. The suite embodied contemporary opulence with its deep red walls, generous windows framed by weighted grey curtains, wooden flooring and a cowskin rug that lay in the centre of the sitting area just in front of the ivory leather ottoman. The room was illuminated with a soft amber glow from the interior lighting and contemporary art hung up around the suite further accentuated the modern, sophisticated chic that The Hari essentially embodies. This suite featured a generous desk and chair too providing guests with a suitable workspace that looks out onto the city, as well as a Nespresso machine, complimentary tea, coffee and daily bottled water, a flat-screen HDTV with cable access, on-demand movies and Chromecast and fluffy white bathrobes and slippers. We were so delighted to be greeted upon arrival with cappuccinos in our room and a lovely ‘treats map’ of London, proving once again that The Hari takes those extra steps to personalise and accommodate their guests’ experience.
Dining at The Hari
Image Courtesy of The Hari London
Il Pampero Bar & Restaurant is The Hari’s own gourmet restaurant that specialises in exquisite Italian cuisine in the setting of a gorgeous old-world Italian hub that encapsulates vintage sophistication. The interior ambience immediately transports you to glamorous and enchanting Southern Italy where a large part of their menu draws its regional influence from, and guests may enjoy seasonal and delicious items from their À La Carte Menu. During our visit we were not able to dine properly at Il Pampero as the restaurant had not yet reopened, however, we enjoyed some plates from their all-day-dining menu out on their garden terrace.
Alongside a delectable smorgasbord of all-day-dining menu items to choose from, the Garden Terrace also has a special Amalfi Menu featuring beloved starters, mains and desserts representing the Italian southwest coast. With cocktails on the Amalfi menu like the Sorrento Lemon Martini topped off with a jelly-filled Sorrento lemon garnish and the Amalfi Fizz made with Malfy Rosa Italian gin and lemonade, their small and deliberately curated selection makes it the perfect alfresco dining menu out on their beautiful and vibrant terrace. We decided to order some small plates to share from their all-day-dining menu.
The Focaccia & Crudites with Dips (Guacamole, Tzatziki & Harissa Mayo) was a lovely light appetiser that offered a satisfying and flavourful variation of dips to begin the evening. Our favourite of the dips would probably be the guacamole which bursts with zesty and fresh flavours and possessing the exact creamy and thick texture one would hope for in good guacamole.
Teriyaki Octopus Skewers, Bonito Flakes, Sesame Seeds (2 pcs) Growing up in Hong Kong with seafood-loving parents meant that I started developing an appreciation for all fish and crustaceans from a young age. Octopus is one of the more difficult marine proteins to get right, but when it’s cooked right – it’s a scene-stealer. Cooked in the oven for hours and slathered in sesame seeds and my all-time favourite teriyaki sauce, the sweet robata-grill taste and perfect texture of the octopus skewers was an incredible home run for me. An impressive appetiser that showcased culinary finesse and technique in a seemingly simple skewers dish.
Korean Fried Chicken, Sweet & Sour Chilli Sauce, Spring Onions Another exquisite treat of an appetiser. Breaded and crispy to perfection drenched in a sweet, mouthwatering sauce that had a little kick to it, which reminded me very much of the savoury, sweet Korean Gojuchang sauce. You might be tempted to lick off any remaining sauce on the plate, it’s highly addictive!
Our mains were the Spaghetti alle Vongole and the Fregola Pasta con Cozze, Asparagi e Bottarga from the Amalfi menu.
It goes without saying that the Spaghetti alle Vongole is the pasta dish that you can’t ever go wrong with, and that proved truer than ever particularly on that slightly warm and breezy evening out on the garden terrace. It is simple yet immensely satisfying with classic and immensely fresh flavours of garlic, clams, and salt, making it the perfect, light main course to enjoy alfresco.
The Fregola Pasta is a special Sardinian pasta, sometimes referred to as a Sardinian variety of couscous, although very different in texture as fregola is made with ground semolina, and it is well-known as well as unique to the region, as a pasta which pairs well with clams.
Much like our other pasta dish, the clams were the prominent feature of the dish with the main flavour feature being the clams’ robust and fresh taste. The asparagus lent a satisfying crunching texture to it all and the addition of bottarga – a salted, cured fish roe, tied this unique dish together.
Cheesecake with Raspberry Magnolia & Sorbet.
For dessert, we enjoyed a simple yet stunningly presented Cheesecake with Raspberry Magnolia & Sorbet. This was an elegant spin on a cheesecake that tasted surprisingly light and refreshing, qualities which are not normally attributed to the cheesecake! The base was delicious and crumbled pleasantly in the mouth and the tangy raspberry coulis served as a perfect balance to the general sweetness.
Doughnut Balls with Nutella & Caramel Filling with Vanilla Milkshake
The Doughnut Balls was an incredibly scrumptious dessert that is a regular favourite with the guests. A tasty, sweet-tooth’s dream of a dessert with perfectly fried doughnut balls that would ooze out heavenly caramel or Nutella in every bite. Coated with velvety chocolate and sugar crystals and served alongside a sauce of vanilla milkshake, this is surely a dessert to get excited about.
A Sumptuous Breakfast
On the morning of our checkout, we managed to try breakfast served Il Pampero’s dining room. We enjoyed some orange juice, a latte and a cappuccino, a basket of pastries, a plate of Eggs Royale and naturally one of us had to give the Full English Breakfast a whirl.
In the Eggs Royale dish, the hollandaise sauce was a fresh, creamy and lemony sensation that complimented the perfectly poached eggs and oaky sweet smoked salmon.
The Full English Breakfast was a show-stopping medley of fluffy scrambled eggs, pork sausages, crispy bacon, sautéed mushroom, baked beans, roasted tomatoes on the vine and a hash brown. Everything was served and cooked to perfection, and we observed a few minutes of pure silence as we simply scarfed down our breakfast, the ideal way to have begun our morning.
If you find yourself in the mood for a glitzy and luxurious staycation in the heart of London's most sophisticated and diverting neighbourhood that goes the extra mile to assure guests are comfortable and relaxed with endless amenities, state of the art facilities and gourmet fine dining, we recommend choosing The Hari London for your next getaway.
The Hari London, 20 Chesham Place, London SW1X 8HQ, UK, thehari.com