GETAWAYS
A magical stay at
THE NED, LONDON
THINK GRINGOTTS WIZARDING BANK, MINUS THE GOBLINS. AND FOOD. LOTS OF FOOD. MAGIC? MAYBE. YOU’ LL HAVE TO VISIT THE NED FIRST HAND TO FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF. BY DONNA MARTIN
Just walking into The Ned is an experience in its own right, and not just the first time you do it. But wait, let’ s start with walking up to The Ned. The building is quite something else – I imagine even the most unemotional, stoic person would be visibly impressed by the architectural masterpiece.
The abandoned 100-year-old Midland Bank was transformed between 2012 and 2017 – inspired by Sir Edwin ' Ned ' Lutyens ' original masterpiece at 27 Poultry – into a chic 252- room hotel with nine restaurants in the 3,000 square metre former banking hall. Talk about extraordinary.
As you weave between the 92 colossal verdite columns on the ground floor, the aromas of spices from around the world fill your nostrils, giving you a preview of the many flavours you can experience at The Ned, including Cecconi’ s( Italian), Kaia( Asian-Pacific), and Mailbu Kitchen( Californian). Sounds of live jazz originating from the raised central stage filters through the area, and seems to seep into the sumptuous fabrics of the décor, making you feel like you’ ve stepped back in time – to an era far away from the bustle of normal life.
If the ground floor was all that The Ned had to offer, it would still be one of the most spectacular hotels in London, but, incredibly, there is even more to explore. Of all of The Ned’ s many offerings, for me, the literal‘ crowning glory’ is Ned’ s Club Upstairs.
After checking into my room( which is almost unbearably classy – think 1930’ s London, brass and mahogany furniture, beautiful chandeliers, and even a vintage perfume bottle nestled between whisky glasses on the table), I ventured up to the roof. Open-air bars in London aren’ t exactly uncommon, so I expected a slightly nicer version of a typical London rooftop, but this was something else entirely.
The views of St Paul’ s Cathedral and the London skyline are unparalleled, especially from the infinity pool. Yep, the infinity pool, perfectly placed next to sprawling lounge sofas, surrounded by multiple indoor and outdoor bars and even a restaurant serving a mouthwatering international menu. If I could conjure up my own personal London heaven, this would be it.
After a few cocktails, followed by a painful reluctance to leave the luxury and views behind, I headed back down to the ground floor for an evening of food, glorious food, starting with drinks and a few cheeky prestarters at Kaia. The long wooden bar is a great spot to people watch, and I enjoyed some crispy prawns with wasabi mayo, and pork gyoza with ponzu and wasabi, before making my way to the night’ s main event: Cecconi’ s.
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