Sanderson Hotel: An out of this world escape in the city

Since that day I’ve seen it many times and this weekend I finally spent the night and took the chance to pose in the Insta-famous spot.

Sanderson London was adorned with interesting features and photo-worthy spots long before it was considered good marketing sense to do so.

The lobby has a lip-shaped sofa, the bar has stools emblazoned with a single sultry eye, the aforementioned hanging chair swings just in front of a garden and fountain littered with plastic flamingos, the lifts transport you to outer space with psychedelic walls and in one area geometric art deco stained glass goes from floor to ceiling.

On arrival on Friday evening the place was already bustling with people kick-starting the weekend with decadent drinks and dinner.

Arriving a little late we made our way straight to The Restaurant at Sanderson before checking out our room. Despite the cool temperature of the evening, we could not resist the beautiful and trendy outdoor space – thankfully it is fitted with heaters and blankets are provided.

Here they blend visionary design with an exceptional menu and artisanal cocktails with exceptional dishes newly created by Chef Barry Tonks.

To being I had the burrata with heritage tomatoes and extra virgin fig leaf olive oil (£12). It was a sumptuous dish which wonderfully balanced perfectly firm and multi coloured tomatoes with what was the softest burrata I have ever had the good fortune of sampling.

My partner went for the crab with spiced avocado, melon and black radish (£16). I have to admit I helped as it was a spectacular dish that, despite loving my own, I was a little jealous of.

On ordering I had revealed that I was tempted by the steak tartare but pondered how different it could be to others I have tried, which I have always found to be a little bland.

Much to my surprise and to my joy, after our starters the chef kindly sent a steak tartare to share and I was absolutely blown away by the flavours.

Served with marmite – which I do not even like – egg yolk and barbecued sour dough (£12), I cannot help but suspect there is a plethora of secret ingredients I don’t know what as the description hugely undersold the explosion of tastes that it provides. Out of the three starters brought to our table it was by far the best.

For our mains, my partner chose the cod with kohlrabi, saffron, sea herbs and parsley oil (£26). He was hesitant with his choice as, despite wanting a fish dish, he often finds cod to have less flavour than most.

Following from the steak tartare it should be no surprise that he was delighted with the food placed before him and ate it down before remembering to let me try any!

I wasn’t too fussed, despite his strong affirmations, because my dish needed my full attention.

I chose the lamb breast, served with merguez sausages, fregola and tahini yoghurt (£24). The flavours were almost unbelievable. Each part of the dish had its own strong and unique essence, each also differing in texture, but whatever parts I paired gave way to beautiful blends.

It is a very rich dish, which sadly meant I was unable to finish, but it was a standout creation for which the chef deserves endless commendation.

We has to pause to let our good digest, unwilling to leave without trying a dessert as we were certain they would continue to match the incredible standard of food we’d had so far.

My partner chose the Love & Rockets (£14), made up of Bombay Sapphire gin, prosecco, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, strawberry and rocket. I went for the Persephone (£14), a concontion of Grey Goose vodka, passion fruit, lime, pomegranate and prosecco.

Both simple mixes but a delight, of course, to sip as the evening slipped past until eventually we ordered our final course.

I had been tempted by the chocolate torte (£8), which my partner chose. Served with blueberries and a white chocolate crumble it was certainly scrumptious, but would have been far too heavy following my previous rich lamb dish.

Instead I went for the Arlette mille feuille with berries and speculoos ice cream (£8). An interesting mix of tastes due to the biscuit flavour of the speculoos combined with the fruity pudding. Not to heavy but neither was it too small, it was the perfect ending to my meal.

We made our way to our room, a deluxe, where design blurred baroque and modern features, somehow managing to be both simple yet extravagant. Surrounded by a vast amount of space sits a huge bed, jutting out into the room at an angle making it a feature of its own right.

A table and luxurious built in sofa sits in one corner, a perfect nook from which to enjoy room service or a few private drinks.

Sealed off by a huge curtain is the cavernous bathroom with a freestanding bath, shower, toilet and huge sink space for preening as well as cleanliness.

The windows line one side of the wall, but with blinds so thick the following morning it was torture to drag myself out of the heavenly bed and downstairs for breakfast – but it was worth it in the end.

As well as a continental buffet breakfast with all the simplicities you might need for your first meal of the day, they have an a la carte menu as well.

My partner went for the Sanderson eggs (£13 if not included), a classic brunch dish of poached eggs and smashed avocado.

Continuing to indulge myself I had the French toast (£9 if not included), made with brioche and served with cinnamon, crème fraiche, berries and maple syrup.

We rolled our well-fed bellies back to the room and dozed off for a short while before reluctantly checking out and returning to normality.

Rooms start from £239 + VAT. For more information visit sandersonhotel.com.