Yes, it’s the weekly food-fest and some would write about THE LANGHAM in London in terms of its Landau restaurant – and its fabulously-fashionable Wigmore Bar, a Martin Brudnizki peacock-green conversion of a bank that occupied one corner of the original building. Others would think not only of past but future.
The hotel’s Richmond-designed Artesian, on many best-bars lists, is so named because apparently there’s an artesian well deep underneath it. The menu here includes sustainable cocktails. Macallan 12 with kombu, brown Japanese seaweed, plus dark Oloroso sherry, chocolate wine, Martini bitters and Tio Pepe.
There was a copy of one of chef Michel Roux Jr’s cookbook in suite 341 – see a Youtube tour. This is a reminder that he is culinary advisor here. Does he also oversee the food in the superb Langham Club, on the third floor? This is way above luxury industry par, oodles of well-chosen books, different seating areas, one principal dining area with adjacent kitchen, and superb food, and plenty of Taittinger. Servers are gracious and skilled, though, honestly, the tartan lower halves are more flattering as men’s trousers than women’s flared skirts.
So the FOOD IS FAB, throughout The Langham. So is the ambience. See, above, a corner of suite 341, the empathetic colours, the art. The little person looking in wonder at the big tree is a He Duoling, the celebrated Chinese-Asian Modern artist born 1948 (his works can be found in Shanghai’s Long Museum).
And The Langham’s history is, well, historic. Afternoon tea was born here, Sherlock Holmes was created here. It was home to the BBC for years. So many ingredients compile the recipe that is The Langham London, and discerning Americans, in particular, eat it all up.
