Walpole Weekend

William Wolfe’s Guide To Excellent Living In London: Claridge's

Today we take inside one of the capital's grandest hotels, Claridge's in Mayfair, as we continue our series of extracts from 'William Wolfe's Guide To Excellent Living in London': a quintessential A-Z of the best that the city has to offer.
4th Feb 2022
Walpole Weekend William Wolfe’s Guide To Excellent Living In London: Claridge's
To write about Claridge's is a tall order. How can I do justice to a place I love so well? Defying superlatives, this grandest of all grand hotels exists on a plane of perfection other establishments strive but fail to reach. Upholding standards of elegance that have little to do with the quotidian concerns of the 21st century, a trip to Claridge’s is a trip to the anteroom of Heaven.

Fusing flamboyant Neo-Baroque with iconic Art Deco, the public spaces shimmer with crystal, marble, silver-gilt and engraved glass. Whatever there is that’s hard-edged and brittle is softened and made welcoming by artful lighting and a spring-like colour scheme of dusty green and sunny yellow. There’s a warmth to the ambience that the exceptional – above all, personal – service lives up to. One senses that those who work here have fallen under the spell of Claridge’s as completely as any of its besotted guests, who, in their time, have included everybody from Jackie O to Cary Grant. If you’re visiting for drinks, make for the legendary Claridge’s Bar, which is a glamorous throwback to the days when the new-fangled cocktail brought a smile to the face of Jazz Age London. If you’re staying for dinner, the food in the Michelin-starred Davies and Brook canhonestly be described as transcendent.

It’s pointless to pretend there’s anywhere in London quite like Claridge’s. There isn’t.

Claridge's is located on Brook Street, London W1K 4HR. claridges.co.uk
This is an extract from
'William Wolfe’s Guide To Excellent Living In London'
Buy the book here

Related Articles

William Wolfe’s Guide To Excellent Living In London: Lock & Co
Walpole Weekend
11th Feb 2022
William Wolfe’s Guide To Excellent Living In London: Lock & Co
Today we take you to Lock & Co, the world's oldest hat shop, as we continue our series of extracts from 'William Wolfe's Guide To Excellent Living in London': a quintessential A-Z of the best that the city has to offer.
William Wolfe’s Guide To Excellent Living In London: The Fitzdares Club
Walpole Weekend
28th Jan 2022
William Wolfe’s Guide To Excellent Living In London: The Fitzdares Club
One of Britain's most luxurious sports bars, today we take you to The Fitzdares Club in Mayfair as we continue our series of extracts from 'William Wolfe's Guide To Excellent Living in London': a quintessential A-Z of the best that the city has to offer.
William Wolfe’s Guide To Excellent Living In London: Floris
Walpole Weekend
21st Jan 2022
William Wolfe’s Guide To Excellent Living In London: Floris
Family-owned fragrance house Floris takes the spotlight this week as we continue our series of extracts from 'William Wolfe's Guide To Excellent Living in London': a quintessential A-Z of the best that the city has to offer.