Page 46 - Taste_and_Travel_International

DESTINATIONS A LONDON WINTER VISIT

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LTHOUGH ONE MIGHT TYPICALLY famous guests) and providing exquisite service in luxurious
expect a damp and dreary London morning surroundings, The Langham is truly a London icon.
arrival, with a mild haze of smog, I landed at The newly refurbished rooms and public spaces are decorated
Heathrow beneath a brisk, clear and sunny in various hues of white and gray with accents of blue, which
sky, despite the fact that earlier in the month, give the once-dark interiors a grander and more spacious
pollution levels greater than those of Beijing atmosphere. The bedroom interiors are lush and comfortable,
A had made front-page news worldwide. not to mention the spacious, white and black marble-accented
But here I was in one of the world’s most magnificent cities bathrooms.
— a metropolis filled with history, culture, architecture and Beyond the grandeur of the living quarters, the hotel’s unique
design, museums, markets and superlative cuisine. Not to partnership with the culinary icons, father and son Albert Roux
mention a well-designed metro system, (the world’s first and Michel Roux Jr., can be enjoyed in all the restaurants and
underground, built in 1863 and known affectionately as the bars, and even for in-room dining. In the magical, domed dining
Tube), carrying close to five million passengers a day. room of Roux at the Landau, gastronomic wizardry is
I lived briefly in London in the late ‘80s when the likes of demonstrated on the crisp linen-lined tables. Succulent Orkney
Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver were still in the public diver scallops, from the brisk, cold waters of the Northern
education system and somewhat questionable “authentic” Scottish archipelago, come plump and barely cooked,
Indian and Chinese takeaways were the norm. embedded in a luscious pool of fino sherry beurre blanc and
Avoiding the mass of summer tourists, this time I was in Oscietra caviar. A magnificent local Roset John Dory is accented
London to work on a culinary project and to take advantage of with cocoa beans, chorizo, razor clams and a sublime Normande
this ever-changing city. And of course food was at the top of the sauce. No trendy plating techniques, sauce swooshes, foams or
list! And boy had it changed… froths, but refined classic cuisine at its best.
Built in 1865, the legendary Langham Hotel was the first of Winner of the coveted ‘World’s Best Bar’ accolade, the
the grand stately hotels to be built in Europe. One of the largest Langham’s watering hole, Artesian, named after the original
and best known traditional hotels in London, it was totally 360-foot-deep well under the hotel, is extremely popular with
th
renovated to celebrate its 150 anniversary two years ago. A locals and cocktail enthusiasts. Overstuffed leather wing-chairs
favourite spot for actors and royalty (Lady Diana, Winston in a modernized, relaxed atmosphere are a far cry from the Old
Churchill, Charles de Gaulle and Noel Coward to name a few Boys’ Club feel it once had (much to the dismay of Churchill if he

44 TASTE;5TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL5 JANUARY–MARCH 2018