Art in London: Zetter Townhouse
November 6, 2023
The Zetter Townhouse, situated just behind the Zetter Hotel and home to one of the best cocktail bars in London, was the base of operations for some business and a nice pile of art. NPS was put into room 6.
Art included, the Tate, some theater, and a concert.
The shower is not plastic, though climbing in and out of the enormous tub is a thing, Perhaps some short stairs should be installed.
Room 6 could use a better wardrobe, and some updated less shabby furniture. But all in all it is a nice place to spend a few days.
On our way to the Tate, we stopped by Ibérica Farringdon for a bite.
Our visit to the Tate Modern is documented here.
Of course a cocktail at the Zetter Townhouse rounded out the Thursday plan. We keep reminding them what a Liberal is.
Then some business which included two very nice meals, one at Bocca di Lupo and an incredible lunch at Inko Nito.
A French dinner at Le Café du Marché was very good for London but would never fly in Paris.
Saturday afternoon was meant to start with ramen, but Mohonon was closed (fortunately that was remedied Sunday evening. Suffice it to say that Bone Daddy just does not stack up.
Waiting on line might require a beer.
Some shopping at Varvatos cost everyone a pretty penny, but was surprisingly not awful.
We just had time for a brown meal at Hawksmoor before the theater. Then it was off to see Lyonesse which was enhanced by some sugarless French 75s.
The play was quite good, a medical emergency nothwithstanding.
The next day included a run back to Soho to visit Etro. And then some incredible classical music at the barbican.
Followed by real Ramen. Mohonos is just so good…equal to Japan.
A nightcap at Boccas was not terrible. But no Fernet in an Argentinean bar?! What?! A Pisco Sour (Peru?) would have to do.
All in all, four showerheads and a quick furnishings update required for the Zetter Townhouse.
The Zetter (and the Zetter Townhouse): London Revisited
November 23, 2022
It has been some years since we visited the stuffed cat in the Zetter Townhouse in London, and lo and behold, the cat is in full on Christmas mode. More about that soon enough.
In town for business, we reinhabited the old haunt (the Zetter Hotel), this time in room 503. This is one of the three rooms on the fifth floor with an excellent outside deck. Of course it was rainy and cold the entire time, because London. But we actually used the deck!
NPS still believes the 50X rooms need refurbished bathrooms. The showers are long in the tooth, unsatisfying, and involve climbing into a tub. A complete revamp with some glass showers would do everyone good.
The rest of 503 is great. Be aware that the stairs down to the bathroom can be hazardous in the middle of the night.
Looking in on 503 from the deck.
Two views from the Zetter (up and down). The blue sky was extremely temporary.
Now look at that tub! We’re going to need to try that (but only after a visit to Callooh Callay.
The blue is still around.
Hopefully this shower is not long for the world. The bathrooms are small but could be laid out much more reasonably.
Of course, the main draw of the Zetter is the Townhouse next door. Yes please. We had them fetch the Amer Picon from downstairs. The visit featured many a Picon cocktail, including the Liberal, the Brooklyn, and Picon Punch. I never make the latter because it takes way too much rare (in the US) Amer Picon.
Things were Christmasy all over London.
We returned to the Zetter Townhouse multiple times.
But first a quick note about some restaurants we did business things in. Quo Vadis is an outstanding location for a private dinner. And the Quality Chop House is unbelievably great. Seriously, best Pheasant we have ever eaten. Best Ramen in London at Mohonon.
Fun? At Quo Vadis.
Picon Punch looks like coke.
Noel was let out on good behavior. It did not last long.
Guilty as charged.
This South African gem was a perfect match for game. The Norwegians were in the house!
Romey arrived bright and early and looking very stylish.
A quick hit at the Tate rounded out a full day.
More Townhouse late into the evening.
A new thing? A visit to the London Eye. Been there. Done that.
The band.
A visit to the Churchill War Rooms was stuffy and a bit of a disappointment. The Ivy, on the other hand, did not disappoint.
Martinis for the band at the Dorchester Bar (the Connaught was packed). This round did not do much to improve the theater. We saw A Single Man at the Park Theater. It was OK.
Martinis were not a sufficient dinner. So we made a late night run to Chinatown. It was also packed. Where did all these people come from?
In other news, the Victoria and Albert has a design exhibit that is interesting, the South Bank Christmas market is a bust, Bengal Village is really nothing worth writing home about, and Callooh Callay remains a blast (thanks for the good conversation Charlie).
The Industry Sour cocktail made several appearances during this trip:
equal parts green chartreuse, lime, fernet, and simple syrup (1:1). surprisingly great.
Always Negroni.
And that tub? Yup!
A very nice visit to the Zetter again. We’ll probably be back. Because. Four showerheads and a hope for new bathrooms in the near future.
Touching Base at the Zetter in London
October 29, 2017
So, is it really worth it to spend the night in London on the way back from Malta? Why yes. Yes it is. If you stay at the Zetter.
We tried out room 505 this visit, which was a new one for NPS. The porch is fantastic (though London weather remains dreary).
The bathroom is slightly bigger than 503 but we still have to ignore the shower curtain.
Have some Ramen at the incredibly authentic Monohon Ramen.
And cap off the night with a cocktail at the Zetter Townhouse (where they brought me a Liberal 3 minutes after I arrived, unasked. Thanks Guy!).
Quick overnight visit two thumbs up and five showerheads to the Zetter.
Blue is the new Red at the Zetter in London
May 3, 2017
It may be a gray day in London, but it’s blue in room 503 at the Zetter hotel.
And that’s a good thing, because blue is the new red. Loyal readers may recall room 503 used to be red. A complete makeover has occurred making the room cozier and even more modern seeming.
But what’s best is that room 503 was waiting for us when we arrived at 10:15 in the morning after a flight across the pond (about more which see this Delta Does Business posting). So nice to be recognized and taken care of properly. Wonder why the Zetter is better? Well, that’s one reason. Thanks Fabian.
Blue 503 skylight highlight
The Zetter room 503 comfy bed
Zetter sitting now featuring carpet and a modern bar
About the only thing that has not changed is the bathroom which remains nice but small and does feature a tub/shower combo thingy. Tell no one.
The shower is nothing to write home (or blog) about, but it sure feels good after a long flight
The best feature of room 503 is the bank of windows overlooking London. You can see both the gerkin and the shard from bed.
Looking out
Looking in
503 features a fantastic balcony
So all is well at the Zetter. Now we must now manage to stay up all day somehow. Sleep is for the weak.
Stay awake by walking around London in a daze
Lunch at St John is an excellent option.
Real bread at St John
The Tate
As always the Tate is a great place to while away some time. This trip, NPS discovered an entirely new wing?!
Tate Modern
First Iris in London
A sushi dinner at Sosharu was passable. Sosharu is trying to make sushi appealing too close to a train station. Skip it.
Fortunately, a cocktail or two at the Zetter Townhouse was in order. Funny how every time NPS shows up here we have to teach them to make a Liberal all over again. At least they still have the Amer Picon on hand. Back bar fernet with Guy was something that happened.
Amer Picon in the Zetter Townhouse
Also of note during our Zetter time in London:
Dinner at Texture (not as impressive as it should have been).
Brunch at Chiltern Firehouse
A fire at the Chiltern Firehouse in May
A visit to the Artesian bar at the Langham (after tea was ditched in favor of cocktails).
Artesian
Cocktail whose name escapes us
The British Museum
Cocktails at the Aemrican Bar in the Savoy.
The American Bar (wingspan)
A Spinning Jenny is presented on its own little pedestal. Spinning Jenny
45 ml bombay sapphire
15 ml cocchi americano
10 ml pear eau de vie (williams)
15 ml Yerba Mate
15 ml grenadine
soda
Stir. Fizz. Collins rocks. Pedestal.
A new blue five showerheads for the Zetter.
#rockthecasBAR
May 11, 2017
When iteration one’s hashtag is #londonculling where do you go from there? Obviously #rockthecasBAR!
This time we fueled up before our London cocktail adventure. And we even paid.
Then it was off through the crowded streets of London to Dukes Hotel. If you are in the mood for a Bond-inspired super high octane cocktail on the martini spectrum, Dukes is the place. We were explicitly warned to have ONE (in all caps even) by a professional! Thanks for the warning Jacques, you were right.
We walked the few blocks up to the Ritz for round two. We were almost let into the casino to do some gambling (which was not the plan). A corrected trajectory put us through the front door to Rivoli. It was Negroni time.
The beautiful clear ice was branded in the Savoy style. Everyone is copying everyone else in London.
Time for a cab to Clerkenwell, hailed by a snarky doorman. Back to…wait for it…the Zetter Townhouse to see the dead cat. This is our regular London haunt and we were immediately recognized at the door.
Here kitty kitty
Sticking with the gin, we decided on a Zetter Gimlet made with some infusion or other (I believe a kind of tea). It was delicious. The cat joined in.
While waiting for companion three to arrive from across London at rush hour we started feeling parched, so we ordered a round of 20th Century, some pistachios, and some jerky sausage.
Twentieth Century
10 ml lemon juice
10 ml creme de cacao
20 ml cocci americano
40 ml dry gin (jensens)
stir. strain. express lemon peel. small lemon garnish.
The kitty will have another
Ramen is always helpful the day after too many cocktails, but we were just getting started. Prophylactic ramen is now a thing. Monohon ramen is just as great as we thought it would be. Super authentic and delicious.
As NPS is writing this and feeling rather surprisingly good in the morning, I suppose that the prophylactic ramen did its job. Unfiltered sake was not really what the doctor ordered, but we had it anyway.
Warning: This is not a cocktail
A short walk to Callooh-Callay was when our kung fu set in. We walked right past the waiting people, made a joke with the doorman about being tweeners, and immediately sat down at the crowded bar. We were served by either Carrie or Mary. Callooh-Callay is a raucous place where quiet conversation is not in the cards.
Either Carrie of Mary suggested a Hanky Panky. We’re always up for that.
Feeling like talking to each other again, we cabbed it over to the Savoy to visit the Beaufort. We are sad that the Beaufort has changed its menu. They now feature some kind of cartoon menu that seems very Disney. NPS does not approve.
We ordered a Silver Bullet and a Never Ending Story (or two) even though the waiter tried not to let us.
By this time our phone use capabilities were waning and hashtags were slipping into gobbleddygook. We cabbed back to home base at Mondrian Sea Containers, missing a train in the meantime.
Dandelyon was packed of course, so we used our magic to waltz right in and rearrange the furniture. Alex was behind the bar and one year older. Complimentary bubbly arrived which put us in the mood for a French 75.
This somehow made Fernet happen and then it was off to bed. Meanwhile, the guest experience fairies delivered a bottle of champagne while were were out and left it with a personal note. Nice touch!
#londonculling, #rockthecasBAR, what’s next??
Mondrian in London One Year Later
May 8, 2017
We were here just over a year ago running the very same small conference that we’re running this time. Well, actually more like presiding; other people do all of the actual running. Anyway, the Mondrian is still very nice.
We’re in the same room category as last year but up one level in 571. And we’ve already been in Europe for a week, so the obligatory Tate Modern visit is documented here (as is our stay at the Zetter), there is no jet lag to contend with, and we’ve even been to Scotland. Heck, we even went out to the American Bar for cocktails!
All that was left was to taxi across the Thames and check in at noon.
An absurdity happened then. Even though the massive NPS support staff had set things up so that our room would be available at noon (and we arrived at 12:30) the room was “not quite ready.” What? I’m pretty sure we even ended up paying for an extra night just to avoid this. Sorry, Mondrian, please get organized and give us our money back for the extra night! The delay was not long (only 12 minutes), but that’s not really the point.
Does it make NPS happy to sit in the lobby waiting? Nope. Not one little bit.
Here is what 571 looks like. We’ll start with the balcony view on a cold, blustery London afternoon. The temperature has dropped 10 degrees Fahrenheit since yesterday.
The balcony is nice. NPS bets the higher rooms with balconies are even better.
The room is spacious and huge with an outstanding bathroom. No sign of plastic.
Dining nook
Sleeping nook
Working nook
Sitting nook
Having an amenity at greeting was nice. But get this Mondrian peeps, guests have actual names! Wow! You should use them.
Why thank you guest experience team driod from the bottom of our customer id unknown heart.
Amenity
We had to order 4 bottles of sparking water to make us through the week. The Kimpton guys mostly have this figured out. Perhaps the NPS computer record was corrupted since last year?
But you’re reading this for the showers, right? Right!
First, a minor diversion.
Extra bathroom
And now for the main show. The incredible 571 bathroom.
Tub and “water closet closet”
What a shower
Yes please
We’re looking forward to week two in the UK. More here as things develop.
DANDELYAN here we come.
What should get a five showerheads rating (on shower karma alone) reduced to four showerheads for poor guest happiness management skills.
The Zetter Townhouse is our favorite boutique hotel in London. We’ve been many times. One last night in London before flying home in the very swanky upper class on Virgin Atlantic rounded out the twenty day trip.
Room eleven got a workout this time when the bathtub was actually used!
But by far the most fun was hanging out by the cat in the bar until all hours. Much fun was had.
Five showerheads and a long recovery over the ocean for the Zetter Townhouse and it’s fine bar.
The Mondrian London: Excellence in Showers by the Thames
April 10, 2016
Mondrian London Lobby
An actual Mondrian at the Tate Modern
Regular readers will know that NPS loves to stay at the Zetter and the Zetter Townhouse while in London. But sadly, the group conference we are hosting this week outgrew the Zetter some time ago. The great news is that the Mondrian London is a fantastic place to stay.
Located on the banks of the Thames just a hop skip and jump from the Tate Modern, the Mondrian London is modern, chic, and packed with high style. It is part of the Morgans hotel group (which includes the Morgan in NYC).
NPS is assigned room 463—a nice little suite with a balcony overlooking the muddy river. London graces the far side of course.
View from 463
River view from 463
A little table on the balcony
The other half of the balcony
463 has plenty of room to work, to entertain, and to sleep (assuming any of the latter actually happens this week).
Couch in 463
463 sitting area
463 desk
There are two bathrooms in 463, one proper marble palace and the other a powder room for when guests drop by. The shower is fantastic with multiple shower heads and tons of room with nary a bit of plastic in sight.
Wait for it
Fantastic shower
The rest of the property is likewise stylish. Rumor has it that the bars are great too. More about that soon enough!
Yellow submarine
The challenge with hopping the pond in the direction of London is staying up once you arrive. Whiling away some time at the Tate Modern is a common NPS strategy.
Here are some pictures from today’s excursion.
View from the 6th floor cafe of the Tate
Machine
Tower of babel
Valentine (for Ivan Arce)
A visit to Dandelyan for a quick bite before a movie was very satisfactory indeed. Dandelyan won COTC’s best new international bar last year. It is clear why. Attention to detail and interesting cocktails to be found. Get the lamb meatballs and the pork buns!
Dandelyan visit with Aiden, Alex and Jack behind the bar
The cocktail list is extensive and interesting, though the use of “refactored” standard drink names is a bit misleading. For example, a quick paw through the menu had me skip right over the Fairchild’s Mule (because it said Mule) and the BDC Negroni as well. That would have been a mistake. When I ordered a “gussied up French 75” Aiden suggested the mule. He was right.
Fairchild’s Mule
40 ml cardamom infused hendrick’s gin [10g cardamom per 700ml hendricks]
2.5 ml clove cordial [could sub in allspice dram for this British treat]
2.5 ml ginger distillate [cantons might work too, but if so drop the syrup]
5 ml simple syrup
12.5 ml lime juice
shake and double strain.
add 20 ml champagne and 20 ml fever tree ginger ale
Porter’s gin by Alex Lawrence
Barman Alex Lawrence has created Porter’s gin, which is on the aromatic side of the scale towards Hendricks. Alex uses Leopold’s method (without really knowing what that is). He made me a London Calling with his product:
50 ml porter’s gin
15 ml fino sherry
20 ml lemon juice
10 ml simple syrup
2 dashes of Regan’s 6 orange bitters
stir down, serve up. garnish with grapefruit zest
Working at Dandelyan (Gin and Arrack with a house Negroni chaser)
The fact that Dandelyon is associated with the Mondrian is an excellent happenstance indeed. But why does is close so early (M 1:26, T 1:17, W 1:09)?
And the Mondrian has a private movie theater, the Curzon, too. Saw Victoria which helped me meet the staying up on day one goal.
Dinner at Texture was absolutely outstanding. Fish tasting menu was delicious and the wine list was fun to work with. Yet another Michelin star with Jacob!
Five showerheads and high expectations for a super week in London. This entry will be updated as the week progresses.
Zetter Townhouse in Sunny London
May 11, 2015
It’s sunny this Sunday in London. We’re sure that is an anomaly.
Nothing but blue sky
Refreshed from a morning visit to the Zetter, we settled into room 11 at the Zetter Townhouse across the square after a light lunch.
Just like across the street, it is great to be recognized when you walk in!
3rd floor corridor
leads to …
Room 11
Zetter townhouse room 11 (according to Fabian has the best shower)
There is a glass shower.
No plastic in sight
Artsy bathroom quadrangle
Then it was off to the British Museum for a few hours. First time visit even though I have lost count of how many I have been to London. Here are some impressions.
The British Musem
Skull
Ceasar
Skull
Skull
People by the stone
Writing
Timing
So very British
An early and truly fantastic dinner was had at the Chiltern Firehouse. Truly exceptional flavors. Followed by too many Liberals and too much ping pong at the Zetter Townhouse living room. Marco served us well.
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