| The Holistic Halkin
Having tied myself up in knots for the week, I was really looking forward to some serene pampering and top-notch service from The Halkin. As these trips are about the cuisine as much as the pleasant surroundings, it occurred to me that a Shambhala massage might be the perfect start to what was bound to be a gastronomic Thai feast at Nahm that evening.
The Metropolitan, only a few minutes away, is the sister hotel to the Halkin and has one of the world-renowned COMO Shambhala spas on its lower ground level. I arranged for Mario, a tattoo strewn spiritual masseur, with forearms stronger and more prettily clad than David Beckham's, and an intrinsic understanding of both the technique and the bad-back-knot-situation on the upper torso, to be my fix. The Shambhala massage is about long deep strong strokes and essential invigorating oils. It really was the perfect antidote to a stressful week and, after a blissful hour, I was well and truly 'Shambhalad' as I made my way over to the serene sister, The Halkin.
The Halkin sits perfectly in perhaps the most exclusive postcode of London: SW1, in Belgravia. A postcode made up of Georgian architecture, the most magnificent architectural period, with plane trees lining most sidewalks and a patrician ambiance resonating in the expensive air. Although within easy access of shops, being between Knightsbridge and Mayfair, the Halkin is a calm retreat from all the bustle and high street hustle.
The hotel is pleasingly contemporary in style with a Zen vibe in Armani hues. It is cool and light in a city that can often make you feel heavy and tired and for this reason it has a reputation for being both relaxing and inspiriting. This it certainly is; but what stands out most remarkably at this London haven is the outstanding service. There is good service, on-the-button and impeccable, but this service comes with a genuine congeniality and unforced smiles that are truly uplifting.
We had a king size studio room on the first floor which was spacious, extremely comfortable and 21st Century with fabulous attention to detail, both technically and caressingly. Here you will find an L-shaped leather sofa and chair at one end and an enormous, perfectly dressed bed at the other. It really is a great escape within London, which induces a nourishing sleep in Egyptian cotton with goose-down pillows and the very best wake-up-cappuccino, including those we've had in Italy.
The Bar at the Halkin is a great place to socialise, and we did just this with two intrepid luxury travellers and members of Luxury Explorer from Hong Kong. They loved The Halkin, Nahm and everything COMO - being regulars at the Metropolitan in Bangkok - and it was quite liberating to be in a bar where we could chat across a table of olives and cocktails as we slunk down in cream leather chairs not even registering any smoke or traffic.
Nahm
Amongst Thai foodies, Nahm has become a bit of an institution. If you haven't experienced a few hours gourmandising in here then you have a large gap in your Thai cuisine vocabulary. The acclaimed Australian Michelin-starred chef, David Thompson learned his understanding and love of Thai food from a Thai cook, affectionately referred to as Khun Yai, or grandmother. From here he learned both the basics and complexities involved in this cuisine and gained a deep understanding of the fundamental basis on which each dish is created. His style has evolved, using local ingredients from some of London's secret Thai dens and creating dishes more extraordinary than you would even find in Thailand. He has perfected the art of balancing the seasoning to a Thai-T. Now that is not to say that some of these dishes are for the faint hearted, or meek-bowled because my monkfish Thai curry was HOT. However, there was so much variety and diversity of flavours that you could switch from throat clawing to caressing coconut in a spoonful, and aside from our water, we drank the perfect accompaniment to these flavours viz a Zindhumbrecht Riesling, 2001.
The staff were extremely attentive, constantly explaining what ingredient was in which dish and why, and what to eat when and with what. So we had a table of several dishes from mild to furiously hot with exotic spices and first-time experiences and, when it was all over (we took around three hours), we felt we had been to at least Thailand and back and looked forward to sampling some of the other variations on our next visit.
For a luxe-trotter who seeks privacy, calm, endearing and swift service in the Georgian heart of London, then this petit-luxe retreat has your name its visitors' book.
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