Savor The Flavors Of The NoMad Hotel London

The NoMad London opened in Covent Garden in May of 2021. It has wasted little time asserting itself as one of the premiere luxury hotels in a city renowned for luxury hotels. Part of that is the stunning setting: a historic, Grade II-listed building that formerly housed the Bow Street Magistrates’ Court and Police Station. So the rooms are elegantly appointed with modern flair while retaining a classical sense of coziness.

But what’s bringing me back, repeatedly, is the bounty of food and beverage options on offer across the property. There are no less than three separate venues in which to enjoy world class cocktails. And the hotel’s eponymous restaurant just reopened after an impressive refurbishment. Here’s what to eat and drink during your next stay.

Side Hustle

Envisioned as a “neighborhood bar,” Side Hustle is a boisterous drinking den with a twist: it offers one of the most expansive lists of agave spirit anywhere in London. You can select from dozens of top-shelf tequilas and mezcals, which can be rendered in flight-form; traditionally prepared with slices of citrus and Sal de Gusano. But make room for at least one of their inventive cocktails, devised by bar director Liana Oster to showcase these beautiful base spirits. The Black Dahlia is a worthwhile standout: mezcal, rye, sherry, amaro, and Grand Marnier, fall together in happy harmony.

The food here was conceived by executive chef Ashley Abodeely as a way to highlight seasonal British ingredients through traditional Mexican techniques. And there’s no better way to experience such than through the 1.5 pound Hereford beef ribeye, sizzling in a skillet with padrones tornados, alongside grilled corn tortillas.

NoMad Restaurant & Atrium

Reopened in mid-January 2023, this serves as both the aesthetic and culinary centerpiece of the hotel—lavishly seated under a three-story high glass ceiling. Here you’ll find an eclectic menu from chef Abodeely, one that celebrates surf and turf in equal measure. Offerings are divided into snacks, starters and mains. From the first group, the caviar with griddled potato bread is the obvious showstopper. But don’t sleep on the fried baby artichokes, covered in mint and pistachio. From the second group, it’s all about the rigatoni, served under rosemary and mushroom rags. When it’s time for mains there is almost an unwritten rule: always get the roasted chicken at NoMad. It’s stuffed with foie gras, black truffle and brioche. And it is the Platonic ideal of poultry. The one downside is that it’s built to share. So if you’re dining solo, or can’t find someone to help you with it, the suckling pig confit is a dependable fallback option.

The drinks menu at adjoining Atrium includes cocktails unique to this particular venue. You won’t find them at Side Hustle or Common Decency. There are a ton of options, so prepare accordingly—perhaps by arriving 30 minutes to an hour prior to your dinner reservation. During the winter months, American whiskey fans will want a taste of the Wild Werther: Michter’s Rye with Cynar, sun choke, apple, maple and mulling spices. For the vodka drinkers, it’s the Toast of London, where the clear spirit is gussied up with the help of honey mead, olive oil and…sourdough? And you thought vodka cocktails were boring, huh?

Common Decency

This is the property’s dedicated cocktail lounge; a speakeasy, of sorts, located in an underground parlor behind the main restaurant. Its name is a reference to Oscar Wilde, who was held and tried in this space in 1895 for his “affronts to common decency.” Translation: homosexuality. So it’s only fitting that legendary mixologist and proud LGBT+ advocate Leo Robitschek helped assemble the exceptional drinks menu here. Currently that list includes vegetal-focused preparations, with cucumber, quince, Szechuan pepper, squash, mustard and coconut all acting as stars—each in a duo of performances. Coconut, for example, can be sipped in Boulevardier form, where it’s been used to wash the whiskey. Or in the Hot, Cold and Nutty, where Elyx vodka, Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur and cold brew coffee converge in the goblet with hot salted coconut cream.

Any of the aforementioned mainstays can be ordered at £18. But if you’re feeling particularly saucy, you can mine the “Reserve” section of the menu. The Improved Whiskey Cocktail is the go-to here, a £40 combination of Hakashu Japanese whisky, Green Spot Irish whisky, Laphroaig scotch, and some absinthe and maraschino liqueur thrown in for good measure.

The only lamentable moment here is when the bartender announces last call at midnight. If you’re lucky, you might be gifted a bar of the property’s celebrated caramel-filled dark chocolate as a going away present.