11:28am Saturday 20th March 2010
Jenny Needham follows the Yellow Brick Road to renew her acquaintance with London.
WHEN I lived in London, I couldn’t wait to get out, hopping on the train up North for a lungfull of fresh Teesdale air as often as possible.
Now I live in Teesdale, and relish the prospect of a weekend in the busy city, happily hopping on the train down South for a good dollop of cosmopolitan culture.
This time the excuse was a relative’s party, just two hours of drinks and conviviality, but the springboard for two days of shopping, sightseeing and lazing around in luxury. And, quite bizarrely, sleeping in Judy Garland’s bed...
First port of call was The Cavendish Hotel, in the heart of Jermyn Street. The entrance is quite well hidden between the gents’ tailors and other upmarket men’s fashion shops the street is famous for. In fact, we walked past it twice. But once inside the lobby, the hotel stretches up into the city sky.
Room 810 was bright and modern, with a spotlessly clean bathroom. The staff were welcoming and efficient and the bed and pillows (most important) were exceedingly comfortable. Despite being in the very heart of the city – Piccadilly and St James’s Park are just a stroll way – it was very quiet, probably quieter the higher you get from the street. On the eighth floor there were wonderful views too, of the Post Office Tower in one direction and the twinkling lights of the London Eye in the other. If it’s a great location you want, this hotel is the one.
Our restaurant for the evening was in St James’s, where Petrus was before it went to the Berkeley.
Brasserie St Jacques is a casually elegant restaurant which serves up beautifully cooked French classics, from terrine de foie gras, beef tartare and cassoulet to creme caramel, as well as daily specials with strong regional accents.
With leather banquettes, mustardy poster-strewn walls and paper-clothed tables, it brings an authentic Gallic buzz to the heart of London, and has a chef who knows how to make good ingredients sing. (The live band wasn’t bad either).
We started with succulent mussels and a blue cheese and chicory salad, followed by perfectly cooked steak and sole. Delicious.
Day two of our trip started with a brief trip to the Natural History Museum for a glimpse of the new Darwin galleries. Unfortunately, it being Saturday and half term, the queue was horrendous so we climbed upstairs to the rocks section, where meteorites and Mars dust rubbed shoulders with a surprising amount of pretty amazing stuff dug up in Weardale.
A short Tube ride then deposited us at Westminster where we bought tickets for a round trip by river to St Katharine’s Dock. The cockney captain’s wry commentary was the highlight of the day, his most scathing words reserved for the Tate Modern.
“If you wanna see an unmade bed and a load of other rubbish strewn around, come round my house...” he told us.
The journey back upriver was freezing – even by Northern standards – so we retreated to our hotel for Saturday night, The Gore in Kensington.
If The Cavendish is perfect for shoppers, this is definitely one for romantics.
And this is where Judy Garland comes in.
The friendly, efficient and informative concierge – who looked a bit like Oddjob’s bigger brother – conducted us up in the wooden box-like lift – “probably the oldest in London”
– to the Judy Garland room. “You’re lucky. It’s very popular with her fans,” he said, pointing to the ornate gilded be-curtained bed. “And that,” he said, “is the very bed she used to sleep in when she stayed here.” It made me wish I’d packed my ruby slippers...
The room, and the whole hotel, was quintessentially British and hugely atmospheric, stuffed with period detail, beautiful furniture, authentic marble bathrooms.
Opposite our bed was a huge painting redolent of the Rokeby Venus.
It was simply lovely, and the popular Bar 190 was buzzing.
Saturday night’s meal was at the Royal China, Baker Street, and while the Chinese may have a reputation for serving up tasty food with a scowl, here the staff were charming and attentive.
The big restaurant was abuzz and rightly so: the food was delicious. Three courses, which included the obligatory crispy duck pancake, were, without exception, quite delicious.
The full menu is impressive, presenting Cantonese staples as well as succulent eel with spring onion, or duck with pineapple. At weekend lunches there are often queues for the succulent and fluffy dim sum lunches.
We’ll definitely be back for those.
Then, with full stomachs and tired London legs, we tumbled back to The Gore and into Judy Garland’s bed, and dreamed of the Yellow Brick Road back up North.
Brasserie St Jacques, 33 St James’s Street, London SW1, tel: 020-7839-1007
Royal China, 24-26 Baker Street, London W1U 7AJ. Tel: 020-7487-4688; bakerst@royalchinagroup.co.uk
The Gore Hotel, 190 Queen’s Gate, Kensington, London SW7 5EX. Tel: 020-7584-6601;
gorehotel.com
The Cavendish, 81 Jermyn Street, St James’s, London, SW1Y6JF. Tel: 020-7930-2111; thecavendishlondon.co.uk
We travelled by train with East Coast:
advance returns, booked online at eastcoast.co.uk, from North-East stations to London start from £29 standard class or £103 first class.
Times and fares also on 08457-225225 or from staffed stations.
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