The Peninsula London was opened in September and we first went to their sumptuous Afternoon Tea in The Lobby to commemorate my ninth Gotcha Day as well as to celebrate another dog-friendly venue in London.
Reminiscent of the original Peninsula Hong Kong, Afternoon Tea is served in the triple height colonnaded lobby with elegant hand blown chandeliers.
We ate nothing while the humans drank sparkling Darjeeling tea and tucked in savoury delicacies, traditional afternoon tea sandwiches, of course there were scones and partook of their desserts.
But we were very welcomed! And even had a little walkie with their pages in their all-white uniform and pillbox hats.
In addition to the Afternoon Tea, The Lobby offers an international all-day menu. Mum enjoyed the Cantonese breakfast of dim sum, congee and stir-fried noodles – something a little different.
When their roof-top restaurant Brooklands by Claude Bosi opened, we were invited by Karen, Mum’s friend visiting from L.A. to dine there. It’s really quite fancy.
Brooklands sits at the top of the Peninsula Hotel, offers uninterrupted views of London’s skyline and a distinct design inspired by its namesake, Brooklands racetrack, a venue synonymous with ground-breaking speed, flight, and adventure. The restaurant features a meticulously curated collection of artifacts honoring Brooklands’ rich history.
The Brooklands journey begins on the ground floor, in the dedicated lobby.
The space displays the Napier Railton, the legendary aero-engined racing car.
The elevator is a whimsical nod to a hot-air balloon ride, complete with a wicker-basket interior and red burner light to ‘power’ the ascent.
A captivating scale model of the iconic engineering marvel Concorde aircraft spans the entire ceiling of the main dining room.
The aluminium model appears to soar above the dining tables. Underfoot, the carpet displays the constellations as they would have been seen from the plane.
A wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, and a terrace with stunning views of London’s skyline only further enhance the sense of being airborne.
Brooklands is a celebration of Modern British cuisine in a setting steeped in history. It presents a menu crafted from the finest British ingredients, employing traditional French techniques to create dishes that expertly balance modernity and classic fine dining.
And The Peninsula London’s third restaurant, Canton Blue, offers innovative Cantonese cuisine in a collection of exquisitely decorated spaces.
The restaurant’s main dining room is inspired by a maritime passage from East to West. Numerous design elements take inspiration from the Keying junk, a trade ship that connected the two countries during the mid-19th century – including displays of Cantonese porcelain, and a magnificent backlit ceiling panel depicting a celestial navigation map.
I wasn’t privy to this as it was a toy poodle lunch! Mum was introducing Lulu to Bruno, Tammy’s 11 year old toy poodle. Mum told me that Lulu flirted with Bruno and gave him kisses. Maybe because he’s more her size.
Mum and Tammy feasted on very refined Cantonese cuisine.
May’s comment: All the restaurants at The Peninsula London are dog-friendly but please make sure you call ahead to let them know. In some of them, there might be a size limit due to space. Both George and Lulu were with me for Afternoon Tea in The Lobby and dinner at Brooklands. I chose not to bring George to Canton Blue as Tammy was bringing Bruno.
The Peninsula London is at 1 Grosvenor Pl, London SW1X 7HJ
