restaurant & bar - ham yard hotel

tucked away behind piccadilly circus and amongst the myriad of west end streets, the elegantly modern ham yardhotelcertainly doesn’t feel like it’s in soho. quite unlike its name suggests, the venue is very retro-glam largely thanks to its â£90 million fit-out. upon entering it feels like you have been transported from the craziness of london to a cool urban village retreat. i don’t know about you but as a city slicker that’s exactly what i crave sometimes…

afternoon tea in itself is a pretty inoffensive affair, built around the genteel consumption of finger sandwichs, scones and a few polite little pastries. perhaps the most objectionable part of this daintiest of activities is not the activity itself, but the sums of money that you are sometimes asked to part with to have them. i’m refreshingly surprised to see the price tag on the afternoon tea at ham yard soho, an eclectichotelwhere the afternoon tea costs just £19.50 pp, and is full of creative and unique meanderings.

very disappointing that a coolhotelcompany (firmdale) is still creating dull restaurants like the ham yardhotelrestaurant & bar. stiff, unaccommodating service, poor wine list and tasteless food just about sums up my lunch there yesterday. the only saving grace was a table outside on a beautiful summer's day. shame that they don't try harder considering they are surrounded by fantastic restaurants. getting a lunch table on a saturday afternoon was no trouble at all - guess that should have told me some. needless to say, will never be returning to dine here.

what a fab place ! i'm not sure what used to be in this area but it feels like a whole new area of the piccadilly end of soho has been created, such a lovely ambience.
the courtyard area outside thehotelis really lovely.
inside is an elegant and beautifully designed place with funky twists and twirls everywhere.
we had a group dinner with a client to celebrate the end of a project. there were 10 of us around a big oval table which was perfect.
i had mackerel as starter and veal for mains, both superbly cooked and presented. we shared all the sweets on the menu, all were delicious.
it was very busy with a trendy crowd.
really good for a group night out !!

beds, fluffy pillows and buzzy electric restaurant are normally like oil and water. there are very fewhotelrestaurants that manage to have that spark, the spark that makes you say i want to come back here.

so myself and my two gorgeous bbff (blonde best friends forever) had a date in the diary for dinner last night. having spent a few days deliberating where to book, shh i sometimes feel pressure to actually find somewhere amazing when i make a restaurant suggestion, i settled upon ham yard bar and restaurant.

i am not one for procrastination so i am going to get it out of the way, we discovered the spark! ham yard bar and restaurant simply summarised, is good food with fresh flavours, electric atmosphere, a little slice of ny and the spark! (the spark summarised is omg i am coming again, i love it here and what took me so long to discover this place)

whilst s, v and i perused the menu we had a nice bottle of red to share. the menu itself ordered a good selection, covering any mood you could find yourself in. with my darling besties wedding this weekend i was feeling in a rather healthy mood, so was pleased with the option of non meat meals that actually made me excited.

v and i both ended up ordering the same courses, scallops to start followed by the cod with risotto. the scallops were excellent, so excellent i had one of those moments were i ate mine far too quickly. i hate when that happens!

s ordered the burrata with heritage tomatoes. the dish looked really beautiful and the clear plate was testimony that it most probably tasted really good.

to follow v and i had the poached cod, parsley risotto and pancetta. now those close to me know it is very very rare that i order fish as a main course as i inevitable end up feeling let down by the flavours. well at ham yard there was no such misfortune!

i absolutely loved my main course and wouldn't mind a lesson on how to create such beautiful delicate flavours at home. the parsley risotto i think was just the perfect balance against the cod.

s had the ricotta gnocchi and before i could take a photo of it, the fork was in. that's what happens when food looks so good!

great for - a slice of ny buziness, the atmosphere couldn't get any more electric. this spot is a perfect for giggles with the girls, a date night or an assortment of friends meeting for dinner!

thishotelhas very beautiful and intricate interior with historic architecture. the decorations used are very beautiful and unique in its own way. the place is decorated by firmdale. we also enjoyed the hotel's bar, which was huge and had a wide variety of beer. the spa was also very good and relaxing. i had a great time here.

thishotelhas topped the chart of my favorite hotels. the amazing decor, the incredible ambiance and the flamboyant attitude of the staff is totally swooning. the service offered is excellent and very efficient. i am totally in love with this place. i am definitely recommending this place to whomsoever i come across. cheers.

each time i go to london, i make it a point to visit my favourite hotel. however, it has been getting more expensive over the years and i decided to stay at this one. the location of thishotelmakes it very convenient. the decor of the interiors is quite exquisite and very pleasing to the eyes. the staff here is very pleasant and efficient at their work. definitely recommended.

thehotelhas amazing rooms, beautiful and mesmerizing decor. the interiors here are designed very incredibly. the location of this place works hugely in its flavour. the breakfast is quite amazing and very delectable. however, the soundproofing of this place is to be questioned. otherwise, this place is something i would recommend to everyone.

this place has a breathtaking view and enticing interiors. to begin with, the service is fantastic, staff offered us to show thehoteland we fell in love with marvelous spaces and arty decor. the room was comfortable and relaxing. bed was freshly made with smooth linen. my stay was superb!

with my wedding whirlwind, followed my a three day minimoon and a four week honeymoon, i'd been out of the 'blogger loop' for sometime. but once i was home, it was back in business and i was excited to reconnect with all the new blogging buddies i'd made in the last year.

starting with...the lovely melanie from sunny in london.

on our first lunch date we met at bubbledogs and afterwards had a final glass of champagne at the charlotte street hotel, part of the firmdale collection. we both loved the beautifully designed hotel, so the ham yard hotel, firmdale's latest venture, seemed the perfect place for us to reunite after a two month absence. 

we'd had our first lunch date over several glasses of champers so a glass of veuve cliquot was the perfect way to begin this happy reunion...

and as we toasted to blogs, weddings, honeymoons and lovely luxury hotels, we perused the menu of classic dishes. 

i chose the the summer minestrone with asparagus, peas and beans to start. 

it was a great light choice and not too watery as i feared. there was a little oil on the top, which added greatly to the flavour and meant the soup wasn't too thin. 

but i had total food envy when i saw melanie's scallops served with cauliflower, apple and truffle! i love scallops so i probably would have preferred one more in the portion and though they were well cooked, they were a little on the salty side. 

perfectly cooked rare tuna served with artichokes and aubergine was the ideal choice for me as i absolutely love this combo! if i see artichoke or aubergine on a menu i have to have it, so the two together are heaven!

melanie's poached cod was served on a gorgeous emerald sea of parsley risotto with a tasty crisp piece of pancetta. 

we were having such a lovely time chatting that we barely noticed that the restaurant was emptying out. 

but when we did it gave us the perfect opportunity to photograph the dining room. 

as with the other firmdale hotels, the ham yard is beautifully designed by the firmdale owner and award-winning interior designer, kit kemp. beautiful glass chandeliers hang from the ceiling and the dining room itself is a perfectly chosen eclectic collection of prints, artifacts and pictures. 

after lunch we went to explore further...

being a book worm i loved the library: 

with it's plush furnishings and huge hand-picked book collection. 
i could just curl up on this sofa and get lost in a book all afternoon...adjacent to the library is an honesty bar in case i require a sturdy cup of coffee or a chilled glass of champagne!

down in the basement you're welcomed to a whole other world. 
the huge, subterranean basement area is decorated with cool neon signs...

and a sculpture of oranges!!

and best of all...

a bowling alley!! but not just any bowling alley, this one was super funky with beautiful solid maple bowling lanes, comfy sofas and the option to have uv shoelaces in your vintage bowling shoes. i love the idea of hiring out the whole of the bowling alley for a unique party idea. 

back outside i admired the courtyard, which seemed like the perfect place for a cocktail on a sunny day. 


the ham yard is not only a hotel, but it is also the central feature to an urban village. surrounding thehotelare gorgeous boutiques including a florist, swim wear shop, tea shop and nail bar. plus a newly opened press juice bar has just joined the fab selection. 

though i didn't get to take a look, the ham yard also includes a spa, gym, theatre and rooftop garden! there really is everything located in this charming complex in soho. i already love all the firmdale hotels...but i think i have a new favourite!!