Set on a quiet and marvellously-regal Belgravia street, The Goring opened its doors in 1910 and is still the epitome of English charm today. The character is full-blown Edwardian with footmen in red livery at the entrance, a flock of life-size wooden sheep posted by the hearth, and a degree of fuss that feels gloriously out of step with modern-day London. The very hotel where Kate Middleton spent the night before her royal wedding, the Goring has generations of regulars return precisely because so little changes. This is a hotel where everything is the result of decades of reflection and study, from a pillow plumped just right to meals known across the city.
The Dining Room is The Goring's showpiece, a Michelin-starred eatery dressed by Viscount Linley that's all crystal light, white linen, and classic British cooking of the highest order. For something a little er... looser, try light-filled Siren that does brilliant things with Cornish seafood or even the Terrace for warm scones and dainty sandwiches. Then there's the Cocktail Bar: low lamplight, flawless measures, and cocktails that are taken incredibly seriously. And, if you're there o a Sunday, make sure to book in for the famous Sunday Lunch with all the trimmings before the rest of the city does.
Ranging from Garden Rooms to Royal Suites (complete with fireplace!), each room and suite has been done up individually, but the fundamentals are soft drapes, polished mahogany and beautiful, understated British taste. In the marble bathrooms you'll find warm floors underfoot, and on the beds, only the most premium Egyptian cotton dressings. Street-side rooms watch the comings and goings below, but the ones worth requesting look onto the garden. For families, there are both interconnecting rooms and slightly larger suites that give you space to spread out.
Buckingham Palace is barely a minute's walk away, so time a morning around the Changing of the Guard, or slip into the Royal Mews to see the state coaches up close. Knightsbridge and Sloane Street will keep the serious shoppers happy, while Hyde Park's green acres are an easy wander north. Back inside, the Veranda puts on one of London's most sought-after afternoon teas beneath a glass roof, so clear a couple of hours and let it unfold. Afterwards, Westminster and the river are within a short stroll.
The garden. A lush lawn surrounded by flowers, right in the middle of Belgravia, it's the perfect spot for croquet on a warm afternoon or a peaceful drink in the shade.
The dish to ask for in the Dining Room is eggs Drumkilbo, a lobster-and-egg creation said to have been a favourite of the Queen Mother. It's hard to find elsewhere in London.
The Goring is unapologetically traditional so expect all the chintz and chandeliers you can imagine. If you're after pared-back contemporary design, this isn't the place.
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With a borough for every possible mood and sightseeing for days, London has genuinely never been better.
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