Review of aviation-themed Brooklands restaurant at the Peninsula hotel

[George K]

Hey folks,

I thought that a cursory look at London’s newest aviation-themed rooftop bar and restaurant wouldn’t be too far dethatched from the interests of this group. So in what has been my latest hardship posting, I thought I’d tell you about a visit to the aptly named Brooklands restaurant and bar on top of the fairly new Peninsula hotel in London.

Most will have probably heard of the Peninsula from its original Hong Kong roots and maybe even from some of its other global offshoots, like the ones in Paris, New York and more recently, Istanbul. Afternoon tea at the Peninsula Hong Kong flagship remains a colonial-era institution that still draws in the crowds but it’s clear that the first UK-based hotel would have to find something different to set it apart in a town where every other form of lodging offers their version of ‘afternoon tea’.

It probably didn’t take too long for the owner of the Peninsula to come up with a theme. Much like other billionaires, Michael Kadoorie is one of those aviation enthusiasts whose extended universe of hobbies also covers collecting classic cars. There’re a few places that people with similar interests tend to go to get their fix, but I suspect his sources would have been quick to recommend a day trip to the Brooklands racing circuit and aerodrome in Surrey, which pays homage to both British aviation and motorsport.

If you haven’t been to the Brooklands museum, I’d certainly recommend it, if only to see one of the last remaining BA Concordes, retained in its last operational condition. You can go inside, see the cockpit, sit on the seats, and if you’re around during one of their ‘Concorde experience’ days, you can meet the former chief pilot Mike Bannister and members of the cabin crew who will regale you with some of their supersonic-flying stories of a past era, champagne glass in hand.

So yes, the Brooklands restaurant at the Peninsula takes its name from the Surrey museum which it is now collaborating with, and the Concorde features as a centrepiece at both venues. Upon entering the Peninsula, there’s an original nose from a Concorde close to the lifts that take you up to the restaurant. The lifts themselves are quite novel, as they are padded in the same way as a vintage hot air balloon basket, and even make successive hot air burst noises to signal the fact that you’re on the way up. There are a few motorsport exhibits dotted around the hotel, also on loan from the museum.

Once at the rooftop restaurant, there can be no doubt of the theme that ties the whole place together. A huge gunmetal Concorde model spans the entire ceiling, and a version of the supersonic plane’s familiar speed and altitude indicators that were found in the bulkhead of the cabin are now flanking a wooden doorway (set at Mach 2 and 50000 feet respectively) leading to the bar. Once seated, even the napkin rings feature the plane in its miniature form, and some dishes come covered in what looks like a plane nose cone in pottery form. The dark blue carpet features a map of the known constellations, as they would have been seen from the plane at 50000 feet.

The tables are very well appointed, helping the room feel less crowded even when the dining area is busy. The floor-to-ceiling windows look out onto a fantastic 20-metre terrace which is a joy during the warmer days of the year. The Wellington Arch is right in front of you and on a clear day you can easily see St Pauls and the ever-changing Cityscape.

Dining at Brooklands is a pricey proposition as the kitchen is being run by Claude Bosi – of Hibiscus and Bibendum fame – who has secured a couple of Michelin stars for his latest rooftop restaurant too. Now I’m not a restaurant critic, so I can’t opine on the finer details of the food’s quality nor its value for money. But what I can say is that part of the excellent all-around service, there appears to be a desire to supplement diners’ orders somewhat, as we were furnished with dishes that we certainly didn’t ask for ahead of every course. Since they were all beautifully presented and also very tasty, there was not much protestation, until we were faced with both pre-dessert and actual desert, at which point we asked for some of it to be boxed up.

When the doggy bag arrived, it had not only the food we asked to take away, but also an extra bit of desert in a different box (a chiffon cake), as well as an old fashioned air-mail envelope containing a personalised readout of each diner’s menu order, and lastly… a Concorde paper airplane. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen anything like that, and it certainly ticked the box of leaving the table with a souvenir in hand.

I’ll be back to check out the Buckingham palace-facing bar, which from a very quick look carries over the aviation theme with a proper model of a BEA Vickers Viking hanging from the ceiling. If it’s anything like the restaurant, I’m sure it won’t be disappointing.

[Rob]

Thanks George, appreciate it. Haven’t made it down here yet.

[JDB]

@GeorgeK – thank you for the very detailed review. We shall be booking that for our son’s birthday! Peninsula is always very good at creating its own original and distinctive spaces and is, as you experienced, a very generous host – you feel as though you are getting looked after.

It’s quite a contrast to OWO (which is trying to play in the same price league) which brought in the all gong and no dinner Lapérouse brand as Accor doesn’t have the skills to do anything original.

[Richie]

Is just a jacket ok or are ties required for gentlemen?

[TGLoyalty]

I knew I should’ve popped in for a drink last weekend when I was walking past … but ended up seeing if The Berekley rooftop was open yet (June) so just had a drink in their new Emory hotel, bar is very nice with lovely conservatory seating area.

I’ll be sure to drop in next time I’m in the area.

[Hbommie]

Thanks George, sounds like my kind of meal with some special touches.

[George K]

Rob Burgess wrote:

Thanks George, appreciate it. Haven’t made it down here yet.

Good venue for your team’s Christmas lunch/dinner/drinks, I’d say!

JDB wrote:

It’s quite a contrast to OWO (which is trying to play in the same price league) which brought in the all gong and no dinner Lapérouse brand as Accor doesn’t have the skills to do anything original.

Shame about the OWO. I haven’t been yet, but the overall building appeals to me and I’d like to see it succeed.

Richie wrote:

Is just a jacket ok or are ties required for gentlemen?

You’re fine with jackets. I think there’s a blanket minimum smart casual dress code across all their restaurants/bars.

TGLoyalty wrote:

so just had a drink in their new Emory hotel, bar is very nice with lovely conservatory seating area.

I’m a fan of this – certainly better than the Berkeley in my opinion.