Town meets country in St James’s at The Stafford London

There is something about the quiet sophistication of The Stafford London that is irresistibly alluring. Unassumingly tucked away in a tranquil cul-de-sac behind bustling Piccadilly, the hotel is complete with a 380-year-old working cellar and charming cobbled courtyard offering guests a regal escape in the heart of St James’s. 

As the former home of nineteenth-century nobility, the hotel is suitably grand. Rooms in the Main House are rich with heavy heritage fabrics while marble-swathed bathrooms are stocked with Floris products blended specially for the hotel. Separate from the main hotel, newly redesigned carriage house rooms reside in the 380-year old Grade II listed former stables. Conceived by interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud, the suites have been dressed in a polished country aesthetic and are fittingly bedecked with ultra-comfortable four-poster beds.

The hotel’s traditional British focus continues in the dining room at the recently opened The Game Bird, where classic British fare is excellently executed and served. Dishes here - such as the humble chicken kiev - are taken to decadent new heights with an exuberance of butter and black truffle shavings, and a smoked fish trolley adds theatre to the act of choosing a slither of salmon for your starter. As the name suggests there is also a strong focus on game. At any given time the menu features at least one game bird dish – beware pieces of shot may be found! – and the restaurant’s walls are lined with glass hanging cabinets displaying feathered pheasant and grouse like art.

Making a stay at The Stafford even more alluring, the hotel has recently collaborated with Cowdray Hall in Sussex offering guests access to the country pursuits on offer at Cowdray from shooting, polo, golf and fly fishing. Estate-reared meat will also be served in the Game Bird. Doubles from £394, thestaffordlondon.com