Tenth Bar - CLOSED

Bond

Closed, for Refurbishment 26th August 2007

1 found this helpful

Having, looked at the previous review and, got myself all excited, at the thought of soaking up all the spectacular views, with my date, we took the lift to the tenth floor, only to be confronted with a locked door, and a note stating that the restaurant was closed for a refit until Jam 2008. However, we could still see some of the views, from the locked door, and decided to venture across the road to an Italian restaurant. Not sure of the name. The food and service was fabulous, and more than made up for the disappointment of not getting into the tenth floor.

robcarter

A View to End All Views (a.k.a. I want a T-Shirt) 15th November 2006

15 found this helpful

I have stooped low before and I will again. I like keeping great places, especially ones that are never busy for reasons I cannot fathom, a secret, but I like you guys; huddle in.

The Royal Garden Hotel on Ken High Street is not the prettiest hotel in the world, inside or out. It does FEEL old though, in that great way old hotels do - especially in London. Brass fitments that gleam as if new with polish but you just know they have been attended to twice a day for years, under the direction of an unexplainably posh hotel manager. This hotel was one of the England football team's residences during the 1966 world cup. Its not even very old but it has that feeling.

Its also got that feeling that old hotels have of deadened silence, like you don't belong there, or shouldn't be making a noise, like an imposing gallery (the Turner section of the Tate Britain) or museum (the old insect section of the Natural History that families avoid) or great library (the Bodleian at Oxford) or society (The Royal Society building, just off Pall Mall). That is such a great feeling. Deafening silence mingled with austerity and history.

(All of those places in brackets - go to them)

Anyway.

After stopping briefly to suck in THAT feeling, pass through the foyer, get in the lift and get up to the tenth floor.

You will find an uninspiring bar, leatherish bucket seats, blonde wood veneer, brass buttoned barman.

But the view. Across Hyde Park from the south western corner you can see the whole park but more than that; beyond you can see a panorama of London stretching from Kensington Palace on your left to Battersea Power Station on your right.

You can sit there pointing out landmarks for hours, drinking in the view. You can see, in no particular nor extensive order, the big spinny wheel, the BT tower, Centre Point, the Houses of Parliament, the Royal Society Building (see above), the Royal Albert Hall, 30 St Mary's Axe (the Gherkin), Westminster Abbey, Canary Wharf and all those tosspots rollerblading around below you. (Also if you are reading this in a few years' time, possibly in a book or book-like digital tablet, you can see the "Shard of Glass".)

For this reason I suggest going in daylight (I have never been at night), in fact just before sundown at this time of year (early winter) would be great. I am also reliably(ish) informed that there is a half-price Champagne between 6-7pm Mon-Fri promotion running.

Now, if that isn't reason enough to get down there, you are made of stone. This place is WAY better than that bloody wheel and you aren't charged fifteen quid for the privilege.

walid at 15/11/06

Rob my friend I think you are re-defining the meaning of great reviews! Very good review, both intimate, instructive, helpful, and cool! I can't wait to check this place out. You and Buraco are definitely in a league of your own when it comes to writing reviews and I think we all in TrustedPlaces could learn some prose from you guys!

Buraco at 22/11/06

Flattery is my friend. Maybe we should do a "laptops at dawn review-off" to settle this question of who is the Greatest Trusted Places reviewer in the world ever (vol. 3)

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