South Place Hotel

Walk off the street into South Place Hotel in the heart of the City of London, near Finsbury Square, and straightaway you can turn left for food or right for drinks before you’ve even made it to the reception. This luxury hotel’s bars and restaurants are popular, which is unsurprising considering its location in the heart of the financial district.

There are other spots for entertaining in the hotel too, away from street level, including a more exclusive restaurant on the seventh floor, a leafy courtyard and several function rooms. South Place is designed for eating, drinking and partying. But this upscale boutique with 80 bedrooms also achieves a quiet, relaxing vibe alongside all that. Its style is modern (it was built from scratch in 2012) and its decor is welcoming and slightly eccentric. It’s not cheap, but it’s a good choice for special occasions – or when someone else is paying.

The room we tried was extremely comfy and well-equipped, with electric black-out blinds covering floor-to-ceiling windows – a good thing considering the view in from the offices across the street. The spacious bathroom housed a huge double shower that will appeal to couples with little time to spare (and nothing to hide). And, of course, we tried the food. The downstairs restaurant, the South Place Chop House, is affordable, good for meat lovers and serves a decent cooked breakfast. We didn’t try the pricier Angler restaurant upstairs, but it boasts a Michelin star so worth considering if budgets aren’t tight.

South Place Hotel is naturally handy for anyone with business to do in the City and is also near Old Street, Clerkenwell and Shoreditch if you’re in town for more than work – all great for restaurants, bars and going out out. The Barbican is just a few streets away too if you fancy a bit of culture.