Shoreditch Rooms brings 26 light airy bedrooms to Shoreditch House, featuring vintage twists within an urban setting. The rooms are spread across five floors, sharing their main entrance with Shoreditch House on Ebor Street.

SHOREDITCH ROOMS

Shoreditch House, Ebor Street, London E1 6AW (020 7739 5040)

Bedrooms are available in Tiny, Small and Small+ sizes, with four rooms also hosting furnished private balconies, overlooking views of either the City skyline or Ebor Street.

All rooms feature bespoke furniture, including old-fashioned telephones, tallboy chests and wooden shutters, while bathrooms feature Cowshed products and rainforest showers.

The bespoke ‘Borrow Me’ collection includes vintage books, games and dressing up accessories amongst other quirky items for guests to enjoy.

Rooms are very reasonably priced, starting at £75 per night (less for members).

After a visionary extension and sensitive restoration, the imposing Bethnal Green Town Hall in London’s East End is now open as Town Hall Hotel Apartments.

TOWN HALL HOTEL & APARTMENTS

Patriot Square, London E2 9NF (020 7871 0460)

The new development, comprising 98 hotel rooms and apartments, a restaurant, bar, pool and gym, has been created by entrepreneur and hotelier Peng Loh who enlisted Rare Architects for the restorative work.

The traditional 1930s building with its Edwardian frontage and Neo-Classical fine stone frontage has been restored. Original elements of the building have also be retained, including sculptures commissioned from Henry Poole. Wide marble halls, dramatic staircases, and stunning public rooms have been carefully restored by skilled craftsmen.

Such restoration hasn’t prevented contemporary touches, most notably present in the Town Hall’s extension which is discreetly set back from the frontage. The architects adopted a technique that covers the new outer wall with a metal ’skin’, laser-cut in a pattern inspired by the art-deco metal ornamentation in the building’s original Council Chamber.

The hotel offers a mix of studios, one and two bedroom suites and feature rooms. Each room is individually designed with a mix of original retro furniture and contemporary Scandinavian inspired hand-crafted pieces.

Throughout the hotel in 2010, look out for the introduction of new installations by six artists, as commissioned by local not-for-profit group, Artsadmin.

Be sure to check out the hotel’s restaurant – VIAJANTE – with its sensational taster menu created by head chef Nuno Mendes.

Celebrated Portuguese chef Nuno Mendes has opened Viajante – his new restaurant in the Grade II listed Bethnal Green Town Hall, one of East London’s most historic buildings.

VIAJANTE

Patriot Square (entrance on Cambridge Heath Road), London E2 9NF (020 7871 0461)

Mendes is considered a pioneer in gastronomy, having trained and worked with some of the leading chefs from around the world. His cooking takes inspiration from multiple cultures and merges them into extravagant tasting menus.

For example: charred sea bass and green apple, black olive and crispy ponzu; razor clams, pickled carrots and coconut, enoki mushrooms and dill; smoked aubergine, potato and soymilk, uni and truffle; lamb belly and scallops, nori dust and fennel; baby onions and Gruyere, tapioca and oyster cream.

Designed by Rare Architects, Viajante restaurant, bar, and private dining room resides on the ground floor of the Town Hall.

Viajante is part of the Edwardian and Neo-Classical Town Hall, which has been developed into a hotel and apartments by entrepreneur and hotelier Peng Loh.

We will add news of the hotel when it opens in May 2010.

Successful Brighton design store The Lollipop Shoppe has opened its first London outlet within Old Spitalfields Market, selling a diverse portfolio of products from watches to furniture and cushions to lighting.

THE LOLLIPOP SHOPPE

10 Lamb Street, Old Spitalfields Market, London E1 6EA (020 7655 4540)

The product selection at this store tends to favour the quality design classics from big reputable brands such as Vitra, Knoll, Artek, Cassina, and Fritz Hansen.

The 150-square-metre space, arranged over two floors, has been designed by architects Found Associates. The interior has been stripped back to the original brickwork to reveal the Victorian pillars of Old Spitalfields Market.

While exposing the space’s former textures and characteristics, the architects have provided a contrast by installing slick black display units for the edited product selection.

In case you’re wondering about the shop name, it was chosen by the owners Marco and Siobhan Di Rienzo after the 1960s psychedelic garage rock band from Portland, Oregan.

EDITOR’S COMMENTS:

As is policy at LONDON DESIGN GUIDE, I turned up to this store unannounced and hopefully anonymous. My ‘hello-and-a-smile’ radar went on and was thankfully satisfied within seconds of arrival.

Immediate impressions of the space are favourable. Displays are clean and free from clutter as one would expect from a store that was only days old on my visit. Every product is displayed with exhibition-like emphasis which I felt was a bit uptight, particularly in a relatively small space. I would quite like to see more stock choices but I suspect this evolve as the owners grow into their new environment.

I felt rather disappointed that such a high proportion of the stock is comprised of design classics. Nobody questions the virtues of these timeless creations by the likes of Eames, Saarinen, Panton, Bertoia, Jacobsen, Kjaerholm et al. The only problem is London’s design retailers are already awash with the same offerings.

I certainly appreciate the aesthetic style they have opted for at The Lollipop Shoppe, but I can’t help thinking they could be more adventurous with the stock and introduce some items that are not sold elsewhere.

There was an objet on display that indicated that they may be open to such an approach. The laminated cast acrylic sculptures from Vasa Studio (pictured below) were a welcome addition, and I later found out that they are an exclusive to the store. Now we’re talking.

SKITSCH is an Italian producer and retailer of contemporary design, which launched with aplomb in Milan in April 2009. Now they have opened a new 350-square-metre store on Brompton Road, in the heart of the Brompton Design District.

SKITSCH

270 Brompton Road, London SW3 2AW

Skitsch is not only a design retailer but also a producer of its own collection of contemporary interior products, which is an unusual and bold move for such a young company. They are positioning themselves at the top-end of the market in their location alongside the brand establishment of Brompton.

Steered by the creative direction of the characterful dame of Italian design, Cristina Morozzi, the Skitsch collection comprises works by dozens of emerging and established international designers. LDG editor Max Fraser interviewed Morozzi during Skitsch’s launch in Milan in 2009 – watch the interview here.

Visitors to the London store can expect to find chairs, tables, sofas, storage, beds, lamps, accessories, objects, and textiles. Design junkies should look out for designs by the likes of Maarten Baas (Netherlands), Front (Sweden), Xavier Lust (Belgium), Peter Marigold (UK), Luca Nichetto (Italy), Giles Miller (UK), Bertjan Pot (Netherlands), Marc Sadler (Italy), Marcel Wanders (Netherlands), 5.5 Designers (France), and Jean-Marie Massaud (France), plus many others.

Products can also be ordered online and delivered to your home.

Caravan is a new restaurant, bar, and coffee roastery located on the popular Exmouth Market in London’s Clerkenwell. It is open seven days a week serving three menus – breakfast, all day, and brunch on the weekends.

CARAVAN

11-13 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QD (020 7833 8115)

Caravan was set up by a bunch of New Zealanders. Miles Kirby is head chef (previously head chef of The Providores in Marylebone) and responsible for the tasty menu comprising flavour influences from around the world. He is  joined by friendly general manager Chris Ammermann who can often be found serving Front of House.

It is hardly surprising that these guys take their coffee very seriously, such is the antipodean way. They roast the beans onsite and serve some of the best coffee in London.

The space is functional in its design yet retains a cosy feel thanks to its warm lighting and natural materials. The vibe is buzzy yet casual and the prices are reasonable. Furthermore, they have fully embraced ‘brunch’ as a weekend offering, which is surprisingly difficult to find in London and explains why this place is very busy on the weekends.

The Dock Kitchen is here to stay! Housed at Portobello Dock – the studio and showroom base for designer Tom Dixon – the restaurant was initially set up as a temporary intervention to make use of the old kitchen space. Its success since launching in September 2009 has now secured its permanent home.

DOCK KITCHEN

Wharf Building, Portobello Dock, 344 Ladbroke Grove (entrance on Kensal Road), London W10 5BU (020 8962 1610)

Portobello Dock was originally a Victorian canal dock rubbish interchange, and most recently Richard Branson’s headquarters and recording studios – home to the likes of the Spice Girls, David Bowie, and the Sex Pistols. Tom Dixon inherited the staff canteen, which was where the stars were entertained following the signing of their multi-million pound deals.

Dixon wanted to hold onto this heritage so called in the skills of chef Stevie Parle to create an experimental restaurant that would form a base for Stevie to write his first cookbook, and provide a work canteen for Tom Dixon staff.

Stevie is ex-Spotted Pig, ex-River Cafe, and ex-Petersham Nursery. He has lived and cooked in Sri Lanka, New York, Vietnam, and Japan, bringing global influences to the Dock Kitchen.

The bright and unpretentious space with its open kitchen, is decked out with Tom Dixon furniture and lighting. The designer’s complete product showroom is located next to the restaurant – see the review on page 32 of LDG.

The restaurant is open for lunch, and their popular themed Supper Club events take place on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 8pm.

Circus is now open – Covent Garden’s new restaurant, bar, and ‘entertainment experience’, the design of which has been created by Design Research Studio, headed up by British designer Tom Dixon.

CIRCUS

27-29 Endell Street, London WC2H 9BA (020 7420 9300)

The idea behind this venue is to add spectacle to the dining experience by hosting ’surprising and intriguing acts’ throughout the evening, the details of which are under wraps at this time. Judging from the design of the space, we are imagining cabaret/pole dancing/singing divas and generally vivacious performances. 

The idea is that performances are dotted around the space, rather than being focussed on a single stage. Drinkers and diners can be involved in the performances should they wish – those seated at the specially commissioned wide main table will find their dining space transformed into a stage once they have completed dinner.

Open for lunch and dinner, Circus accommodates 140 covers with a Pan-American menu. Chef Nik Biok (previously of Gaucho, St. Judes in Glasgow and Industrie in Sydney) has been inspired by his travels across the North American continent and his love of New York restaurants. Expect dishes such as snapper ceviche, baby coconut, sriracha chilli, mooli and carrot salad; smoked stuffed chicken wings, chipotle and tamarind, lime relish and sour cream; or seafood jambalaya with annatto, oregano, sun-blushed tomato and chorizo.

Circus can also boast an impressive cocktail selection at the bar.

Viet Hoa Cafe, the first Vietnamese restaurant to have opened in an area that is now dubbed London’s ‘Little Saigon,’ has undergone a total interior refit to distinguish itself from its shabbier culinary competitors on Kingsland Road.

VIET HOA CAFE

70-72 Kingsland Road, London E2 8DP (020 7729 8293)

The restaurant has been open since 1995, which in London restaurant terms is a lifetime. Since then, numerous other Vietnamese eateries have opened along the rather haphazard stretch of Kingsland Road between Old Street and Geffrye Museum. The common theme has always been about cheap, quick eating – after all, the business model is driven by volume. As such, one has come to expect busy, noisy restaurants with rapid service and no-nonsense functional interiors but, most importantly, tasty authentic food.

However, despite being located only spitting distance from the trendmeisters of Hoxton and Shoreditch, there has been a distinct void when it comes to decent graphics and interiors in these restaurants. That is, until Viet Hoa Cafe stepped up the game and unveiled its new ‘designed’ space, created by VONSUNG.

On the restaurant’s website, they state, “Viet Hoa Cafe was designed to offer a natural feeling for diners reminiscent of Vietnam’s organic and colourful culture. We wanted to reflect this with the interior of the cafe, giving it the wow factor that you’d expect from a premium, design-led restaurant in West London.” They finish by saying, “We hope you like the new East London. It’s getting smarter.”

There will be groups of nostalgic folk who won’t welcome in this change. Indeed, part of the ‘charm’ of Little Saigon is the distinctly design-less dining environment – a sort of antidote to the uber-designed offerings of other eateries. 

Whatever your preference, the upside now is that you’ve got a choice.

Further to the interior, VONSUNG also created the branding and identity. ‘Hoa’ means ‘blossoming flower’ in Vietnamese and a logo mark has been added across all way-finding, branding collateral, packaging, and uniforms.

February 2010 will see the launch of Viet Hoa Bar in the basement.

Have you ever eaten out while lying down on a comfy bed? Chances are, if you’ve visited Amsterdam you would have been to or heard of the famous Dutch restaurant/bar/club – supperclub – which does exactly that. Now they have opened in London’s Notting Hill.

SUPPERCLUB LONDON

12 Acklam Road, London W10 5QZ (020 8964 6600)

The space is located under the Westway near the top end of Portobello Road on the site of the once legendary 90s nightclub, Subterranea. The space is designed by Concrete, the Dutch design practice also responsible for the various other supperclub locations in the world and the forthcoming W Hotel in London’s Leicester Square (opening Summer 2010).

On arrival, you pass through impressive double doors leading into Bar Rouge – a sumptuous take on a classic hotel bar. This is where patrons meet for a pre-dinner drink and suss out the crowd. When the kitchen is ready for dinner (around 8pm), frosted glass doors slide open and diners are ushered into the vast Salle Neige, a sheer white space and the epicenter of the dining concept.

Diners are shown to their, er, oversized beds which line the sides of the room, as well as along the mezzanine level. It is from here that the rest of the evening unfolds. To a super-cool DJ soundtrack and video projections, drinks are served to your bed along with a four-course tasting menu (£50), which is interspersed with live performances from a myriad of weird and wonderful artists. From the comfort of your bed, you embark on a people-watching extravaganza. 

At the end of the meal, the space is cleared and evolves into a nightclub.

EDITOR’S COMMENTS:

If truth be told, I haven’t yet been to this new London outpost of supperclub. However, with nearly 10 visits to the Amsterdam original under my belt, I feel comfortable enough with their format to comment. 

I defy anyone not to enjoy a night at supperclub. However, I say that from the relative anonymity of their Amsterdam venue. On each visit there, I have wondered if the concept would work in London – an altogether more uptight, self-conscious, dare-I-say pretentious city. Us Brits are not always very good at letting our hair down in public and tend to resort to heavy drinking and embarrassing behaviour to get there. But at supperclub, you really must lose your inhibitions without exercising such tactics.

First up, no matter how cool you think you are or look, remember that you’re dining with no shoes on (note: check no holes in socks before heading out). You’re also lying horizontal, which ends up looking either super-sexy or downright slobbish. Negotiating your plate of food from this position also proves challenging.

My message is simply – don’t go here with the wrong expectations. Relax, smile, chat to your neighbours, laugh at yourself and flirt ferociously. As owner Bert van der Leden would put it, “If you just want to look you should go to the theatre. Here, you make the evening yourself. Come, see, and give yourself over to the world called supperclub.”

A few additional tips: Don’t go here on business unless you are very comfortable with your guests. Don’t expect much change from £100 each. Don’t take a normal table in the middle of the space as you will feel self-conscious all night.