COMO Hotels & Resorts has become synonymous with luxury wellness. Their hotels are some of the most tastefully-designed, indulgent and relaxing destinations be it in the middle of a bustling city such as Bangkok or the mountains of Bhutan. It was surprising to hear, on our visit to the group’s very first hotel, the COMO Metropolitan in London, that this particular property used to be the place for the capital’s swanky party crowd. As COMO has grown, the integration of their signature COMO Shambhala spa and cuisine has quietly transformed the hotel into one of the best urban retreats in the area.

The latest addition is a new (and very of-the-moment) live-fire grill, Gridiron by COMO, which replaces the former celebrity magnet, Met Bar. COMO has teamed up with widely-acclaimed British chef Richard H. Turner (executive chef of Hawksmoor) on the concept, who is both an expert in open-flame cooking and ethical sourcing – something which is very close to the COMO brand. Priding themselves on their sustainability and holistic wellbeing initiatives, COMO Hotels & Resorts provide their guests with wholesome, quality food and ingredients in every destination. In fact, COMO Metropolitan London is also home to London’s Nobu.

Head chef Colin McSherry (of the Fat Duck and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal) takes the helm of the restaurant’s open kitchen, executing a seasonal menu of unique meats and seafood. The starters are designed as small bites to share – definitely order the grilled duck sausage with black olive and plum, crab on toast and pig’s head and black pudding croquettes with apple and greengage. 

For seafood, there’s dover sole meuniere with brown butter and capers and roast turbot with chicken butter sauce and for steaks there’s the Highland sirloin on the bone and Dexter prime rib for two. Don’t leave without trying the cheesy Tunworth mashed potato with braised trotter and crackling or the creamy English honey tart  for dessert.

Cocktails are on point here too. Our favourites were the Almond and Agave (Avion tequila, agave and almond flower) and Pickled Martini (Plymouth gin, balanced vermouth and pickled onion). The counter seating near the open kitchen, makes this a great place for solo and business travellers who fancy socialising in the evening.

gridironlondon.com