Where to find the best coffee in London
Sandeep Bhalla, the general manager of legendary hotel The Connaught, shares his tips on decent coffee, excellent restaurants and secret gardens in the British capital.
Sandeep Bhalla joined the Maybourne group as director of food and beverage in 2007 at its hotel The Berkeley. He moved to sister property The Connaught in 2018 as hotel manager and was made general manager 10 months later. Opened as Prince of Saxe-Coburg Hotel in 1815 and named The Connaught in 1917, the property has been a favourite of visiting dignitaries (French president General Charles de Gaulle lived there during World War II), celebrities, including Cary Grant, Lauren Bacall and Sir Alec Guinness, and members of the British royal family for more than 100 years (the Queen Mother opened new kitchens in 1992).
Located in Mayfair, it has also become known for its award-winning venues, including The Connaught Bar, which regularly gets a mention in the world’s best bar lists, restaurants by Michelin-star French chefs Helene Darroze and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and the reopened The Connaught Grill, which originally opened as Grill Room in 1955. Bhalla was recently named GM hotelier of the world by Hotels Magazine.
How I got into hotels
I come from a family of army people, so getting into hotels was more by chance as I did not want to work in the army. Food was my passion from a young age, and that is what attracted me initially to hotels. My first job after finishing my management training with Taj Hotels was at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi working at its Orient Express restaurant.
My normal work day
You can usually find me out front, by our historic wooden central staircase, greeting guests and checking in with my team. Being on the floor is where you meet people and know if guests are happy; it’s where the energy of the hotel is and I like to be accessible to guests and my team. It is an exhilarating place to work because no two days are the same.
The most famous guest I have looked after
There are many memorable moments but one of the most important attributes of working in hotels is discretion. But we have hosted guests from the film industry, musicians and members of the royal family.
Where I go for a relaxing break
Either home to India, or anywhere new with family or friends where there is good food and wine. My favourite city to go to is Chandigarh (pictured) as I was born there and that is where I spent my childhood.
Where to eat and drink in London
We are spoilt for choice to eat in London so it is very difficult to name just one, but a few suggestions are Endo at Rotunda, Humo, Palomar, Mountain, Bibi, Brat, Kutir, LPM and finally Harry’s Bar. To eat like a local, try Guinea Grill on Bruton Place or The Devonshire in Soho (pictured). For coffee, Bar Italia, Soho and The Connaught Patisserie.
Top visitor tip
Seek out some of the lesser-known green spaces, such as Mount Street Gardens. There are a lot of beautiful parks in London that are used by locals. Also, walk around to learn about the local neighbourhoods and how they connect. It’s an easy and beautiful walk from The Connaught in Mayfair over to Hyde Park (pictured), where you can find the Serpentine Galleries and Kensington Palace, or head across to Knightsbridge for some shopping.
What makes an excellent hotel
It’s the care and passion of the people within the team and the service they provide our guests. You can build a beautiful hotel, with no expense spared, but it is the team that creates the soul of the property and in my opinion, lifts a hotel from four to five stars.
My favourite hotel
I prefer not to stay in hotels on my holidays as it always feels like work. But I always love travelling to our sister hotel, The Maybourne Riviera, on Roquebrune Cap Martin in the south of France, which has a spectacular view out to sea. The hotel opened in 2021.
Tips for a repeat London visitor
Take a boat down the Thames for a different view of the city. Most people are aware of the luxury shopping in Mayfair but there are also a lot of independent art galleries such as the Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth and, at our sister hotel, Claridge’s ArtSpace that are worth exploring.
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