Frith Kerr

This small yet elegant boutique hotel townhouse is hidden behind a large wooden gate, which opens onto a tree-framed courtyard garden. Led by owner Jeanette Mix, the hotel’s ethos is to preserve the homely feel of this former private residence; stroll into the working kitchen, browse the books in the library, and read a paper in the Finn Juhl-designed chairs. With interiors by Ilse Crawford, this design-driven building has creativity at its core and an intimate, home-from-home atmosphere throughout.

In the morning there are queues for some of north London’s best pains aux raisins. At lunch, it’s for fat ciabattas filled with courgettes, ricotta, hot honey and pangrattato. And in the evening, a changing menu that includes comforting, homemade plates of orzo with pork and beef ragù. The restaurant everyone wishes they had in their neighbourhood.


Australian chef Skye Gyngell has always been ahead of her time when it comes to low-waste cooking. Alongside the a la carte, her scratch menu, served between 5.30pm and 6.15pm from Tuesday to Saturday at Spring in Somerset House, makes the most of leftovers from the night before, and might include charcuterie croquettes with lovage aïoli or lemon and ricotta pudding. It’s hard to differentiate this innovative offering from the à la carte, which is fabulous too.