HOTEL of the week
LINCOLN PLAZA LONDON, CURIO COLLECTION BY HILTON, CANARY WHARF
WHERE AND WHY The latest addition to Hilton’s upscale Curio Collection brand, this sleek 11-storey, 129-room hotel opened at the end of last year in the Lincoln Plaza luxurious residential development, right in the heart of the capital’s financial district. Only a 15-minute stroll to Canary Wharf tube station means access to the West End is fast and easy. The gleaming lobby – all polished concrete floors, steel-framed windows – is a nod to Docklands’ industrial heritage. Our spacious Tillerman room, styled in soft colours pepped up with quirky art, came with coffee machine and elegant cups and saucers.
ON THE MENU It was impossible to miss the elephant in the room when we went for dinner in Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen on the ground floor. Commanding centre stage, the splendid wooden statue is a clue that this Pan-indian outpost of celebrity chef Cyrus Todiwala would be serving up a spicy menu. We dipped poppadums into a quartet of pickles and chutneys (€1) setting me up for my starter of beetroot and coconut samosas (€10). For mains I plumped for the Goan Prawn Curry (€24) with a stuffed peshawari naan (€6). I somehow found room for a refreshing Assorted Mini Kulfi Platter (€9). And I even managed to do justice to a full English (€16) served in the Food
Store – where there’s also a tempting deli of cheeses and charcuterie – the next morning.
WHILE YOU’RE THERE Head upstairs to Jack Speak Bar and splice the mainbrace with a tot of Navy-strength gin. Come summer you can expect lively DJ sets on the outdoor terrace. And guests can take advantage of the 18m pool, along with sauna and steam room. Get your retail fix at Canary Wharf’s malls or hop on to the tube to Westfield Stratford City. Also handy for Excel and O2.