The boozer that’s gone boutique
HEAD under the cheery striped awning outside, and the vast horseshoe bar makes it clear that this Princess knows how to have a good time, while the lobsters and other shellfish piled on beds of ice behind show that food is taken extremely seriously.
But you’ll find yourself drawn to the conservatory and garden beyond, coated with sink-into cushions and deep-dive chairs, plants and the promise of a sunny experience even on a cloudy day. Locals were already beginning to take tables when I arrived early.
Over the past 100 years, this building has transformed from boozer to boutique hotel. At the heart of the most desirable corner of Notting Hill, it is surrounded by white stucco mansions in Hereford Road and the restaurants and boutiques on Westbourne Grove. By opening it, the small Cubitt group now has a family of delightful food-orientated pubs in covetable enclaves of London, including Belgravia, Marylebone and Knightsbridge. Not all of them have bedrooms but this one does, and they aren’t afterthoughts. The decor here, as in the bar and restaurant, comes from owner Georgie Pearman, who runs the Cubitt group with her husband, and in a leafy part of London my room feels like a charming evocation of the countryside. There’s a ticking-striped padded headboard, moss-coloured reading lights and rural-without-the-chintz Soane’s Osmunda Silhouette wallpaper and a smattering of antique furniture. The beds are bucket-deep with properly-sized bedside tables.
At the end of the bed there’s a freestanding bath, but there’s also a glorious walk-in shower.
The four bedrooms here are accessed by going past the ‘Loos’ sign and as I came out of mine, there was a woman in the corridor. ‘I can’t get into Margaret,’ she explained, fiddling with her key. I was in Diana, the others are called Lilibet and Alexandra. I do wonder why Anne didn’t make the cut.
Chef Ben Tish’s food is a very serious draw; he’s got a long relationship with the Cubitt Group as well as overseeing the food at the Stafford in St James. In W11, it feels as if there’s a cultural exchange between the Cotswolds and Tuscany. My starter of British burrata, partnered with radicchio and blood oranges, had coriander seeds to add attitude and an extra layer of deliciousness. An Old Spot pork chop with beets and walnuts was earthy without being heavy, while an attempt to show restraint with just petit fours for pudding wilted with squares of passion fruit jellies and chocolate fudge.
Next morning, Diana has given me a superb night’s sleep; comfort levels are very 21st Century and the soundproofing is superb.
Breakfast comes in both continental strength – although the pastries laid out on the bar are particularly louche and large – and a full English. Modishly modern additions of almond milk porridge with rhubarb, dates and molasses and green tomato juice complete the feeling that the Princess Royal knows how to tackle mornings, and everything else, with aplomb.
Rooms from £250, with breakfast from £15 (cubitthouse. co.uk/the-princess-royal).