Stylish Spots Where Interior Designers Meet Clients in London
When meeting with a new or potential client, where you choose to meet may reflect just as much about your style as the outfit you wear or work samples you share. In London, choose from this list of designer-approved spots to make the right impression with your new client, and kick your project off on a chic note.
Photo via sketch
Need to schedule an early breakfast meeting? This super-chic spot in the Blakes Hotel London in Chelsea starts serving at 7AM Monday through Friday. The menu is a something-for-everyone mix of Eggs Benedict and full English breakfast, plus fresh juices, gluten-free baked goods, and vegan options. Best yet, the gorgeous interiors — which were inspired by a vintage steamer sailing up the Bosphorus — were designed by the legendary Anoushka Hempel.
For afternoon tea, it doesn’t get more classic than this London institution. After all, it’s been serving an elegant, pinkies-out high tea for more than 150 years. Chat with clients while you leisurely sample specialties like fresh-baked scones, fresh fruit pastries, finger sandwiches, and the house tea blend — all served on Claridge’s signature green-and-white striped fine china.
Food and fashion combine at April’s, the trendy eatery in upscale clothier Boutique 1 in Belgravia. Book a table ahead of time for a client meeting. The light and bright space is filled with plants, stylish modern lighting fixtures, and House of Hackney cushions. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks range from healthy to indulgent, but all beautifully presented.
The dress code at sketch is “art smart,” which will clue you into its posh-yet-edgy vibe. The design-driven destination in Mayfair is actually a quartet of spectacular restaurants, each with its own singular style. Head to The Gallery to sip tea amid the art-lined walls and cotton candy-colored banquets, or visit the jewel toned “enchanted decoupage forest” of The Glade for breakfast, lunch, or cocktails. Another chic daytime meet-up option is the more casual Parlour, where the chairs wear ballet slippers and a casual drinks and bites menu is served all day.
By night, this Victorian-era former warehouse in Hackney thumps with DJ music and dancing. But by day, two art- and light-filled floors with plenty of seating are designated for workshops, talks, and “daytime eating, drinking, thinking & meeting.” Go for a cozy coffee, pancake breakfast, or afternoon craft cocktail. It’s not the spot for more formal clients, but it’s a vibrant space to meet up with casual-cool clients.
This charming hotel close to the best shopping in Sloane Square is comprised of four elegant Victorian townhouses. There are several quiet lounges, nooks, and a library with leather and velvet armchairs perfect for business meetings, and you don’t have to be a guest to enjoy them.
Just steps off bustling High Holborn — through an arch and a serene courtyard — is the grand façade of Rosewood’s stunning London outpost. When you have a client you’re looking to impress, this the place. There are several spaces for client meet-ups: order coffee or tea in the gorgeous lobby, or a drink in the clubby Scarfes Bar, which is filled with more than 1,000 antique books curated by a Portobello antiques dealer. In summertime, don’t miss your chance to have lunch alfresco in the Nyetimber Secret Garden, which drips with purple wisteria.
This mod lobby restaurant inside the trendy Hoxton hotel in Holborn is perfect for a casual morning meeting. The room is bustling but not noisy, the coffee is strong, and classic breakfast dishes like omelets, bagels with smoked salmon, buttermilk pancakes and avocado toast are sure to please.