Dalloway Terrace at The Bloomsbury Hotel

As I may have mentioned perhaps a few too many times in my previous post, shooting something I feel excited about, preferably featuring wonderful clothes in a fantastic location, is one of my favourite ways to spend a day. But of course, six plus hours of styling, changing, posing, werking (not “twerking” as my autocorrect repeatedly insists I mean), running around and trying to realise the sometimes overly ambitious ideas you hoped to achieve is bloody exhausting work. It also works up one hell of an appetite! So where better for me and Holly to be headed after we wrapped our South Bank extravaganza than for some delicious food and fine wine at Dalloway Terrace? Sadly my brother-slash-assistant had to go to his actual work so couldn’t join, but I bought him a burger and paid him a truly extortionate amount to make up for the humiliation and trauma he suffered.

I wore: Temperley SS16 jumpsuit and Whistles blazer with Tory Burch clutch & heels

It’s no secret that I absolutely LOVE a stylish hotel! Whether I’m setting up home-away-from-home there, shooting something sultry in a plushy suite or in the bar getting sloshed drinking responsibly, the novelty never seems to wear off. I’ve wined and dined in a fair few of London’s most fabulous hotels but this was my first time at The Bloomsbury. It won’t be my last. Tbh I’m kind of feeling a trip back there this week to get those gambas… And perhaps the seared tuna… Maybe the carpaccio because it was all so damn good, but more on that later.

If you’re planning on visiting London anytime soon, are a Londoner plotting a luxe staycation or just fancy some fanciness then I strongly recommend hitting up The Bloomsbury Hotel for so many reasons… The location, directly in the the city’s literary heartland and one of its’ most legendary historic districts, Bloomsbury; the building itself, a magnificent Grade II listed neo-Georgian situation designed in the 1930s by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the greatest British architect of his age; and of course the fabulousness within. Whether you’re an Old Fashion loving hedonist craving Bloomsbury Set style debauchery, a gastronomic gourmand or more about that green juice game, The Bloomsbury Hotel has got what you’re looking for.

We kicked off the evening with a rendez vous at The Bloomsbury Club Bar for some champagne. Given that it had begun bucketing with rain by the end of our South Bank shoot – not what you need when you’ve only just begun to dry off from a spontaneous fountain frolic – and we were knackered, a little something sparkling was essential before starting again. Plus, it seemed a crime not to experience this glorious homage to the golden age of cocktails… And champagne was the perfect accessory for the epic, if slightly too big, tassled Temperley jumpsuit I was wearing. After causing a minor commotion taking pictures in every inch of our stunning surroundings we decided it was time to stop disturbing people just trying to get their drink on in peace and headed to the restaurant; Dalloway Terrace.

If you’ve ever read any of my previous restaurant reviews then you’ll know full well, I’m no qualified or probably even half decent food critic. And I don’t pretend to be, or at least really hope I don’t anyway. But I adore eating out, enjoying good food and wine, trying new restaurants and I do a fair bit of it. This isn’t meant to be a detailed analysis of the nuances of a chefs work, presentation or menu. I couldn’t begin to and it would probably be mildly insulting for me to even try. What I can do, is share places I love, tell you a bit about my experience and of course, show you what I wore there.

By this point, Holly and I were obviously starving, especially having indulged in a glass of champagne or three each. After ordering a bottle of Sancerre (obvs) we chose our dishes in about 20 seconds, and probably devoured them almost as quickly. Given that we wanted basically everything, sharing seemed the way to go. First up, Seared Tuna with Soy & Ginger Dressing and Pickled Radish and Beef Carpaccio with Creamed Horseradish & Parmesan. Both were excellent, especially the tuna, as was the bread basket that got inhaled in the style of wildebeests on the Serengeti.

For our (again shared) main courses we went for Grilled Tiger Prawns with Harissa Aioli & Lime and Hand-dived Seared Scallops with Spinach, Chanterelles & Teriyaki Dressing. Both were – for want of a better word – banging, but the scallops were the star of the show and we fought over the last one. I can’t remember who came out triumphant, which makes me suspect that it was Holly.

As far as I’m concerned, The Bloomsbury Hotel and Dalloway Terrace are brilliant. While food is obviously the main priority when wining and dining (duh), ambiance, setting and service are important factors for me. This place could not have done better on those fronts. We were served dishes I was willing to snatch from the hands of one of my favourite people in a beautiful setting by staff who were so charming I wanted to hug them all when I left… But didn’t, luckily.

You can find out more about The Bloomsbury Hotel and book a table at Dalloway Terrace here.

Love Ella. X

Images by Holly McGlynn