The Square Mile’s bohemian bolt-hole: Hyde London City hotel

This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to London

When it opened in 1874, the Spiers & Pond hotel was, so its owners claimed, the first hotel in London to install electric lighting. Still at the cutting edge, it’s now been reinvented as the sophisticated Hyde London City, the seventh in a global Hyde collection under the Ennismore group, and this handsome Grade II-listed establishment is now injecting new life into an area steeped in the past, with City landmarks from St Paul’s Cathedral to the Old Bailey a stone’s throw away.

Hyde seems like an obvious magnet for the City’s young high-flyers needing a convenient and stylish rest and repast between meetings. The original hotel closed in 1900, and the building served as an office block until this recent reincarnation, but you wouldn’t know it thanks to a stylish overhaul that blends bohemian furnishings with tech-savvy touches. 

Despite its City location, the hotel is swerving away from a corporate vibe to a warm and energetic atmosphere, with music permeating its lobbies and corridors, Darwin-inspired botanical wallpaper designs, period details and an emerald and gold colour palette designed by Studio Moren.

When we checked in on Sunday afternoon, we caught the end of weekend visitors checking out — families and birthday parties — and those arriving for the start of the working week ahead, including a team setting up for a fashion shoot. Behind reception is Leydi, the hotel’s Turkish restaurant with its pink-washed contemporary decor and already a popular spot with Farringdon foodies — the menu is the latest offering from acclaimed chef consultant Selin Kiazim. 

Rooms

Walking into my cosy room was much like entering a thoughtfully finished guest bedroom, with its Victorian-inspired sage-and-white tiled floor and statement tropical-jungle-patterned wallpaper behind a green velvet headboard. 

The rooms are kitted out for working on the go, with a smooth walnut-veneer desk, speaker system and multiple light settings accessible from the built-in bedside tables. 

Blissfully thick yellow curtains block out any light, and there are lots of homely features, including sliders (yours for £15) and a grey and purple poncho (£99). Instead of the customary free water bottle, you can stock up on pomegranate, raspberry and sumac-flavoured Turkish delight, an international plug adapter and an adventurous beverage selection from the minibar, including a bottle of Unico Zelo Jungle Jungle Dolcetto red.

Restaurant

A highlight here is Leydi, where the menu is centred around the Turkish meyhane tradition of meze — convivial, family-style dinners made to share at leisure. Even on a Sunday evening, the restaurant was still buzzing with group dinners, dates and a trio of young women celebrating a birthday, receiving a surprise fruit platter filled with medjool dates, cantaloupe and a side of kurabiye (bite-sized tahini, caramelised apple and pistachio biscuits). 

Head chef Halit Deniz, who grew up near Istanbul, takes great pride in seeing his national cuisine celebrated in the heart of London. “Giving this experience to the Londoners is such a privilege for me,” he said, clearly relishing seeing diners’ reactions live from his open kitchen.

Settled in our comfortable banquettes, with traditional artwork adorning the walls, we began our meal with the evening’s cocktail special — a refreshing, slightly sweet mix of Japanese vodka, lemongrass and melon. Our table was soon laden with meze featuring Leydi’s renowned hummus, the smoothest whipped version of the dip I have ever tasted. We tucked into muhammara (a chopped walnut, red pepper and chive tapenade) and Aegean girit ezme (whipped feta and yoghurt peppered with courgette, carrots and pistachios), both inspired by Deniz’s family recipes.

“Don’t fall over when you eat this,” restaurant manager Mustafa jovially warned when our main dish arrived. As vegetarians, my fellow diner and I did not indulge in the extensive mangal grill menu, but plumped for a melt-in-your-mouth imam baylidi, an 18-hour slow-cooked aubergine stuffed with onion, peppers and tomatoes. The dish’s name translates as “the imam fainted”, and it is easy to imagine that, as per Ottoman folklore, a cleric swooning rapturously after tasting this mighty vegetable pièce de résistance.

To rectify the senses, a dessert had to be ordered: the crispy filo pastry-esque künefe, enrobed in a honey orange-blossom glaze and filled with pistachios and kaymak (silky, like clotted cream) — one to share after a hearty feast. And no dinner of this kind would be complete without a strong Turkish tea.

Hyde has expanded to include more events; private bookings often take place in the Japanese-inspired lounge, Black Lacquer. Originally opened as a speakeasy, the subterranean vinyl bar is lined with velvet high stools, intimate snugs and decorated with records collected by DJs on their travels. 

The next morning, meetings were already under way in Leydi, and we completed our stay in the best possible fashion — with a decadent breakfast. Each morning should start with a pillowy brioche French toast topped with light cream, berries and slightly salted crushed nuts, along with a light vanilla yoghurt adorned with toasted walnuts and compote. 

Charles Dickens once praised the original Spiers & Pond refreshment rooms (once dotted all around London) as the best places for railway travellers. I suspect this hotel’s newest restaurant venture is sure to establish itself as a go-to dining reputation among modern-day visitors. 

At a glance:

• Good for: A City location, and a fabulous dining experience which is worth a visit in itself

• Not so good for: Exercise enthusiasts — the gym is small and misses a few crucial pieces of equipment, even if there is a pair of high-tech sports bikes and on-screen workout videos

• FYI: The hotel has expanded to special events beyond its meze club — look out for book readings held in the Leydi restaurant

• Rooms and suites: 111 rooms and the top-floor Headliner Suite set in the eaves of the hotel

• Rates: From £230

• Address: 15 Old Bailey, London EC4M 7EF

• Website; Directions

Marine Saint was a guest of Hyde City Hotel

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