One of the best things about living in London is how in recent times the hotel restaurant and bar scene has developed. One doesn’t have to reach too far back into history to a time when these venues were popularly perceived as dull and only to be used at weddings ,or if it was raining heavily. In my mind the breakthrough was the Met Bar at the Como (formally the Metropolitan) at Hyde Park Corner in the mid-90s. With celebrity haunt Nobu upstairs and the bar on the ground floor, suddenly an hotel bar was ‘clubbable’, needed membership (by invitation), felt more like New York – if you can remember when America seemed hip?. The Sanderson and the St Martin’s Lane soon followed and the game was on!
Jump forward to now and although the novelty has gone their legacy remains so we’re able to choose from cocktails and the bar menu at Lyaness at Sea Containers, having fun at the MoNad Bow street, or at the Zetter Clerkenwell, or even martinis at the Connaught – we’re spoilt for choice.
As for dining, there’s three Michelin rosettes at Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester more star chefs and Michelin rosettes than you can shake a toque blanche or a wooden spoon at like Helene Darroze at the Connaught, Tom Kerridge at the Corinthia, Theo Randall at the Intercontinental Park Lane to name a but a few – there’s an ever growing long list.
What these hotels give is a sense of theatre, often in beautifully decorated settings. The truth is when we go out, we eat or drink in the room – it’s at the heart of the experience. Of course, what’s served is important but it’s far better when served in a beautiful or dramatic setting. If you disagree, please stick to Wetherspoons .
However, for many fellow Londoners the thought of going to eat at an hotel still seems alien, something best left to tourists and foreign businessmen; or associated with formality. Or thinking hotels are just for special occasions like weddings. Or if you’re fortunate, taken for tea or dinner at Claridge’s or the Ritz with a wealthy aunt when she’s in town. This never happenned to me so I’m convinced I was swapped at birth.
Sadly, there is also the failure of many hotels to properly develop their food and beverage offering either by attaching an over-hyped brand such as Lucky Cat at the Marriott Grosvenor Square or despite a handsome dining room not even trying to serve anything other than the lowest common denominator at Rockwell in the Trafalgar St James’s.
However, the Pem is not one of these -quite the opposite. The Conrad Hotel in Westminster is where the Pem has flown somewhat under my foodie radar. This omission is my fault as the restaurant has been recognised in the 2025 National Restaurant Awards, listed in the Michelin Guide and named in the SquareMeal Top 100. Named after the pet name of the suffragette Emily Wilding Davison the Pem served as the launch pad for the much lauded Sally Abe now at her own restaurant, Teal. With her departure the team are led by Daniel Winser who worked in a number of top kitchens including Evelyn’s Table and Hide, and if my meal was anything to go by, he’ll build his reputation at the Pem too.
My guest and I had the ‘Taste of The Pem’ menu, six courses with accompanying wines because we could, which as we all know is universally considered to be the best reason for doing anything when an opportunity beckons. Cooking at the Pem leans heavily into British ingredients and everything served was beautifully presented and tasted as good as it looked.
Stand out dishes included the heritage carrot, as pretty as a picture with three types of carrot, along with quenelles of goat’s curd, squash and pistachios. One of the best carrot dishes I can remember eating, though I’m unsure which was the heritage one and that one day there’ll be a punch up between a heritage carrot and a heritage tomato.
Herdwick lamb served three ways – perfectly cooked and presented. My guest had the skate wing which she declared was excellent.
Macerated strawberries with milk ice cream were a refreshing way to round of the many courses. Thinking back through what we ate, crab with apple, scallop and asparagus, petit fours, and an amuse bouche one must conclude that at £110 the tasing menu represents fair value. Each course was beautifully presented and enjoyed. This was a pleasurable meal exhibiting cooking with a high level of technical skill. Service was amiable, both the server and the sommelier were informative and helpful.
There is also a three course lunch menu (£35) and an a la cart menu too.
The Pem is a very good example of hotel ‘fine dining’ which by its very nature is an elevated experience and not for every day, or for everyone. But for those of you who like to experience this level of cooking and presentation from time to time the Pem should be on your list of London’s destination restaurantsr.
THE INFORMATION
The Pem, Conrad London St. James, 22-28 Broadway, Westminster, London SW1H 0BH – Closest tube stations: St James’s Park & Westminster
The Pem – [email protected] +44 (0) 203 301 8080
Opening times – Lunch – Wednesday – Friday, 12.00pm – 2.00pm; Dinner – Tuesday – Saturday, 6pm – 9.30pm