Kitchen at Holmes

You’ll find the Holmes hotel (part of the Park Plaza family) a short walk from Baker Street station but while the hotel takes some inspiration from Sherlock Holmes, it isn’t a tacky tribute act. In fact, the only evidence we could see of the famous detective in the in-house restaurant was a few deerstalker hats by the entrance and a cocktail named after him. Other than that, the dining room is a chic mix of marble-splashed tables, comfy padded seating and a partially open kitchen tucked away in the corner of the room.

The menu is as stylish as the interiors, with fashionable breakfast options including avocado and poached eggs on toasted sourdough, or French toast topped with berries and lashings of maple syrup. Later in the day, you’ll find a globally inspired menu replete with à la mode dishes such as aubergine tempura and shakshuka.

Luxe ingredients are put to good use, with the quality of the produce allowed to shine. Just take the blushing pink slices of succulent Wagyu steak which made for a delicious main course, especially when paired with a portion of golden and crispy ‘proper’ chips.

For dessert, we were impressed by a refreshing bowl of mango sorbet, topped with a snow globe of white chocolate dusted with coconut, which cracked open to reveal a passionfruit filling – a touch of theatre that will awaken any diner’s inner child. For actual children, Kitchen has a dedicated kids’ menu.

Not all of the food is handled so well, however. Our starter of Scottish Black Angus beef carpaccio, foie gras and truffle was a pile up of high-end ingredients that should have created an explosion of richness, but tasted bland and forgettable.

Friendly, efficient service is a plus, while the expansive drinks list covers wines from across the globe, as well as fun cocktails such as a fruity sip poured from a teapot at the table. Dining at Kitchen at Holmes doesn’t come cheap, but prices are on a par with other Marylebone hotel dining rooms, while should you need a lie down after all of that indulgent food, there are 118 rooms to choose from.

This cutesy all-dayer within the Holmes hotel is found on bustling Baker Street and there’s a street terrace if you want to engage in some people watching. Kitchen at Holmes serves breakfast through to dinner, and guests can watch the chefs make use of seasonal produce from their seats, thanks to an open kitchen.

You can expect to find dishes such as Scottish scallop tartare with yuzu basil and green chilli, courgette spaghetti with pistachio, basil and smoked ricotta, and a hearty Sunday roast complete with greens, roast potatoes, honey-roasted parsnips and Yorkshire pudding.

Sitting alongside the kitchen is a bar area, which is also where breakfast is served in the earlier part of the day. Light options for early risers include coconut and popped quinoa bowls with blueberries and banana or buffalo ricotta pancakes served with orange marmalade. Come evening, the bar serves up a selection of wines and spirits, alongside cocktails which playfully nod to the area’s history, including one sip christened the Sherlock Lantern. Accompanying bar snacks include goat’s cheese bites or blue fin tuna tartare.