Nobu Hotel London Portman Square review: zen and the modern art of high glamour
Chic Marylebone hotel offers comfortable luxury which inspires calm and meditation
A five-metre-long silver sculpture spins from the ceiling in the lobby of the Nobu Hotel in London’s Portman Square. At once dynamic and hypnotic, the rotating helix shape, composed of slim rectangular rods that look like king-sized piano keys, is the work of British sculptor Ivan Black, who has managed to capture the ethos of this world-famous hotel and restaurant brand known for its glamorous take on minimalism.
Like the kinetic sculpture, the chic Portman Marylebone hotel inspires calm and meditation, but there’s also a spark of decadence at work here. This is a place to spa, where you can eat “pure” and indulge in wellness, but it’s also somewhere that knows how to mix up a killer cocktail. A case in point being the whisky-based Japanese Smokey Highball and the mischievously named “In Bondage”, a rum-based concoction which is suitably served “straight up”.
Why stay here?
The lobby/lounge at Nobu Hotel London Portman Square – which acts as a breakfast room in the morning and a cocktail area in the evening – conveys comfortable luxury thanks to a strong emphasis on craft and textural layering. Here, bright green armchairs and woven plum-toned furnishings add warmth to a space dominated by a gleaming box-shaped central bar with hand-carved wood panelling and marble countertops, contoured by slim brass columns. It’s a welcoming place expressly designed by London-based interior design firm David Collins Studio (which was also responsible for The Wolseley in Mayfair) to evoke the charm and conviviality of a Japanese izakaya bar.
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A second space with its own entrance is dedicated to a buzzy bar/terrace with a distinctively sexier feel thanks to dark timber-clad walls and furnishings inspired by the indigo blues of Japanese inks. Here, wooden lattice work draws on the craftsmanship seen on “koshido”, the name given to the doors of ancient Japanese temples. These traditional cues may not be obvious, but they manage to subtly evoke a sense of authenticity and rootedness, that in turn tempers the luxury, so that nothing appears ostentatious or overly ornamental.
The main restaurant, which sits directly above and runs the length of these two spaces, is a sprawling open-plan room kitted out in more dark materials. This time, wood-panelled walls and carved surfaces are matched with tables covered with inky linseed linoleum, chosen, according to creative director Simon Rawlings of David Collins Studio, because of its soft fabric-like feel and ability to show off the delicately assembled food to maximum effect.
The rooms
As expected, the devil’s in the detail: the designers have stylishly interpreted the “monozukuri” process or the art of “making things well”, by drawing on the traditions of ink painting, “buro” patchwork, and “tatami” mat-making, giving them a contemporary spin so that every surface is supremely tactile adding depth and dimension to the rooms.
Bathed in natural light thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, the Nobu Portman hotel’s 249 bedrooms and suites are unusually quiet and face the leafy square, belying the fact that the bustle of Oxford Street is only a stone’s throw away. The comforting sight of buttery neutrals and delicate grey tones on cushions, floor-sweeping curtains and upholstery is enhanced by pale English oak panelling, fitted following the laws of seamless Japanese joinery.
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Great emphasis has been placed on what the architects like to call “soulful minimalism” which champions the use of natural materials with an emphasis on the holistic and the homely. The beds are enormous and dressed in silky smooth white linen, while bathrooms, clad in marble with tubs and walk-in showers, are equally luxurious and reductive in spirit. The idea being that guests get to switch off and indulge in the tranquil ritual of a long soak and steam. The high-tech Japanese toilets can be noisy, but thankfully they can be easily turned off and used the “analog” way.
Eating and drinking
Nobu’s black cod miso is still a dish of world-class distinction, as good as it was, no doubt, when Robert De Niro first sampled it in the 1980s in Los Angeles. The actor is a founding member of the Nobu group along with namesake chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa and film producer and entrepreneur Meir Teper.
Sushi and sashimi selections arrive on a bed of ice and are beautifully prepared and presented with flourish. The dishes are expensive, but it is possible to eat well for £100 for two excluding wine. We followed this budget with the soft shell crab roll, avocado maki, zucchini and shrimp tempura, crispy pork belly and field greens with extra steamed rice. The succulent pork cut into moorish bite-size pieces was a highlight. A nice touch: every guest is greeted with a shout of “irasshaimase!” by the waiting staff.
For something entirely different, try Lurra in Seymour Place, a five-minute walk from the Nobu Portman hotel. Specialising in Basque cooking and especially succulent long-aged wood-grilled steak (1kg and up!) this buzzy destination is frequented by a young and hip crowd. You can’t go home without sampling the whole grilled wild turbot, the octopus with piquillo peppers and the burnt Basque cheesecake.
For top notch British pub fare, The Portman Pub on Upper Berkeley St is a cosy family owned gastropub just a short walk from the Nobu Portman hotel, where moorish dishes are made from locally sourced seasonal ingredients wherever possible. Classic mains include the beer battered haddock (longer than the plate!) with peas and chunky fries, the deliciously flakey chicken and leek pie and the boar and apple sausages with mash. For dessert, you can't beat the apple and rubbarb crumble, although the sticky ginger toffee pudding comes a close second.
What to do
Avoid Oxford Street and explore nearby Chiltern Street, the historic home of specialised and unique boutiques. Best of British fashion shops include menswear favourite Sunspel (the label’s Riviera Shirt was famously worn by Daniel Craig in 2006 Bond film Casino Royale) and unisex tailoring expert Casely-Hayford. For those who appreciate a curative approach to clothing, step inside Mouki Mou whose Greek owner has an eye for the unusual and the artisanal.
Here you’ll find exquisitely made woollen coats, hand-knitted jumpers and crochet bags by Bergamo-based designer Daniela Gregis, intriguing ceramics from Athens, and sculptural jewellery by a host of international designers with prices ranging from £120 for an “evil eye” gold ring to £33,000 for a necklace set with a rare cabochon emerald.
For more jewellery treasures, Kimaï specialises in pieces crafted from 18ct recycled gold set with lab diamonds. All pieces are made in Antwerp and adhere to a minimalist design code that ranges from delicate diamond drop necklaces to statement pinky rings set with a cluster of round-cut diamonds. Known for their sustainable approach to jewellery, the designers also offer a 'second life' service, so that old gems are given a brand new lease of life within a modern and more edgy new setting.
Yoga fans should head to Prism which recently sent social media alight with its colourful “one size-fits-all” stretch wear. And for those who fancy a sprint around Regent’s Park or Hyde Park (equidistant from the Nobu Portman hotel) look out for Boston brand Tracksmith, due to open on Chiltern Street in the spring and famous for its luxury merino-blend run wear. You can always recover in style thanks to Anatomē, a British brand famous for its wellness products and especially its best-selling botanical massage oils and bath salts – there’s even one called Muscle Ease.
Should you want to continue your love affair with Japan, look no further than Niwake, which specialises in Japanese knives and gardening tools. You’ll need check-in luggage if you decide to buy, but the shop is a stunning example of immaculate minimalist design in its own right.
Directly adjacent to the hotel is New Quebec Street, home to its own eclectic array of dinky boutiques including the charming menswear and bespoke suiting specialist William Crabtree & Sons. Established in Yorkshire in 1835, the company is best known for its chunky sweaters, duffel cloths and impressive selection of colourful socks. You’ll never want to shop in a mall or department store again.
Alexandra Zagalsky was a guest of the Nobu Hotel London Portman Square. Rooms start from around £350 per night. 22 Portman Square, London W1H 7BG; nobuhotels.com
Discover more about the area: portmanmarylebone.com
Alexandra Zagalsky is a London-based journalist specialising in luxury, art and travel. She began her career working on a cultural guide for English-speaking expats in Paris, where her first major break was an interview with Lionel Poilâne, the late baker of Saint-Germain-des-Prés famed for his signature sourdough loaves. Returning to London in her early 20s, she went on to write for not only The Week but also The Art Newspaper’s Art of Luxury supplement, The Telegraph and The Times, as well as art and design platforms including 1stDibs’ Introspective Magazine and the magazines of the V&A, Sotheby’s and Christie’s. She studied fine art and art history at Goldsmiths, University of London and continues to explore travel journalism through the lens of art, craftsmanship and culture.