Mondrian London at Sea Containers

Autumn hot spot: restaurant and bar in the Tom Dixon-designed hotel

It’s exciting times for the London hotel vista with recent openings such as The Café Royal, The Ham Yard Hotel, The Beaumont and the Shangri-la at The Shard all created in very different styles and executed with élan.

Come September 30, the Mondrian London at Sea Containers – the first Mondrian hotel outside the US – will be yet another impressive addition to the line-up. Far from former metal shipping crates, Sea Containers House was in fact named after the former tenants of the building, which was built on the South Bank during the 1970s. Mondrian London at Sea Containers aims to continue the nautical theme with a retro-transatlantic design by Tom Dixon, working on his first hotel project.

Twenties glamour is drawn upon in the new restaurant, named Sea Containers, and features a sweeping copper ship’s hull that begins at the hotel entrance and culminates in an open-plan kitchen. Culinary director Seamus Mullen (first picture, on left) of Tertulia Manhattan explains the menu thus: “Sea Containers draws on the old Anglo-American trade relationship… and gives me a chance to cook the food I love to eat with the impeccable ingredients of Britain.” Produce is carefully sourced from organic farmers and Fair Trade Cooperatives from around the UK and Borough Market.

Together with executive chef Luke Rayment, former head chef at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s, Mullen has devised a menu divided into small plates, raw, vegetables, large plates and family-style platters. A first glimpse sees roasted lamb meatballs, soft sheep’s milk cheese with cucumber and Moroccan spiced vinaigrette; crudo of wild salmon with fennel and dill yoghurt, golden shallots and fennel pollen; farro “risotto” with morel mushrooms, cucumber and barberries or double-cut heritage pork chop and grilled peach vinaigrette.

Alongside the restaurant and overlooking the Thames, the Dandelyan bar – helmed by Ryan Chetiyawardana, aka Mr Lyan (first picture, on right) – runs the length of the room, and continues the golden age of seafaring, decked with a grand green marble bar and brass fittings. The cocktail list is divided into cereal, vegetal, mineral and floral, with creations such as Patchouli Fizz (Beefeater London Garden gin, basil, apricot, green tea, lemon, quinine) and The South Bank, which bursts the banks with Bacardi Heritage Edition, lemon verbena, lemon, grapefruit and honey bitters and pink salt soda. Only for the adventurous hedonist is the Puffed Grains and Chocolate – a mix of Mr Lyan’s Dewar 12-year-old scotch, toasted grain soda, chocolate, Curaçao and pink peppercorn.

Come autumn, The Mondrian at Sea Container will be the boat-styled hotel that rocks.