The Terrace at Rosewood London
Located at 252 High Holborn, Rosewood London is a beautiful dining destination offering up some of the best fine dining within the capital. The site boasts several restaurants and bars, all boasting sumptuous menus, including The Terrace – a garden retreat which can accommodate guests at any time of the year, regardless of the temperamental British weather.
Set within the Rosewood’s beautiful Edwardian courtyard, The Terrace is an extension of the Rosewood’s Holborn Dining Room. The space is surrounded by lush greenery featuring under-seat heating, a retractable roof and offers up a design aesthetic akin to a classic English garden.
The Terrace serves up al fresco dining with menus created and overseen by Executive Head Chef, Calum Franklin. Dishes include eggs benedict, chai spiced French toast and the signature shrimp burger. Chef Franklin’s menu is backed by a fantastic selection of craft beers, gin cocktails and fine wines.
The Terrace was transformed by award-winning landscape designer Luciano Giubbilei in collaboration with Nathalie de Leval and main contractor, Benchmark. The project was designed to remain in keeping with its prestigious surroundings and includes many bespoke elements.
Keen to find out a little bit more about the space, Premier Hospitality caught up with Luciano to get the lowdown on the project. Speaking to Premier Hospitality, Luciano, said:
“I was approached by the director of the Rosewood to put forward a proposal for The Terrace. The client had seen a previous project of ours and they wanted us to take a look at this one. We were requested to make The Terrace feel like a garden and not to look like the typical enclosed space that you often find in a restaurant or hotel.
“At the Rosewood everything was designed in response to the aesthetic vision of the hotel and the unique circumstances of its site, before being fabricated in various specialist workshops and brought together for installation.”
Luciano added:
“When I make a garden, in essence I am trying to invite the visitor to share the vision I have for the space and the experiences I have had there. It might be just a moment, when the light, the time of day, the display and even the company all come together and move us in some way. It’s a fleeting feeling – hard to describe and even harder to create – but when it occurs it is magical and it is this that drives me on.”
The Terrace includes bespoke seating, as well as specially created awnings and a subtle use of lighting. There is a real emphasis on relaxation in The Terrace, which has made it a very popular space for those looking to unwind.
Such is the success of The Terrace the project has recently been shortlisted for a European Hotel Design Award, within the category of ‘Best Restaurant’. This is a fantastic achievement and one which Luciano is understandably very proud of.
Luciano said:
“To be on the shortlist of the European Hotel Design Awards is overwhelming. We don’t tend to work on projects for the public; our work tends to be for private clients, so this is a very important piece of recognition for us. People are now able to see what we do and the work we conduct as a studio and that is great.”
The Terrace is open Monday to Sunday, 11am until late. For more information about Rosewood London, please visit: www.rosewoodhotels.com.
Benchmark
Benchmark are furniture makers who are widely regarded as the UK’s powerhouse of craft, with an unrivalled depth of knowledge of wood. The company has a 70 strong team in over 40,000 sq ft of workshops for timber milling, carpentry, veneering, spray shops, metalworking, and in-house upholstery, as well as design studio.
Benchmark makes its own furniture range and works extensively with hotels, restaurants, public buildings, shops, offices and private residences. Other recent projects include Soho House Berlin; Soho House Farmhouse; The Great Northern Hotel; Firmdale Hotels; Eynsham Hall, The Pier at Harwich; The Old Bank Hotel in Oxford.
Benchmark were commissioned to create the bespoke furniture for Rosewood London’s new drinking and dining destination, The Terrace, including the elegant metal pergola and vast decorative metal planters that house the classically pruned London Plane trees which grow through the pergola. Benchmark made motorised blinds to provide shelter during poor weather and when the leaves of the trees have fallen.
Benchmark made all the furniture, which included heated slatted benches, love benches and dining chairs, designed by Luciano Giubbilei and acclaimed furniture designer Nathalie de Leval. Made in natural untreated oak, the pieces will weather and grow more characterful with age. Round tables in green marble further add texture and a sense of permanence to the space.
