London’s grand Victorian Langham Hotel gets far less attention than it should for its opulent setting, five-star spa and its stellar Marylebone location. A reimagining of its restaurant offering seeks to change that. In May chef Michel Roux will take over the Palm Court with a new restaurant inspired by midcentury London, when his father and uncle cooked for the beau monde. And last month a new Mediterranean-style restaurant opened in the rotunda.
Mimosa reinterprets the finest restaurants of Capri, Nice and Saint Tropez with warm sunset hues, custom Provençal ceramics and riviera joie de vivre. French interior designer Dorothée Delaye served as the design lead, inspired by sunshine, travel and Mediterranean flora and fauna.
The high ceilings and majestic windows of the rotunda provide a striking backdrop, with its new hand-painted wall-to-ceiling fresco featuring sea creatures and seaweed. New mahogany woodwork references the Riva boats popular in the 20th century. Bespoke ceramic lights pop against the terracotta walls, washed with patina to resemble ageing plaster. Pierre Frey, Schumacher and Elitis provided velvety upholsteries with patterns and stripes, while the custom floral rug recalls the work of Matisse.
‘It is important to strike the right balance between decoration and operation as light changes throughout the day into the evening, creating the right ambiance in this iconic building,’ says Dorothée.
Mimosa opened in March. Michel Roux opens 22 May.