On the 10th floor of the Assembly Hotel, but fully independent, the Garden Room is from the crew at Bourne & Hollingsworth. The dramatic panorama of the Garden (as in Covent) and the City beyond will thrill selfie-obsessives – and that's before they've got the softly lit, plant-strewn, 70s Scandi-style conservatory into shot.
Prop up the low-key lounge’s bar, where bartenders mix fresh herbs and fruits into the well-judged likes of a pisco, cachaça and cherry Sour, or dandelion and nettle cordial into a Gimble, a premium bourbon-based short. Various vegan and gluten-free stirs are on offer too, and there are also craft brews, biodynamic wines and kombuchas.
To eat, the likes of mixed mezze, salt-and-pepper squid, and courgette and mint fritters with coconut yoghurt are among the bar snacks served at high tables. More formally, a seasonal menu might include (vegan) butternut squash soup, beef carpaccio with horseradish, or a crunchy/crisp salad of walnuts, kale and carrot, followed by parmesan chicken schnitzel and slaw, confit duck with blackberry sauce and celeriac and potato gratin, or jackfruit chilli with avocado relish. Leave room for crumbles, cakes, poached fruits or affogato and don’t forget the Garden Room is open for breakfast, too.