Laurent-Perrier Terrace

Laurent-Perrier Terrace Sea Containers

LONDON

Words: Catherine Martin Photography: © Paul Winch-Furness

IN A BITE Owner / Operator: Lore Group Interior Design: Tom Dixon www.seacontainerslondon.com

With outdoor terraces and a fortuitous run of good weather bringing some life back to the UK hospitality sector, hotels have been refreshing their spaces, developing new menus or forging brand partnerships in a bid to lure back hungry diners. At Sea Containers London, the F&B team have gone all-out to enhance the dining experience, partnering with Laurent-Perrier to create a summer terrace as an al fresco extension to the main restaurant.

Designed by Tom Dixon, Sea Containers opened in 2014 before being acquired by Lore Group and rebadged as part of its collection of independent hotels. While the original design has remained largely the same, the hotel has undergone a series of interior updates, with May 2021 marking the relaunch of the terrace. Taking up a prime spot on the banks of the River Thames, in view of St Paul’s Cathedral, the concept takes inspiration from the hotel’s newly launched Hedgerow by Agua skincare and ingredients line, which celebrates the thriving British hedgerow and the indigenous flora that grow within it.

Bringing some respite from the bustle of the city, the plant-filled oasis has been created in consultation with Bankside Opens Spaces Trust, a local environmental charity, and features native woodland trees, ferns and shrubs such as Field Maple and Hazel, Barrenwort and Coral Bells for an urban garden feel. Soft furnishings and planters have been added in shades of gold and pink to reflect the La Cuvée and Cuvée Rosé varieties of Laurent-Perrier, with the champagne house on-hand to provide its refreshing blend by the glass or bottle.

The food menu meanwhile features small plates and sharing dishes made from sustainably sourced produce and garnished with hedgerow foraged herbs. Highlights include the lobster and celeriac remoulade on toast, steamed mussels and English coastal oysters, though the pick of the day has to be the delectable fruits de mer platter - the perfect accompaniment to a chilled glass of cuvée.