The hip Nomad hotel is London’s latest hotspot, situated inside a former courthouse complete with an avant-garde art collection, a destination restaurant and its own police cells. Olivia Palamountain reports
New York’s iconic Nomad hotel landed in the capital in May 2021, bringing its blend of Manhattan charm and playful spirit to Covent Garden in the shell of a Grade II-listed former magistrates’ court and police station.
The Edwardian building has undergone an impressive transformation courtesy of New York-based Sydell Group. And the timing feels right, as hedonism makes its return for a post-lockdown summer of celebration, with social distancing and mask wearing rules set to be relaxed in the UK.
Founder Andrew Zobler has a knack for breathing new life into historic buildings (he also partnered with Ron Burkle and Soho House to open the Ned in the City’s old Midland Bank building) and no expense or thought has been spared on what is Nomad’s first international foray.
Rooms aside, Nomad also offers interesting and elegant spaces for events and private dining, showcasing the bones of the original building to its best advantage.
On the walls, a curation of some 1,600 collected and commissioned works by a variety of British and international artists that celebrate the influence of post-war American art and the European avant-garde adds the final flourish.
“The Nomad is meant to be beautiful, bohemian and evocative all at once. The building is so powerful and remarkable that you are embraced by its strength, while the rich and textured interiors balance the bones.
“There is a tension between this muscularity and softness that creates a powerful narrative for the guest. There are many stories to discover and hopefully to create.”
A true destination venue, the hotel is centred around several exquisite dining and drinking spaces as is the Nomad tradition.
A riot of decadence that echoes the NYC flagship, platters of fruits de mer and caviar served with bonito cream, sit alongside the likes of venison tartare with fermented currents and cauliflower roasted with vadouvan, figs and almond.
The bar sounds damn fine too. A British pub with a decidedly New York sensibility, Side Hustle pairs Mexican sharing plates with an agave-based list of spirits and cocktails created by mixologist Leo Robitschek and the award-winning Nomad Bar team.
Hospitality venues taking over grand old Edwardian buildings and courthouses seems to be a bit of trend, in London at least.
Aside from the aforementioned Ned, there’s the Courthouse Hotel in central London, the Townhall Hotel in Bethnal Green and the Dixon, a former magistrate’s courthouse built in 1905 and repurposed as a hotel in 2019. Read Globetrender’s review of The Dixon’s “work from hotel” package here.