It’s a heatwave – and even if it isn’t by the time you read this – it is at least summer. So, what could be nicer than a cool drink high above the crowds?
The Soho Sky Terrace at the Courthouse Hotel is an unexpected find in this crowded part of London – it’s just a few steps from Oxford Circus which is always absolutely heaving. What a relief then to take the lift straight to the sixth floor and step outside into the airy space of a roof garden that looks over the rooftops and down to Carnaby Street.
Up here, there’s a long bar down one side and the seating is sofas arranged around low tables that, along the sides of the terrace, become more private spaces, like three-sided booths. There are huge sunshades for when it’s hot and heaters for when it’s not and the troughs with real plants and the fake wisteria create a garden-like setting. It can get busy – and it’s recommended that you book a table, especially in the hours immediately at the end of the working day – but it’s a laidback, relaxed kind of space for a drink with friends. And this is exactly what my friend Gem and I had in mind.
Neither of us had tried the place before but we fell gratefully on to a comfy sofa and ordered ourselves a couple of cocktails. Gem had a Margarita (gold tequila, Cointreau, fresh lime juice) while I went for a Watermelon Martini (vodka, Cointreau, fresh lime, watermelon and cranberry juice) that sounded just perfect in the heat (it was). In the meantime, we had ordered a mixed platter of food to share – sliders, the tenderest chicken goujons with sweet chilli, delicious prawns. The hotel has an Indian restaurant (Soho Wala) so some of the chef’s specialities found their way on to our plate, too, including some delicate chicken tikka skewers.
We could have stayed with those delicious cocktails but decided to go for some vinho verde instead – dry, refreshing and just a little bit of fizz, it’s surely the perfect summer white. The Sky Terrace is a pleasant place for a summer evening, buzzy and busy but not so noisy you find yourself shouting over the din! However, the Courthouse Hotel does have another alternative if you fancy a more private spot.
As its name would suggest, the hotel is a repurposed former court. Indeed, if you look at some of the photographs on the lobby walls on your way to the lift you will see some of the famous felons that were tried here – they include John Lennon and Mick Jagger and, most famously, the Profumo case! The original courtroom is now used for private events while the adjoining waiting room is now the place hotel guests have breakfast.
The cells have become the lobby bar and, while this is now mostly an open space, three cells have been restored to form rather unique private spaces (they’re bookable). The stone platform for what was once the cell bed has become a sofa and there are plenty of cushions to soften any sense of imprisonment. Just in case you forget what this place used to be, though, there’s one rather unusual reminder – there’s a jailbird’s loo in the corner. It is, of course, now purely for decoration but surely the most unusual ornament to be found in any of London’s bars…
Soho Sky Terrace at The Courthouse Hotel, 19-21 Great Marlborough Street, London, W1F 7HL. For more information, and for bookings, please visit www.courthouse-hotel.com.
