How Amano Is Bringing Berlin’s Party Spirit To London

There’s a gold bath in the restaurant and a DJ is playing ambient House music. In the deepest of winter months, it might raise a few eyebrows in any other restaurant, but in Covent Garden’s latest – and coolest – hotspot, it sets the scene for The AMANO Group’s first opening in London.

Hotel AMANO Covent Garden is, in fact, the first international destination from AMANO, Germany’s hip hotel group (the expansion builds on the brand’s roster of hotels in Berlin, Munich and Düsseldorf). Boasting affordable rooms and a ‘carefree’ spirit, its central Covent Garden location is bang on the money, putting guests in the heart of London’s much-loved bohemian quarter and in reach of all of the Capital’s attractions.

Carved out of a 1980s office block, room interiors have an edgy, urban vibe, with monochrome photography, oversized felt headboards and a chic, pared-back aesthetic. Beds are super comfortable, decked with fine linens and pillows; walk-in showers are stocked with eco-friendly, large-size Daluma products and in-room tablets offer easy-to-use access to the round-the-clock service.

For a splash of glamour, book one of the five Goldy Rooms. Head straight to the bathroom, which is furnished with a glitzy, polished-gold bathtub to add a cinematic, wow-factor to the city-dwelling feel. Set in floor-to-ceiling windows, you can soak off the day, while gazing over the rooftops and the streets below.

Downstairs in the lobby, check-in is swift, no-nonsense and slick. A shimmering light installation, curvy furniture and coffee-table books are welcoming details.

Essentially, Hotel AMANO Covent Garden is young at heart – this is the place for urban explorers to immerse themselves in the city, and there’s no better spot to kick off your stay than in the rooftop bar. Bar manager Antonio Cannizzaro brings an eclectic touch to the menu in what (in winter, at least) is an intimate and moody space. No doubt, come summer-time, this is set to be one of the hottest destinations in town.

As well as a huge selection of rums, cachaça and tequilas, there’s a wide choice of Champagne and wine – with Cloudy Bay, Miravel and Clare Valley Shiraz labels ticking all the popular boxes. There’s a non-alcoholic cocktail menu, and a well-edited alcoholic selection – ‘Dream’, for instance, fuses Crystal Head Vodka, Benedictine, Campari and vanilla-lime juice and is particularly moreish.

Downstairs, meanwhile, the hotel continues its ‘swagger’ in the just-opened Penelope’s restaurant. As well as a resident DJ and the aforementioned gold tub, which is part of the sumptuous interiors, chef Fez Ozalgan offers a unique ‘sharing party’ concept with her Israeli and Spanish fusion food. The chef has years of expertise working at some of London’s leading restaurants, including Jamie Oliver’s fire-cooking joint, Barbecoa. Inspired by her Turkish-Cypriot heritage, and a passion for barbecue, Fez combines smoke and fire on the mangal and josper grills. She delivers the tapas-style, fusion menu, which was inspired by the flavours that Ariel Schiff, AMANO’s co-founder, discovered while growing up between Tel Aviv and southern Spain.

Standouts include ‘Bourekas’ – filo pastry rolls filled with crab – and ‘Freekah Paella’ an Israeli-style rice with octopus and squid-ink aioli. ‘Shed Hayam Couscous’ comes with monkfish tempura, Israeli couscous, seaweed and saffron. The feast-like vibe continues with the dessert menu, which features ‘Tarta de Chocolate’ with miso caramel and ‘Crema Catalana’ with mango jelly and saffron caramel ice-cream. For late-night drinks, you can head to the basement bar to continue the party.

AMANO says that its properties have one overarching purpose: to enable their guests to enjoy beautifully-designed spaces in the best city-centre locations, and all at a fair price. London’s hoteliers should take note.

amanogroup.de/en.