Few hotels can claim to have such a compelling musical backstory as Middle Eight. Found in Covent Garden, moments from the Royal Opera House, the site was previously home to Kingsway Hall’s famous recording studio; it was a magnet for stars like Pavarotti because of the incredible acoustics. Having first opened in October 2020 after a £40 million glow-up, its next incarnation, Middle Eight hotel, has sympathetically ingrained this heritage throughout. But did it hit the right notes with me, a pop music enthusiast and my heavy metal-loving partner? Read on to find out.
DesignMyNight’s Review Of Middle Eight Covent Garden
Everything was easy on the eye, from our room and cocktails to the prettiest of sea bass meals (pictured right).
Need To Know:
- Address: 66 Great Queen Street, WC2B 5BX
- Area: Covent Garden
- Hotel Type: Luxury
- Transport: Holborn tube is the nearest (a one minute walk away, with connections to the Central and Piccadilly lines). Covent Garden and Tottenham Court Road are not far; the latter is on the Elizabeth Line which is handy for Heathrow
- Attractions Close By: the list is endless as the location is so central, but Seven Dials, Neal's Yard, Theatreland and Soho were quite literally on our doorstep
- Perfect For: cultured (and swish) weekend getaways in London
Service & Price
- Service: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Value For Money: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Cost: around £900 for a night, bed and breakfast, and £136 for dinner for two, excluding service charge
A breath of fresh air in Central London? The patio within the suite gave me a taste of the outdoors, indoors.
Room Quality & Comfort
Room: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you didn’t know, Middle Eight is named after the section of a song that acts as a bridge, breaking up the usual rhythm with new melodies or lyrics. Each of the twelve signature suites in this Central London hotel were named after popular songs, mine being Britney Spears’ Radar (a serendipitous coincidence, as I’m a massive fan). Although suites aren't cheap, you essentially get a whole apartment, and what stood out most was the actual garden terrace with colour-changing lighting, a herb-covered wall, Ibiza-style furniture (having my morning coffee here was lovely) and a retractable roof covering for privacy. Everything was very tranquil (amazing considering its location), but I have to point out that being on the first floor, there was a slight noise from setting up breakfast downstairs but not so much to disturb you.
Want more? Well, expect not one but two giant TVs, a modern four-poster bed with super soft sheets I couldn’t help but sink into and a free-standing bath with lavender-scented bath salts. The nice finishing touches should also be noted, like yoga mats, playing cards and a cocktail shaker with a corresponding playlist. You can see why we didn’t want to leave.
Dining Highlights
Food: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Middle Eight restaurant, Sycamore, followed a similar
aesthetic to the hotel, alongside charming nods to its musical
identity both within its Italian-inspired menu and the
surroundings. The amber-hued bar space gave things a warming, cosy
and sophisticated feel, plus make sure to look up to see the
stunning leaf detailing above. Our host Dion was truly fantastic,
giving real thought into each
recommendation.
- Mac ‘n’ cheese bites (£9) - a generously portioned plate (we got eight balls), this comforting fave definitely delivered. How do they get them so crisp? The basil mayo was genius as well, and perfect for dunking.
- Black truffle and ricotta ravioli (£18) – punchy and rich, it was everything you’d expect and then some. Prepare for four wafer-thin discs slathered in just the right amount of butter, revealing a plump moreish middle. I particularly enjoyed the fried sage on top as well.
- Pan-seared sea bass (£27) – a top seller: expect flaky fish carefully placed on a bed of meaty, earthy, sautéed mushrooms. Sycamore managed to really bring out the fresh 'n' sweet pea flavour in the velouté too.
- Sycamore tiramisu (£11) – made in-house, I enjoyed this indulgent dessert - though I would’ve loved the addition of more lady finger biscuits, as I found the dish to be very mascarpone cheese-heavy.
Drink: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Tipsy Ballerina (£16) – this was probably my favourite drink of the night; tangy-meets-sour but with a real boozy kick from the vodka. It was made with apricot and quince liqueur, pink grapefruit, elderflower cordial and tonic.
- Spring In the Kingsway Hall (£16) – mixing tequila, pomegranate liqueur and homemade demerara mix with pineapple juice, this fruity and well-balanced little number made me feel like I was on holiday.
- Sicilian Spritz (£11) – imagine a slightly sweeter alcohol-free take on an Aperol spritz, bringing together Lyre’s Blood Orange, 0% prosecco and lemonade.
Breakfast: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
We were able to order one item from the hot menu, then help ourselves to a beautifully displayed buffet featuring classic breakfast options, as well as the chance to break off a piece of actual honeycomb.
- Full English breakfast – well, this was a great start to my partner’s day: think thick Cumberland sausage, hash brown, roast tomatoes, black pudding, herby mushroom and streaky, maple-glazed bacon. The poached eggs were delightfully runny too, mopped up with buttery sourdough.
- Organic pancakes – I opted for a towering stack of mixed berries like strawberry and blackberry, smothered in Chantilly cream with a drizzle of maple syrup. It was very tasty.
The social area was ideal for relaxing after sightseeing (left image), while the breakfast (pictured right) gave us fuel for the day.
Our Overall Experience At Middle Eight Covent Garden
DesignMyNight Review Out Of 5: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I feel quite privileged to be among the lucky few who can say they’ve woken up in Covent Garden in seriously gorgeous surrounds. I was completely blown away, from the impeccable service throughout to the luxurious interiors. In fact, our suite was so big, we inadvertently ended up doing a few laps around the space, just making sure we took it all in.
The owners of the hotel could have easily slipped into gimmicky, lazy references to its past, but instead chose to let the heritage speak for itself and concentrate on elegance for the overall experience. If you can spare the cash, then make sure to stay here for your London vacation.
