Nobu Hotel London Shoreditch

The first Nobu hotel to open in Europe caused a stir with its distinctive ultra-modern architecture, but by now the Nobu Hotel London Shoreditch has proven itself to be one of East London’s most formidable luxury boutique hotels. Its design, which mixes a touch of post-industrial patina and some local street art with a heavy dose of futuristic Japanese fantasy, welcomes guests into an entirely self-contained world, one both inspired by and distinct from its Shoreditch surroundings.

Rooms start out smallish but impeccably composed — they’ve been likened to bento boxes more than once — but the suites offer room to spread out if you’re willing to splash out. And while the Japanese influence is visible, it’s not a traditional, ryokan-style aesthetic but a more minimalist, utilitarian, almost philosophical approach. The new Yuhi and Yuhi Skyline rooms, on the sixth floor, are particularly appealing; the former come with full-length windows to admit as much light as London can offer, and the latter open onto step-out balconies with views of the Shoreditch rooftops.

And, as you may imagine, they’ve got the food and beverage program pretty well sorted. The flagship Nobu restaurant is the most obvious attraction, and it would be folly to sleep here without descending into its subterranean dining room. But there are other joys to be had, including breakfast at the Nobu Café or a late-evening drink in NAMI Bar’s sunken garden. Then again, the cuisine was never in question — what’s remarkable about the Nobu Hotel London Shoreditch is that the rest of the experience is equally worthy of the name.