NoMad London

The old Bow Street Magistrates’ Court has seen some history, including Oscar Wilde’s prosecution; only fitting, then, that the NoMad London, set in this venerable Covent Garden landmark, should pay tribute to the patron saint of dandies with vibrant, romantic, bohemian interiors by the design duo Roman and Williams.

Their interiors pay subtle tribute to Paris, as well, by way of Jacques Garcia, the designer of the original NoMad in New York. (It’s a small world.) Impressively, Roman and Williams have transformed the rooms and suites — formerly magistrates’ and clerks’ offices, and even jail cells — into warm, inviting, sunlit spaces, full of furniture, artworks, and eclectic objects from a wide range of eras.

As is typical of the NoMad hotels, the social centerpiece is the eponymous restaurant and bar, in this case set in a garden atrium with a towering greenhouse-style ceiling. It’s a flexible space, as well suited for an afternoon or late-night cocktail as for a proper dinner. And there are other offerings as well: Side Hustle, for Mexican small plates and craft cocktails; the Library, for anything from breakfast to an after-dinner drink; and Common Decency, a subterranean speakeasy-style bar that’s possibly the NoMad’s best-kept secret.