Middle Eight

Named for the section of a song where new, contrasting material is traditionally introduced, Middle Eight aims to do something similar for Covent Garden: adding something vibrant and memorable to the neighborhood that’s nevertheless recognizably a part of its surroundings. The immediate setting, Great Queen Street, lies just beyond the end of Long Acre, Covent Garden’s main drag, and places the hotel within walking distance of no end of shops, restaurants, bars, and theatres.

Which makes it only natural that Middle Eight should offer its own variation on Covent Garden’s highly sociable spaces. Sycamore is an all-day restaurant and bar with an Italian-inspired menu, set in a wide-open room that’s always lively with comings and goings, attached to the Balcony, a cocktail bar that doubles as a venue for afternoon tea. And for a modulation into a more intimate key, there’s QT, a speakeasy-style basement bar featuring live music and comedy shows on the site of the historic Kingsway Hall.

More intimate still are the rooms and suites. Here classic London glamour meets modern materials and comforts; the straightforwardly named Cosy Pad is just enough for a pied-à-terre, while at the other end of the range, the Middle Eight’s suites offer extravagances like freestanding bathtubs, separate living or dining rooms, and even petrified walls or water features. Like any good middle eight it’s unexpected, but feels somehow inevitable all the same.