Willett's at Belmond Cadogan: London's Unsung British Bistro

Announced June 22, 2026, Willett's, the new dining concept at The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel, brings a refined yet approachable British bistro to a historic Chelsea address. The Drinks Business highlights Willett's as featuring one of London's "most thoughtful" hotel wine lists, giving significant exposure to English still wines without neglecting global selections.

Formed from a row of 19th-century Queen Anne Revival townhouses, the 54-room Cadogan retains much of its original character. Historical details such as Oscar Wilde's 1895 arrest in Room 118 and Lillie Langtry's original door, mosaic floors, and wooden paneling serve as reminders of its storied past. According to The Drinks Business, Langtry, known as "The Jersey Lily," pioneered the modern celebrity persona, leveraging her aristocratic connections and acting career into a marketable brand.

The dining space, which has seen various incarnations from bottomless brunches to The LaLee — a grand café named for Langtry's personalized railway carriage, a nod to Belmond's own legacy in luxury train travel — now houses Willett's. Named for the family behind the original 1887 townhouse and referencing daylight-saving campaigner William Willett, Willett's focuses on an all-day British dining experience rather than formal occasion dining. This includes breakfast, extended lunches, pre-theater suppers for the nearby Royal Court, and multi-generational Sunday roasts. The bar also features "Willett's Hour" daily from 6-7 pm, symbolic of the "stolen hour" of daylight saving.

The interior, designed by Shayne Brady, also responsible for Simpson's in the Strand's refurbishment, evokes a handsome, pub-like ambiance. Heritage greens, bronze accents, and mirrored walls define the space, with a display of premium cuts of meat signaling confidence in provenance, as described by The Drinks Business.

Executive Chef Michael Turner, formerly of Savoy Grill and The River Restaurant, crafts a menu of recognizable British comforts: sourdough crumpets, pies, puddings, and ex-dairy beef. Wallpaper* reportedly admired the room's "savoir faire," and one TripAdvisor user was captivated by the edible-wrapper passion fruit chews served after meals, The Drinks Business notes.

Overseeing the food and beverage program is Thomas Borghi MCA, Director of Food & Beverage, previously of The Ritz and The Lanesborough. Head Sommelier Alessandro Medas, who joined The Cadogan in July 2025 from Berners Tavern, brings a distinguished background that includes mentorship from Giuseppe D'Aniello, Wine Director of Gordon Ramsay Group. Medas's five years as a Marshal in the Italian Army's Sassari Brigade are said to manifest as a disciplined yet discreet approach. The resulting wine list is described by The Drinks Business as "generous without sprawl, luxurious without vanity, personal without becoming a private notebook," aiming to be approachable and commercially astute rather than a sommelier's vanity project.

Champagne remains a cornerstone, featuring prestigious selections like Krug 173ème, Dom Pérignon Œnothèque 1982, and Cristal Vinothèque 1995. However, the list also includes grower Champagnes such as Jacques Selosse Le Bout du Clos, Benoît Lahaye, and Lelarge-Pugeot, balancing mainstream luxury with artisanal producers.

English wine receives unusual prominence for a London hotel of this caliber, prominently displayed in glass cabinets. The selection offers a comprehensive overview of the contemporary English wine scene, including Flint's Silex Blanc, Danbury Ridge Chardonnay, Simpsons' Gravel Castle Chardonnay and Railway Hill Pinot Noir Rosé, Henners Pinot Gris, Sharpham Dart Valley Reserve, and Chapel Down's Orange Bacchus Discovery Series. Notably, London-produced wines like Blackbook's Fragments of Time Sauvignac and Tamesis Bacchus, along with London Cru Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Précoce, add a local dimension often absent from other hotel cellars.

Our take: The singular focus on Chapel Down for English sparkling wines, while commercially understandable due to its scale and brand recognition, perhaps misses an opportunity to showcase the broader diversity of English sparkling producers, especially in a category that often serves as an introduction to English wines for many guests. Its narrow perspective contradicts the wider English still wine offering.

Beyond England, the wine list impresses with its adventurous global selections once it moves past conventional prestige labels. Offerings include Hungarian Sauska Furmint and Tokaji Aszú, Slovenian Edi Simčič's Rebula and Duet, Swiss Domaine de Beudon Petite Arvine 2017, Peruvian Intipalka Syrah Rosé, and Long Island's Red Hook Winery Chardonnay 2016. The Coravin selection allows unique access to wines such as Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Kabinett 2021, Kongsgaard Chardonnay, Delas Condrieu La Galopine, and Margaux du Château Margaux 2019. The recurring presence of Orin Swift, including Mannequin, Abstract, Papillon, Palermo, and Machete, suggests genuine enthusiasm for Dave Phinney's maximalist California style, as The Drinks Business observes.