Belvedere Holland Park

Having operated continually as a restaurant since the early 1950s, the Holland Park Belvedere was given a remarkable new lease of life in 2022 when George and Ilya collaborated with Archer Humphryes to reinvigorate the dramatic two-storey dining room. Having unearthed a historical sketch by Inigo Jones, Archer Humphryes’ design concept was inspired by this, and the building’s history; Belvedere occupies the site of the 17th century former stables of Holland House, an early Jacobean home in Kensington. In the 18th and 19th centuries it became a celebrated party venue, attracting famous literary and artistic guests whose behaviour remains as much a part of the building’s history as its romantic appearance and details.

The project included the removal of existing fittings and finishes from Belvedere’s previous incarnations, in order to reveal the beauty, and brickwork, of the original building. The ground floor accommodates 60 diners, with an open theatre kitchen, a colonnade that opens out onto Holland Park and views across the park; this striking space is filled with palms and fig trees, alongside bespoke furniture designed by the Archer Humphryes’ team and manufactured by Fratelli Boffi. The upstairs salon is arranged around a central fireplace with wall-hugging banquettes and fabric-lined ceilings; the cocktail bar is upholstered in a Duncan Grant Charleston cloud print and the terrace overlooks formal gardens and a fountain. A separate private dining room is set behind within the arched openings overlooking the stables providing a dramatic and convivial space for groups and families of up to 20.

“The design creates an authentic interior which celebrates the original brickwork and the elegant proportions of the Georgian arcade while creating cosy settings for diners,” explains David Archer, co-founder of Archer Humphryes. “Fireplaces have been introduced on both levels, and there is a two-sided bar that wraps around the building’s colonnade, with views across the park, fountains and adjacent rose beds from each table. Set in the park with its veranda and opening colonnade, the restaurant becomes a summer house from the spring, while in the winter months it is cosy, romantic and atmospheric.”