We had just touched down from Dublin, having just had the most exciting yet hectic day of our lives, so this trip to The Princess Victoria was heaven-sent. We were a little moody and a lottle hangry, emotional struggles which were further exacerbated by being physically exhausted and frankly, deaf as fuck, having just had two flights in less than 48 hours. It’s almost as if The PV were on the same mental wavelength as us and knew exactly how to handle us. We were greeted by grinning and incredibly witty staff, who immediately checked us in and gave us all the time we needed before taking us to our table for our dinner. We were truly blessed with incredible service from the moment we walked through the door.
– THE MEAL –
Hanger can only be tamed by a three course meal, some lush GnTs and a sick Bloody Maria, and as it happens, that’s exactly what was on offer that night.
The Princess Victoria was one of the first gin palaces in London, and so has over one-hundred artisan and big-name gins on offer. So naturally, we kicked it all off with some gin and Sicilian lemon tonic, which beat any GnT we’ve had before. It paired nicely with both the ham hock croquettes and chilled pea soup, as it perfectly contrasted the umami of one and complemented the freshness of the other. When you go, ask the server for a GnT recommendation instead of choosing the gin and tonic pairing yourself. They know exactly what they’re doing and you definitely won’t regret it. Now, The Bloody Maria, Bloody Mary’s Hispanic cousin, was an absolute and total spice – Tabasco and tequila? Count us in! This beauty lasted us the whole meal, and added the spicy kick we like to every plate.
The starters were delicious. The ham hock croquettes melted in your mouth and, in the current hotness of Hell England, the chilled pea soup was the saviour we didn’t know we needed. The starters delivered more than was expected, so we were absolutely buzzing for the mains.
For the main course, we ordered two types of roast, both going at £15/£16 a plate which actually seemed quite pricy, especially for what we thought was just your typical pub roast. Lol. We were wrong. LO AND BEHOLD: THE BIGGEST PLATES OF ROAST WE HAVE EVER LAID EYES ON. For size references here is the Yorkshire pudding next to Anna’s big fat head.
We ordered the roast beef and the roast pork belly, both of which were done just right. The pork belly had the right amount of crisp and glisten, and the beef was bursting with flavour without being chewy. Having just had the most meat-filled weekend, we didn’t think we could stomach more, but these meats were so bloody good we would’ve been the biggest losers going if we didn’t lick our plates clean.
There’s something strangely sexy about this beef, no?
It would’ve been rude not to order dessert, and we pride ourselves on our polite appetite, so we ordered the white chocolate mousse and the poached pear. The mousse was decadent and quite heavy, so perhaps don’t order that after a dinner as huge as ours, but also to each their own, so we won’t tell you what to do. All you need to know is that it was hella sweet and rich, or what we call the Chris Pratt of desserts. The white wine poached pear was served with shortbread and chocolate ice cream, which was the noticeably lighter choice between the two desserts. Whatever your preference is, the menu caters for every kind of sweet tooth, so the plethora of choice leaves you with a wonderful end to your meal.
– THE STAY –
After a meal like that all you want to do is have a nice hot shower and hit the hay. We made our way to our room and took advantage of the beautiful setting to truly relax after such a long weekend.
The Princess Victoria has five boutique bedrooms, each named after an iconic gin cocktail, and designed around a different gin botanical. We stayed at The Bronx, which had a King Size Shakespeare bed and a double shower. The room was also beautiful. The striking use of gold and emerald green, combined with bespoke gin botanical art and stunning focus pieces brought it to life and made us feel at home. The shower room was stunning and the huge walk-in rain shower itself was our MVP. Also, side note: we are suckers for luxury toiletries, and The PV didn’t disappoint. The Hypnos bed of course was also an absolute stunner – it made us feel like cherubim as we rested our tired heads on its Egyptian cotton. Now, I don’t know about you, but when I was a child, I really really wanted to have a princess bed, and not any kind of princess bed, but a princess canopy bed. That night, my dream came true and I haven’t been the same since. I don’t know what it is about drapery but it’s heckin’ cute and I need it above my own bed ASAP.
The next morning, we woke up from the best sleep we have had in weeks. Before it was time to check out, we made sure to take advantage of the cute little kettle and made ourselves some complimentary porridge, which we then enjoyed with the morning sun and last night’s Love Island.
All in all, The Princess Victoria has been on our hit list for about a year, and we are so happy we finally got to visit. The food was wholesome and delivered so much more than your regular pub food, and the room was stunning and comfortable, a combination which made for an incredibly enjoyable stay and very fond memories. We can’t wait for our next city getaway!
– USEFUL INFO –
OFFERS
- £15 set lunch menu – Mon-Fri 12PM-3PM – 2 courses and a glass of wine
- 50% OFF FOOD DURING AUGUST USING THIS VOUCHER
- If you stay in one of the rooms you can enjoy:
- 50% off food and GnT
- A FREE BOTTLE OF PROSECCO IF YOU BOOK THROUGH THEIR SITE!
NibblingLDN 