The Admiralty Arch is one of the enduring symbols of prestige, power, and history in the city. It stands at the gateway to Buckingham Palace, on the edge of Trafalgar Square, but more than anything, it once stood as the entrance to the empire itself.
And it’s about to get itself a side hustle.
The whole place is about to become The Admiralty Arch Waldorf Astoria, thanks to a takeover from the massive hotel group, who are hoping to monetise revamp it for the new era by adding some (presumably) very fancy rooms, and a couple of restaurants too. It’s those restaurants that we’re interested in naturally, and they’ve teamed up with some pretty rockstar names to run them: Clare Smyth & Daniel Boulud.
Just in case you need a quick refresher on their rather delicious CVs, she’s the first British woman to hold three Michelin Stars, known for her near-perfect, hyper-seasonal cooking at Core in Notting Hill. He’s the French chef behind the two-Michelin-Starred Daniel in New York, a man known for his ability to make foie gras feel like a necessity rather than a luxury.
As for the arch’s CV? Well, it spent the last century serving as a military office, a government building, and a monument to imperial ambition, before being repurposed as a luxury playground for the ultra-rich. So, a pretty natural career progression. The legendary names that have walked its hallowed halls are impressive though, including Ian Fleming, who worked there in his job at naval intelligence leading people to say that ‘Bond was born in the Arch.’
And speaking of clandestine secrets, plans for the restaurants themeless are totally under wraps at the moment, but we can assume that a) they’ll be ludicrously tasty, b) they’ll be ludicrously expensive, and c) they’ll have lovely views of Buckingham Palace.
You know, the landlord.
NOTE: The Admiralty Arch Waldorf Astoria is set to open in 2026. We’ll be back then with the full scoop. In the meantime, you can keep an eye on their Instagram feed.
Admiralty Arch | The Mall, SW1A 2WH
You know what this reminds us of? The Old War Office.
