Popping up at Knightsbridge’s Berkeley Hotel for the summer, the Berkeley Beach Huts promise all the charm, glamour and pizzazz of a jaunt to the French Riviera, with one key distinction this year.
It’s legal to go there.
Spruced up and ready to receive visitors from the 12th April, the hotel’s sun trap terrace has been lined with five privately bookable beach huts, complete with rustic picnic tables and benches, hurricane lanterns and nautical decor. And given how popular al fresco dining is going to be this summer, they’ve wisely filled out the rest of the space with more outdoor seating and a counter dining bar, too.
The marine theme naturally extends to the menu, where you’ll find upgraded takes on seaside classics like grilled lobster and chips; moules marinières with crusty sourdough; and rock oysters by the half dozen. Or, you can really upgrade on the upgrade and get a full shellfish platter to share, loaded with dressed crab, king prawns, mussels, oysters, langoustines and caviar. And since this is Knightsbridge, you can still get a 1kg Tomahawk steak, spit-roasted half chicken or vegetable fritters with aioli if you prefer.
Capping it all off is a ‘Gourmet 99’, a quartet of ice cream sandwiches (including banana & salted caramel with peanut crunch), and a slew of themed cocktails. Top picks include the Mermaid Shell (a kind of dry martini with damson eau de vie) and the Diver, which mingles Champagne and tequila with a spirit made of distilled smoky chilli harvested from the mountains of Oaxaca.
Oh, and ginger, lemon and honey.
It’s practically good for you.
NOTE: The Berkeley Beach Huts have now closed.
The Berkeley Beach Huts | The Berkeley, Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, SW1X 7RL
Looking for outdoor dining ideas? Behold our list of (really good) places to eat outside in London