I-Thai at The Hempel

One of the most outstanding recently opened hotels to hit London is without doubt The Hempel. Located in Hempel Garden Square many of the rooms and apartments look down into the leafy Square. Essentially this is a boutique hotel, that phenomenon of the new millennium, which nobody ever seems quite able to explain, but in general is deemed to be a new dimension in personalised accommodation originating in North America.

At The Hempel accommodation falls into three types - rooms, suites and apartments. All the rooms are individually designed and have a luxury products to hand, even oxygen, and range from Superior and Deluxe through to Junior and Superior Suite. In the 5 star hotel suites flights of design fancy on a new scale have been reached, but the ultimate is reserved for the apartments which allows the luxury of living in a London boutique hotel with complete independence to be yourself. All the Deluxe London apartments overlook the Square and contain one bedroom, kitchenette, guest bathroom and personal bathroom. Longer term lets are available.

In keeping with its other approaches to everyday living The Hempel pays special attention to the important matter of eating, and recognising that its guests may lead lives that are out of the box and have personalised needs. The fusion nature of much of the food responds well to these requirements, witness the I-Thai speciality Temaki, with your own blend of blue fin tuna in aged Balsamic, salmon with coriander, sea bream with xo sauce, prawns tempura, scallops with lime and Hamachi yellow tail.

Temaki is served with sushi rice, seaweed and pickles. That most famous of soups, Tom Yam Ghoong contains black tiger prawns in a spicy broth, infused with lemongrass and ginger. Bouillabaisse style soup is by no means confined to France and this classic Thai interpretation hails from Bangkok. Oven braised Palourde clams with Thai basil and fresh chilli make a superb starter, but should you require something meatier, deep fried quail with sweet Thai basil, garlic and bird's eye chillies could do the trick.

A main course of that most popular Thai dish, phad Thai is served with your choice of vegetables and can have either chickens or prawns as the main constituent. Shellfish are a familiar part of many Thai dishes, but few can better the simple plate of cracked whole crab served with chilli jam and otherwise unsullied. Far Eastern cooking loves to wrap main items with leaves, combining easy eating with good flavours, so do try the marinated chicken wrapped in panda leaves and served with a rice vinegar and toasted sesame seed dressing.

No fusion meal would be complete without curry, and few are more attractive than the traditional family feasting red curry with roasted duck and leeches. To curry lobster seems to give a new dimension to decadence, and the well-loved hot and sour Massa man curry of lamb with fresh tamarind is delightful.

In addition to I-Thai, The Hemel offers Jade, a private room for up to 14, H-Bar where nibbles and drinks from mycologist Joel Miguel blend well, and No 35, a space for power meetings by day fuelled by refreshments, a haven of tranquillity in the evenings with fine wine, cognac, piano sounds and oh-so-attentive service.

You can make what you will of The Hempel - a power-base for discreet business assignments, a well-bred location for some sybaritic living, a respite from the seething world outside its doors - it will meet all your needs with distinction.

Their elegant Website will tell you a great deal more.