Name: The Gore
Address: 190 Queen's Gate, London, SW7 5EX
Telephone: 020 7584 6601
Price range: $$

Fodor's Expert Review

If the Gore wasn’t such a fine example of the type of grand Victorian stucco mansion block that fills this part of Kensington, it would be the location that received all the plaudits. As it stands, however, the hotel has both its stunning historic charm and its place within walking distance of Hyde Park and the Museums to lure visitors who crave a leafy idyllic spot in London.

You Should Know The hotel wholeheartedly embraces the history of its 1892 origins, which can leave guests feeling a little like a prop in a lavish period drama — you may or may not want to be the star.

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Room

If you’re a fan of the Gore, then the good news is that a second visit offers the chance to experience a different setting. All rooms are individually styled and equally extravagant thanks to the hotel’s inimitable Victorian heritage charm. Antique beds frames are truly special.

Tip Rooms have views from tiny balconies over the leafy streets of Kensington.

Bathroom

Depending on the room or suite you’re in, the level of décor in the bathroom alters dramatically from simple and staid to lavish. The rich, wood-paneled interior of the Tudor suite is particularly seductive.

Lobby

Oil paintings, antique sofas, vintage recliners and weighty wooden bookcases filled with classic volumes, the Gore sets out its stall immediately with the lobby and drawing room. A place to sit quietly and seek solitary contemplation rather than one in which to mingle.

Dining

190 Queen’s Gate is a fine dining restaurant within an elegant drawing room setting. Dishes are decidedly British, sticking to contemporary crowd-pleasers.

Drinking

The ideal spot for a pre-concert drink before heading to the Royal Albert Hall, Bar 190 is a luxuriantly styled wood-paneled cocktail bar. If only the walls could talk, we’re sure they’d have some stories regarding the goings on in this romantic den.

What's Nearby

Getting Around

On a side street running parallel to Exhibition Road, the Gore is close to a wealth of cultural institutions. The Museums of South Kensington are a short walk in one direction, while the Design Museum and boutiques of High Street Kensington aren’t far in the other. The only small drawback is that High Street Kensington and South Kensington Underground stations are each a 13-minute walk away. However, this is a small price to pay to have the Royal Albert Hall around the corner and Hyde Park just up the road.

Restaurants

Dine on some of the finest sushi at Kensington’s Yashin Sushi (17-minute walk), a refined Japanese restaurant with a great tasting menu. Alternatively, eat among the rooftops at Babylon at the Kensington Roof Gardens (13-minute walk). The seasonal British menu comes with amazing views of Kensington from the 7^th floor.

Bars

With cocktails and oysters, Wright Brothers’ South Kensington (13-minute walk) is a solid date spot; dark, cozy and intimate. Forget the L’Etranger restaurant and head straight to the venue’s L’Etranger Piano lounge (6-minute walk), a fun music spot with booths and private tables centred around an illuminated glass piano.