Soho House White City Pool. Courtesy of the internet. 2018. 

Firstly, let’s get this out of the way: do not, I repeat do NOT, under any circumstances drive to Soho House, White City. BIG MISTAKE. We made this mistake the first time I went with a friend and we were told that there was no parking and to go to Westfield’s car park. Disembarking in John Lewis and walking out of Westfield and across the road to the old BBC building which still looked bare and new at the time, never creates a good impression when going to the ‘hip, new’ west London hotspot.

Outdoor space. NHYM 2018. 

There, now that I’ve gotten this out of the way, I can proceed to actually reviewing the place.  I’ve been to Soho House White City three times since its opening – now in Ubers –  once for breakfast, once for a couples dinner and once for a girls night out to try it out in all its variations. But my opinion hasn’t changed a whole lot since I first went there: I have mixed feelings about it. Perhaps, it’s because I conjured an image of the most amazing Soho House I had ever seen before I went, that it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I have only myself to blame. A lot of other people really love it, so don’t take my word for it.

Breakfast bowl. NHYM 2018. 

Don’t get me wrong, there are parts that I really like, particularly the rooftop pool and areas around it and the 9th floor terrace are my favourite: they make me feel like I could be anywhere, New York, Miami, Istanbul or even London. The only issue I had with it my first time, was that I was surrounded by young, male, white, hipsters and I am everything but that (We need a few Meghan sightings to rectify that), but actually it’s gotten better. For breakfast, I did like my breakfast bowl full of hipster-goodness of quinoa, roasted tomatoes and poached eggs.

Outdoor terrace 9th floor. Courtesy of the internet. NHYM 2018. 

Now, the main 9th floor which has all the bars and the reservations-restaurant leave me, well, a bit unfazed. It was designed with the ‘BBC in the 60s’ in mind, but I wasn’t wowed by it, nor do I hate it. It’s fine at night, but the wood-panelled walls feel dark in the daytime and the restaurant design reminds me of an airport lounge in the 70s. Or what I would imagine an airport lounge in the 70s would look like. And the food at dinnertime is Soho House food, fine but never the main attraction. This Soho house feels a bit like one big corporation in some ways, with less creativity and intimacy, and more mainstream in mind. It has a feel of ‘we’ve seen all of this before’ to it.

The last time I went, for a girls dinner, I clearly didn’t get the memo. I arrived completely overdressed with my red, high heels and very short dress and stood in the elevator next to a family in trainers, jeans and sweatshirts. Yup, I was having my second Pretty Woman moment at Soho House, White City. It dawned on me that it wasn’t designed with people like me in mind, it turns out that I am way more Mayfair than Westfield, whether I like to admit it or not.

But for people who work around Soho House White City, what a great addition. And having said all of this, I still had a great time every single time I went.  So, if you do go, please form your own opinion. My male, white, hipster friend loves it, so if you fit that mould, you will likely love it too. It’s still a cool place and a lot closer than Shoreditch House, so I will happily go back any time, but it turns out I am not as hipster as I thought I was.

xx

NHYM

http://www.nottinghillyummymummy.com