A Look Inside the New Nobu Hotel Shoreditch

By Lauren Jade Hill

With the greatly anticipated opening of Nobu Hotel Shoreditch taking place at the beginning of July, we went along to see inside the new luxury hotel ourselves. Located on Willow Street at the heart of this dynamic East London neighborhood, the hotel provides a tranquil retreat from the buzz of the streets it’s surrounded by.

Reflecting both the Nobu brand and the location it’s in, the hotel fuses Japanese design sensibilities with the creativity and industrial identity Shoreditch emanates. The distinct modern structure created by Ron Arad in collaboration with Ben Adams Architects stands out for its bold design elements, from overhanging floor slabs and cantilevered steel beams to a split-level terraced garden.

Inside, the interiors by Studio Mica combine a Japanese aesthetic with industrial elements such as exposed concrete. Designed to appeal to all the senses, textured surfaces feature throughout each space creating a tactile environment with neutral tones and the use of natural materials; a feature wall in the hotel’s lobby is already becoming a fixture on Instagram for the patterns created with its stacked 100-year-old tiles.

While the lobby is immediately striking, providing a tranquil space for casual dining, the corridors and rooms leading off of it are an oasis of calm with an elevated air of luxury. Of the hotel’s seven suites, the Nobu Suite is the most exclusive, encompassing two balconies, a living and dining area with bar and pantry, and luxurious features such as a freestanding bathtub and end-grain parquet floors.

Throughout each guestroom, the décor is contemporary and minimalist, with hints of Japanese design in details such as its slatted screens, and contemporary artwork by Hackney-based artist Sichi, which slides across the floor-to-ceiling windows while also reflecting the creativity Shoreditch is known for.

With a restaurant that’s designed by Studio PCH to flow seamlessly from the hotel, this 240-seat high-ceilinged dining space exhibits the same design sensibilities seen in the lobby, with natural light drawn in by the floor-to-ceiling glass doors—reaching up to five meters in height—leading out to the terraced courtyard for al fresco dining or sipping cocktails amid oriental greenery.

Much of the focus here is naturally placed on the culinary offering of Nobu Matsuhisa and the restaurant’s executive chef Greg Seregithe. Nobu’s signature dishes feature on the menu, alongside Shoreditch inspired additions and premium sushi, all of which can be seen prepared in the open kitchen, at the seated sushi bar and from the 18-seat Chef’s Table.

Representing chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s famous Japanese and South American fusion cuisine, the menu comprises dishes such as bluefin tuna tataki with ponzu and wasabi salsa, and—exclusive to Nobu Shoreditch—Hokkaido scallops with foie gras, sautéed Japanese mushrooms, aji Matsuhisa and aged balsamic. The bar then complements this menu with its extensive range of vintage sakes, Japanese whiskies and rare champagnes, as well as the cocktails Nobu has won awards for.