Review: Cannizaro House

As we pulled up to Cannizaro House (on a day completely opposite to today, with the sun beating down on Wimbledon Common) there was one word that sprung to mind. Stunning.

The hotel is a grand white country house, set amongst beautiful grounds, and you really do get a feeling of being thoroughly spoilt from the moment you enter. We arrived mid-afternoon, and were met with a lounge full of ladies who lunch (or afternoon tea), which is no surprise, considering this is the heart of yummy mummy territory.

The lounge area itself is beautiful. Cosy sofas, a huge piano and a bar area are all complimented by modern art on the walls, and doors that open up onto the stunning garden area – it really is gorgeous.

Making our way up to our room, we noticed more quirky features, from signed football shirts of International teams (many stay here when they’re visiting), to more pieces of modern art. Considering the history of the house, these modern touches give it a fresh feel, that we welcomed.

We knew that the rooms at Cannizaro were all beautifully styled, but still beamed as we entered ours. The decor of the room is stunning, with feature wallpaper, a huge (perhaps 7ft wide?!) bed dressed with luxurious cotton sheets, and a lounge area with comfy sofa and every magazine you could wish for laid out for our reading pleasure. The bathroom was slightly more basic, in plain white, but fully functional with bath and power shower and Elemis products on hand for our use.

Being the lushes we are, we immediately called room service and sipped on the house white (perfectly lovely) while we dressed for dinner in the restaurant downstairs.

And WOW. What a dinner….

We were shown to our table, in the Conservatory area, looking out again over those glorious gardens. We chose a glass of pink Champagne as an aperitif while we browsed the menu, and eventually (everything looks incredible) chose the Foie Gras (me) and Crab (him) to start, followed by the Pork (me), and the duck (which had been recommended) for my companion.

Now, as you may gather from this site, I eat out rather a lot. And in some really, really nice places. But this is the best food I have eaten in months – without question. Every mouthful was a pleasure. The flavour combinations were superb. Every bite was perfectly balanced. I don’t pretend to be a “food critic” as such – I judge on the whole ambience of a venue – but Cannizaro left me licking my lips and wanting more.

So more we had. We decided to share the cheese plate for dessert. And that certainly didn’t disappoint either – an absolute hit! (Especially Alex James’s cheese – a delight).

After dinner, we sat in the lounge for a little while and tried some of Cannizaro’s delicious cocktails – if you visit I highly recommend the Mojito – to die for. The other hotel residents and staff alike were extremely friendly – despite the hotels grandeur it’s in no way austere – but after a short while we retired upstairs to sleep off all that delicious food.

Our stay at Cannizaro was an absolute treat. We loved everything, from the quirky artwork, to the decor, to the amazingly comfortable bed and of course, that incredible food. My only (teeny!) criticism was that there was no conditioner supplied in the rooms (supplies are essential when you’re as forgetful as me!) but as soon as we called down to reception, they ran some up to us so it really wasn’t a problem!

Cannizaro isn’t cheap. But it’s special, so you wouldn’t expect it to be. If you want to stay somewhere amazing on the outskirts of London and spoil someone you love – this is definitely the place to come. We loved it. Totally expect you to too!