York House

A 17th century convent with lush courtyard, where contemporary chic meets old colonial style and charm

York House is a real one-off and it draws a devoted crowd, including the Prime Minister, who occasionally drops in for lunch. It is a place that defies most labels and exudes an air of British colonialism; you can imagine the major general standing in the panelled bar while awaiting his gin and tonic. You step in through a slightly shabby door, follow a flight of stone steps that meander haphazardly, then wash up in a delightful courtyard that makes you feel you’ve left the city far behind.

A tall palm throws shade across the terrace; it has tables and chairs, a hammock, parasols drawn in summer. The hub of the house has doors on three sides opening onto reception, bar and dining room respectively. Labyrinthine monastic-style corridors (the building was once a convent) lead to rooms arranged over two floors. Most are uncluttered, whitewashed and airy, while six remain trapped in a grandly old-fashioned past and offer big armoires, perhaps a four-poster bed or a terracotta-tiled vaulted bathroom ceiling. Breakfast is served on the terrace, so dig into bacon and eggs in the sun.

Highs

• The beautiful courtyard terrace, which is floodlit at night
• The spacious, stylish and quirky bedrooms
• Good restaurant with long wine list
• Attractive minimalist-chic style
• Character infuses the place: this is not full of the latest gadgets, but old fashioned charm

Lows

• Incidental costs (breakfast, parking) are quite steep
• You’re not as central as you’d like to be, but taxis are cheap and public transport nearby
• You have to climb those stone steps (49 of them) every time you arrive
• The street can be noisy at night, especially at weekends, but with windows and shutters closed you'll not hear much
• It sounds as if service has slipped a bit since our visit