Standard International has just launched its first hotel outside the US in Kings Cross, with restaurant Isla and bar Double Standard from Executive Chef Adam Rawson. Designs come from long-standing Standard collaborator Shawn Hausman.
Isla
All-day restaurant Isla offers laid-back, elegant dining from a seasonal menu with a predominantly minimal intervention wine list. Integrated with the lobby and library, Isla also gently spills out to the garden terrace nestled in a residential area of Kings Cross.
Isla is the cornerstone of Adam’s culinary offering at The Standard. Inspired by Britain’s island geography, Isla focuses on coastal cuisine, light proteins and seasonal British produce accompanied by a selection of minimal intervention wines. Isla hosts an abundance of foliage set alongside rich blues and reds to add depth and warmth. The stylish, outside space has a retractable awning, allowing guests to bask in the summer sun or providing welcome shade on hotter days.
Double Standard
Double Standard is an introduction to the Standard’s signature mischievousness and is the ground floor's most boisterous space. With a menu inspired by traditional pub classics and NYC dive bar food, the stand-alone bar serves craft beers, wine and classic cocktails alongside Adam’s menu running late into the night. Heavy-set wooden doors, textured glass and TfL-inspired upholstery encapsulate the cosy feeling of a British local, whilst 
pastel tiled flooring, rounded soft pink shelving and an exposed felt ceiling are unexpected design elements to create a modern and playful feel unique to the city. Rawson trained under Nuno Mendes before going on to launch Lucky Chip and then Pachamama where he was awarded YBF Chef of the Year. Rawson said: “I’ve really enjoyed the challenge of creating menus which reflect the distinct personalities of Double Standard and Isla. Double Standard is a more raucous, convivial space, so I’ve come up with a selection of elevated snacks perfect for sharing (or soaking up a few pints). Isla’s menu is more delicate and much lighter - perfect for enjoying in the summer sunshine.”
About The Standard, London
Located in the geographic center of London, directly across from St Pancras station, The Standard, London, was meticulously designed in partnership with the company’s longtime collaborator Shawn Hausman, with interior architecture by Archer Humphryes. Informed and inspired by Camden’s history, from political and intellectual thought and punk rock bands to the mischievous underbelly of King’s Cross, The Standard, London pays homage to both its location and the building while recognising the remarkable transformation taking hold of the neighbourhood.
The oversized blue revolving doors lead you to a reception desk which sits in front of an original commissioned work by North London based artist Lubna Chowdhary. The ceramic installation, “Perfect Time”, uses its colorful surface and round shapes to conjure a visual that reflects the passage of time.
The social spaces of the hotel begin with the library lounge, which pays respect to the original use of the space that The Standard team inherited. With its own in-house librarian, the carefully selected titles, representing 28 subject categories, are organised in unexpected, interacting pairings such as Romance & Technology, Politics & Tragedy and Order & Chaos. The carefully selected titles are intended to bring a tactile quality and to spark actual, as opposed to virtual, conversations between people enjoying their time together. Within the library lounge and visible from Euston Road, is the Sounds Studio, a physical manifestation of our Standard Sounds programming and the brand’s long and deep connection to the music world. The Sounds Studio is intended as a platform for London’s creative community and an incubator of content. The wood paneled, sound proofed studio hosts, streams and records DJ sets, interviews, podcasts, and intimate live shows.
The second phase of this hotel opening will take place in the late summer where a stand-alone bar, and a restaurant and bar from acclaimed Chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias will launch on the 10th (and top) floor. This will be Sanchez-Iglesias’ first opening in the capital. The Michelin-starred, award-winning Chef is currently Bristol-based, where he runs family-owned Casamia and Paco Tapas.
The London opening is Standard International’s first outside the US and the sixth from the group praised for its ethos that hotels can deliver more than just a place to sleep. The group will open The Standard, Maldives later this year, with further plans to bring industry leading cultural, art and music hotel spaces to other cities around the world in 2020.
For more information or images please contact molly@toniccomms.co.uk
