Tucked away down a side street of Chiswick High Road is room2, the UK’s first net-zero‘hometel’.
As a net zero hometel, 100% of the carbon emissions from conception through toend of life have been reduced and rebalanced to zero. As well as being the UK’s first net-zero hotel, it’s the first hotel in the world to do so.
Sustainability is at the heart of this place: it generates renewable power from geothermal below the ground and above from the sun. It’s single use plastic free, zero waste to landfill, ultra energy efficient, and even makes its own honey on the roof.
It’s recently opened Winnie’s Cafe & Bar on the ground floor. Winnie’s is designed to be a relaxed and comfortable space where people can eat, work and meet in an informal environment, and so we popped along on a Monday lunchtime to check it out.
It did feel a bit strange walking past a well stocked bar to see a room packed with people sitting at tables, staring into the screens of their laptops and typing away. I’m more used to this in coffee shops, but most people were actually drinking either hot drinks or water.
We were shown to a table, and offered a jug (a rather nice ‘gurgle’ jug) of iced tap water to kick things off.
My colleague enjoyed a much needed coffee (after negotiating the busy traffic to get to Chiswick) and decided that she would like Huevos Rancheros (“St Ewe’s poached eggs,hollandaise, salsa macha, avocado, lime & pickled onion, on toasted cornbread”).
This was attractively presented, with two perfectly poached eggs. It was pretty spicy and very tasty, but we felt that it didn’t need the hollandaise – an unnecessary addition to the dish, perhaps.
I was tempted by the Korean Chicken Bun (“roasted organic corn fed chicken, aioli ponzu, lettuce, kimchi slaw, pickles and togarashi in a brioche bun”). It was delicious, but I was surprised to find that it was served with another bowl of the aioli ponzu as it already had a generous helping within the bun.
I had also asked for a green salad (‘crispy leaves, french mustard dressing”) to accompany my bun. This was the most disappointing part of our lunch as the dressing was very vinegary and the chopped lettuce had quite a few rather brown edges.
We both enjoyed a nice glass of Torre Mora Scalunera Bianco, Carricante, Italian white wine
with our meal.
Winnie’s isn’t really a destination cafe, but if one is staying at the hotel it’s a lovely spot to pass some time and have a bite to eat – and perhaps a zero waste cocktail. Or if you want to meet a friend for a relaxed catch up away from the bustle of the High Road it’s ideal.
The bar area has live music with acoustic musicians on Friday evenings. It has also recently started serving homemade pizzas in the evenings. I just hope that those folk who were busily working there will down tools and relax at the end of a hard working day.
Prices are reasonable, with mains from £7.50 to £15. Wine is from £6 for a 125ml glass and
cocktails are from £9.50
Winnie’s at room2 Chiswick, 10 Windmill Road, Chiswick, London W4 1SD
www.room2.com/chiswick