The Bath House — Banya London

The Bath House sits on Grosvenor Gardens in Belgravia and centres on the Russian banya tradition rather than a typical spa menu. The core experience is a 3-hour banya session built around heat and cold: an oak-lined steam room paired with a cold-water plunge pool, plunge bath and cold water buckets.

Packages combine the banya session with the signature parenie leaf massage and a choice of additional treatments — soap massage, a 30-minute deep tissue massage, body scrub or body wrap (coffee and honey, salt and honey, seaweed or clay). There are three treatment packages in total, giving one, two or no extra treatments depending on what's booked.

Days are split by gender: Tuesday is reserved for men, Thursday for women, with a swimsuit mandatory on both. The remaining days — Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday — are mixed, and swimsuits are still required. For a more private visit, the venue also runs a dedicated private banya with its own plunge bath, changing area and treatment room, suited to groups of up to eight for celebrations or gatherings.

Booking is required in advance; walk-ins aren't accepted. Online booking covers Monday to Thursday, while Friday, Saturday and Sunday sessions need to be arranged directly by phone, email or WhatsApp. The venue is open from 10am to 11pm Monday through Saturday, and 10am to 10pm on Sunday. It falls into the upscale price tier and has picked up several UK spa industry award nominations over recent years.