Professing your love for all things gin has just become a whole lot easier as capital bracer, Portobello Road Gin, launches the first ever gin-themed emoticons. Released in celebration of World Gin Day, the ‘Gin-moji’ i-message emoticon and sticker set is the perfect way to ‘garnish’ your texts when using your i-Phone. The collection pays homage to the marvellous botanical libation, as well as Portobello Road Gin’s home city of London and its namesake road in Notting Hill. The brand’s signature red lion bottle design also features heavily across the collection’s designs. Priced at 99p, the...
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Shepherd's Bush is a little manic for my liking, busy roads intermixed with a bizarre spread of shops where you can buy sim cards and hair extensions. But on walking into the area's new four star hotel, the Dorsett, I was transported to a much calmer world. High ceilings, polished floors and dark wood decor were easy on the eye. As was the sweet cart lurking in the corner, with bons bons, jelly beans and rhubarb balls on offer for free. We checked into a suite on the 4th floor of the giant hotel, which used to house a cinema. After weaving our way through the moodly-lit grey corridors we l...
Read more →It was 7pm on a Saturday and London's West End was bustling. But we managed to escape the rabble by diving into J Sheekey. Sat on the fish restaurant's newly-opened summer terrace we could watch the madness from a safe distance. Drunk revellers passed us by, interspersed with smartly-dressed theatre-goers. J Sheekey is one of my favourite central spots for seafood but I hadn't been for years. On my return, I was delighted to find nothing much had changed other than the re-vamped terrace area. Everything is done to perfection. Old-school character dressed with a dash of modern-day pizzazz...
Read more →There’s nothing quite like summer in the city, and while London is not best known for its balmy seasonal temperatures, this year, Searcys at The Gherkin is bringing the sunshine to the capital with a six-week pop up celebrating the Great British Seaside. Think candy coloured beach huts, deckchairs, blue skies, and a fishing boat– all at the lofty heights of one of the most iconic buildings in England’s capital. DINING On hand to create the most sumptuous summer menu will be Executive Chef Barry Tonks. Having designed a beautiful French Riviera themed menu last year, his attentions will take...
Read more →Going for dinner at a department store might not sounds enticing. But Harrods isn't any old department store. Nestled on the 5th floor of the maze-like Knightsbridge shopping spot is Chai Wu, a Chinese restaurant serving up a range of fusion-style treats to fuel a hard day of spending. It was 7pm on a Friday night and I'd set a date there with an old school friend who I hadn't seen for a number of years. We'd had a hard day at work, not spending unfortunately, but we were in need of pepping up nonetheless. Walking into Chai Wu you're instantly transported away from the madness o...
Read more →'It feels a bit like we're in a Woody Allen movie,' I mused as I sipped my martini and basked in the warm glamour of Il Pampero. Maybe it was the jolly jazz tootling away in the background that made me feel like I was on a movie set or the romantic mood the place put me in when I stepped through the chic glass doors and was greeted by a duo of smiling doormen. The hot new Belgravia spot, within the boutique Hari hotel, oozes sophisticated cool. Thanks to famed British interior designer Tara Bernerd, the furnishings are a feast for the eyes. Think advant-garde art meets Art Deco, wh...
Read more →I was on my way to the 'powder room' when I suddenly realised I was in the 'Bon Vivant' swing of things (in French the phrase roughly translates to someone who knows how to live life well). I'd had a couple of deceivingly heady Dirty Pink cocktails - a mix of gin, Chambord raspberry liquor, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white - and I was just about to settle in for dinner. The lights had dropped, with the glow of candle light setting the tone, and the restaurant was abuzz with chatter and funky music. I had to admit, when I Google Street Map imaged the address of Bon Vivant I was s...
Read more →I woke up with a fuzzy head and rather hazy memories of the evening before. The phone rang beside my hotel bed and I picked it up. It was then that I realised I was fully-dressed with my mascara askew. It was my chauffeur informing me - very fortunately - that my flight back to London from Dublin had been cancelled due to the wrath unleashed by Storm Doris. It had been raining tea cakes and doilies - and after clocking on to my dishevelled telephone manner my driver advised me to go back to bed and wait to catch a later lift. The trigger for my descent was a rather awesome introduc...
Read more →'You'll love it there!' my friend text me as I made my way to the Bingham in Richmond for the first time. I was informed that this hotel and restaurant - set within two Georgian townhouses - had been here for a number of years but I hardly ever trek too far west as I live firmly east. However, this is a somewhere I'd be sure to make the effort to return to. I was venturing to the riverside venue to test out its new monthly supper club which is set to launch soon. On walking into the place, I was bowled over by its refined yet cosy atmosphere. The gentle rattle of a cocktail shaker ...
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