With the cold weather drawing in, what better than a punchy cocktail to warm the cockles. On a recent trip to Polpo in Notting Hill I was transported to the dreamy haze of Italy as a sipped on one of the eatery's Venetian-inspired libations. The great thing about all of the Polpo venues around town (six so far), is that they're warm and inviting, with a buzzing atmosphere to boot. 'I didn't even know there was a bar here,' my friend exclaimed as we perused the drinks menu. That's one of my favourite things to do at Polpo - stop by for a drink. You don't necessarily have to be booked int...
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This September, Jumeirah Carlton Tower’s bar and restaurant, The Rib Room, has created a bespoke cocktail menu based on several locations in the Jumeirah Group portfolio. From Dubai to Frankfurt, the eclectic menu perfectly pairs well-known Jumeirah destinations to fresh ingredients associated to each hotel. For example, the ‘English Country Garden’ cocktail is inspired by the private gardens opposite Jumeirah Carlton Tower to which guests have exclusive residents access. Similarly, the ‘Honey Bee’ cocktail is an ode to Jumeirah Frankfurt’s ‘Skyline Honey’ initiative whereby the hotel’s 28t...
Read more →World-famous orange liqueur brand Cointreau and South Place Hotel have collaborated to bring a slice of Acapulco and its vibrant atmosphere to the Secret Garden at South Place Hotel, from June 29th until the end of August, with a truly tropical Margarita Loves Cointreau pop-up. Nestled on the first floor of South Place Hotel in East London, the Secret Garden, a veritable oasis of waterfalls and palm trees sets the scene for our celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the original Margarita cocktail. Taking inspiration from Acapulco where 'Margarita' Sames, famously said of her instantly icon...
Read more →Gin lovers rejoice!! London and Manchester will host a series of urban tours, each offering an escape to the Mediterranean through a journey of the best cocktail bars, restaurants and terraces each city has to offer. Gin Mare Med Transfers in partnership with Gin Journey, will see a selection of spectacular locations host guests as they are transported to the Mediterranean, without any need to leave the UK. Commencing on June 26, Med Transfers will offer lucky ticket-holders a truly immersive experience of the Med, where cocktails and gastronomy travel hand-in-hand at specially selected par...
Read more →From the team behind the sell-out BYOB bar concept, Alcotraz, comes Moonshine Saloon, a one-of- a-kind immersive cocktail bar experience which is set to transport guests from the streets of West London to the streets of the Wild West. Moonshine Saloon is now open for bookings for a limited four month run. Located on the King’s Road, Moonshine Saloon is the centre of an undercover moonshine empire, a mysterious underworld where everyone looks out for themselves and nothing is quite as it seems. Inspired by the captivating tales of the WildWest and its covert operations, Moonshine Saloon invite...
Read more →Paddington is a pretty bustling area with the grand train station attracting an influx of travellers around the clock from the Heathrow Express and beyond. But nestled away just a hop and a skip over the road is the new Pilgrm hotel, which offers a slice of calm from the madness. The boutique-styled spot boasts 73 rooms, which are well-appointed and decked out with all of the essentials from REN bathroom products to hairdryers and neat Bluetooth Marshall speakers. Catering to different types of travellers, there are three categories of room, including the ‘bunk’, ‘small’, ‘medium’ and ‘larg...
Read more →Glenmorangie is celebrating the Golden Age of American Whiskey this March with the opening of Spice & Rye: a vibrant Speakeasy cocktail bar in the heart of Fitzrovia, London. The creation of the spice-inspired, roaring 1920s-style temporary bar marks the release of Glenmorangie Spìos: the 9th release in the Highland single malt’s explorative Private Edition range. Glenmorangie Spìos (Gaelic for ‘spice’ and pronounced ‘spee-oss’) is the first ever single malt scotch that has been entirely aged in American ex-rye whiskey casks and showcases Glenmorangie’s expertise and experimentation with ...
Read more →Following the huge success of the first – English country golf club themed – Swingers, located next to the Gherkin in the City, the Institute of Competitive Socialising (ICS) are delighted to announce the opening of their second Swingers – a 1920s English seaside themed venue in the heart of the West End, in Oxford Circus. Breathing new life and fun into 20,000 square feet of the old BHS flagship store (which closed in August 2016), Swingers West End takes all the things that guests love about Swingers City, predominantly the holy trinity that is street food, cocktails and crazy golf and reim...
Read more →In all honesty, I'd never been to a Wahaca, although friends love the UK chain for its reasonably-priced food. But in all honesty, I'm not a fan of Mexican - cue outcry!! I used to live in New York and there's plenty of great Mexican restaurants but I tended to avoid them, going with Sicilian, Japanese or French instead. With tacos and burritos, I prefer the filling to the floury cases and beans / rice make me feel like a lead weight. However, when in comes to guacamole, I could eat this stuff in bucketfuls and tequila also tickles my fancy. So, when I heard about the Wahaca Test Kitchen i...
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