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...
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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...
Read more →They say 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' but who would dismiss a timely little nip and tuck? The London EDITION has performed a little maintenance to its Lobby Bar menu, without sacrificing familiarity, featuring a raft of new drinks and bar snacks... WE'LL DRINK TO THAT! With head bartender Robyn Wilkie at the helm, the Lobby Bar’s creative team has concocted an inspiring array of new cocktails, featuring the perfect mixture of fresh new recipes and returning classics. Highlights include the Havana Moon: a thoughtful twist on the popular classic, made with Havana 7, caramel stout and waln...
Read more →If you go down to one pub in London today, you’ll be in for a big surprise. The charming Gunmakers in Clerkenwell, which is tucked down a cobbled road, has a hairdressers hidden in its attic so you can get a rum, coke and cut at the same time. I popped to the Gun Club salon on a rainy Wednesday afternoon, where I met the lovely Tim on the top floor. The attic salon has a nice chilled-out feel, and there is even a small bar with delicious banana-infused negroni mix waiting to be poured. I explained to Tim that I hadn’t had a haircut for more than three years, as self-beautification is botto...
Read more →It had been a while since I’d been to a classic date spot restaurant – think red roses on the table, white linen and candlelight – but on walking into Osetra Seafood & Steaks in San Diego I instantly fell for it’s old-school charm. It was a Monday night and the large double-floor venue had a nice buzz, with a few couples and a group of friends settling in. Giovanni, the general manager, came to welcome us with a big smile and a delectable dose of Italian charm. Osetra has been open for 14 years in the Gaslamp district and continues to attract diners with its hearty seafood and meat offe...
Read more →If you go down to one corner of Soho square today, you could be in for a sweet surprise. I'd heard about Six Storeys on the grapevine after the towering venue re-opened in January. It used to be the site of a raucous gay club but thanks to a whimsical transformation it is unrecognisable from its former guise. The only hint of its toe-tapping past is the light up disco floor which remains on the top floor. It was a Wednesday night and the ground floor was bustling and a little overwhelming. Thankfully we were led away from the throng upstairs to an empty room known as The Parlour. We were...
Read more →The Ned is becoming increasingly overrun, no surprise given its slick and sexy guise. It was my second time back to the enormous Bank-based venue and there was a team of bouncers on the door checking people in. Armed with a reservation at Malibu Kitchen for 7:30pm, I passed the test and was let through the shiny dark wooden doors. On stepping into the hotel-cum-members club-cum-food hall, a jazz band was playing and post-work chatter bounced around. I slipped to the right, where I found Malibu Kitchen nestled away from the hubbub. The rectangular eatery has a counter-style seating arrange...
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