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...
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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...
Read more →It's that time of year again. As the August Bank Holiday weekend opens its brightly coloured, feathered arms once more, West London prepares for Europe's biggest street party. The two-day celebrations (27th – 28th August) get brighter and better this year, so enjoy a taste of the Caribbean with Notting Hill Carnival's official drinks partner, The Duppy Share. Brimming with artistry, dedication and expertise, Rum Distillers helped George Frost set up The Westbourne Drinks Company to bring The Duppy Share to life. Perfectly balanced, The Duppy Share’s unique blend of premium rums hail from the ...
Read more →I felt pretty rock 'n roll carrying Cava up to my room at the Sir Adam hotel in Amsterdam. It had just hit midday, I'd checked in and found a bottle of bubbly at reception, so I poured myself a glass of vino and headed off to explore. My headed started to spin a little as I got in the lift to my room on the 4th floor. There was a giant disco ball and the floor was flashing in different colours. Some funky music was playing too. The doors opened and it was very dark. I felt like I'd entered a secret bunker as I tried to crack the code for the key card-activated door with my Cava wobbling aw...
Read more →There are Ivys popping up left, right and centre, it’s hard to keep up. One of the latest ones to land is at Tower Bridge. I love the brand and worry that it’s being watered down but after visiting its new outcrop, I’m pleased to report that it’s still keeping true to its spirit - spot on martinis and well done classic cuisine - it’s just bigger and busier. No longer just confined to the West End theatre crowd but welcoming in the masses. The day we hit the impressively large Tower Bride location, three weeks after its opening, it was busy with a queue outside the door. Youngsters from the ...
Read more →If you're a bit of a boozehound, which admittedly I am, The Distillery on Portobello Road, Notting Hill is your hotel dream come true. You can drink, eat, drink some more, and sleep on the same spot. The quirky multi-level venue is the world's first-ever hotel on the site of an alcohol distillery, the libation in question being gin. Albeit, it is very small - there are only three rooms - and the night we visited, two couples had travelled from Manchester and Lincoln to check the place out. My friend Mary Lou and I checked into the hotel's corner room, which boasts beautiful views of the qu...
Read more →Tucked on a quiet street just by Barbican tube station, London's newest pop up restaurant is definitely a gem worth getting your fork stuck into. Only seating 16, the Little Quiet is intimate and cosy, with good food and good vibes at its heart. It's masterminded by the Disappearing Dining Club, a culinary group I've been following for years for their innovative approach to dining out. Stepping in from the cobbled back street you're instantly transported to a world of candlelight and pleasant scents topped with a dash of bon vivant. The quaint venue, previously an unused office space, invit...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
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