We were greeted by a tall ‘prison guard', yelling out orders with a Southern drawl. ‘Any contraband will be confiscated’ I discreetly slipped my small bottle of Conkers Gin into the belt of my trousers whilst I slipped into my uniform for the night; a bright orange jumpsuit branded with the Alcotraz logo. Mug shots were taken and we were then hustled through into our cells. ‘What did you do to get in here’ one prison guard whispered. Nervous giggles ensued but the guards never once broke character.
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If you've not explored The Ned in the heart of the City then you must. On walking in, the scale of the place is guaranteed to shock you into a silent state of awe. The former bank has undergone the ultimate makeover in the hands of Soho House stalwart Nick Jones, in collaboration with the supremely slick New York-based hotel group, Sydell. It is now a 252-room hotel, part members club and food emporium, boasting an impressive nine restaurants. On a Wednesday night - with a friend from New York - I checked into Kaia, an Asian-inspired eatery on The Ned’s ground floor. I was glad we had boo...
Read more →If you're a fan of gin then Gintonica in Notting Hill is a MUST. The restaurant is part of a unique distillery-hotel complex, which is brimming with character and west London low-key flair. Expect a chilled atmosphere, tasty tapas and top notch drinks. We hit the upstairs eatery on a Sunday evening. The sun was streaming into the double height ceilinged room and we took a table next to one of the windows overlooking the quaint bricks of Portobello market below. The music was good, there was a nice buzz and the open-air kitchen was a visual delight, as was the corner bar with libations con...
Read more →Move aside Mojito and Martini, we’re ready for a new wave of cocktails. The Cocktail Trading Company never fail to delight us with their creative concoctions and their summer menu is no different. Experimenting with flavour combinations, we can see the likes of gin, celery and grapefruit in their Weeper’s Joy cocktail and Vodka, rose hip and mint puree in their Grasshopper.
Read more →Before we knew it, a party had started. The DJ (Ibiza veteran and Kate Moss' pal, Fat Tony) was spinning the decks with an ice cream cone to hand and a waiter was throwing some hip shakes at the till. Surprisingly my mum was loving the vibe at Sexy Fish's new Sunday brunch. The soft lighting, the buzzing atmosphere and tantalising smells quickly lulled us a world away from the sleepy Mayfair streets outside. Admittedly, we found it tricky to hear each other at times but that was half the fun. It had been a while since I'd felt so clubby on a Sunday. It reminded me of life in New York wher...
Read more →Martello Hall is an interior designers dream, think steampunk glamour in a converted warehouse spread over three floors. I’d been looking for a new opening that inspires me to become a regular and this is it, an impressive and entertaining spread out over a bar/ banquet hall, restaurant with wood fire oven and private cocktail lounge with DJ’s which is seductive and exclusive. A fan installation with moving cogs snaps your attention on arrival off East London’s Mare Street in Hackney, entering their bar which is adorned with a copper gin distillery area, a sliding bar menu and wines on tap, ...
Read more →Ember London, is a hidden bar, dining and late night destination, (not to be mistaken for Ember Yard and not a sister brand either as we had initially suspected) tucked away on one of London's most famous location Pudding Lane in Monument. Pudding Lane was where the Great Fire of London started in 1666. The venue’s name references this event and 2016, the year Ember opened, marked the 350th anniversary of the fire. We love a burger and had heard about their popular Grilled Waygu Beef & Foie Gras Burger served in an Avocado Bun with smoked Miso Relish Streaky Bacon, Sriracha Mayonnaise &am...
Read more →We love an excuse to get together with friends to watch the awards shows after all they are never without drama. Who will take the big awards and who will make a political statement in their speech this year? Will there be tears (probably), who will be caught off guard and who will steal the show from the winners Ryan Reynolds and Andrew Garfield we're looking at you!
Read more →Have you tried ‘Dirty Food’, ‘Dirty Drinks’ and listened to ‘Dirty DJ’S’? If so, then you will have already visited the booming Dirty Bones in Carnaby Street or Kensington but beware, there’s a new kid on the block. Dirty Bones Shoreditch has opened with new branding, an amplified food concept, Dirty DJ’s and a Dirty brunch to die for. Designed by Studio Lots & More and Gina Brennan, the design has embraced the existing features of a stunning listed building, contrasting it with Dirty Bones' retro flair. Whilst DB are famous for their retro memorabilia interiors, Dirty Bones Shoreditch h...
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