You always know when you’ve found a good place when you’re reluctant to write about it, in fear of giving the secret away. But letting you in on a hidden gem... add the Aman to your Venice must-see list. This hotel, restaurant and spa is opulent and discreet. A slice of heaven on earth. The complex is housed within a grand 16th century palazzo, which is still owned by the family and leased to the Aman. The original features are intact, with dreamlike frescos, playful plasterwork and magical murano glass chandeliers. Careful care has been taken to blend the old with the new and the Aman’...
Read more →dinner 9
I found two return tickets to Bordeaux with Ryanair for £40 and that was that. On a Wednesday, after a 1 hour 40 minute flight, I'd landed in the French capital of wine. My travel buddy had found a beautiful Airbnb in the heart of the city. So after taking a fairly swift and cheap bus ride into the centre from the airport, we went to check into our homestay. A friendly local lady met us and showed us around the apartment, which oozed of old-school opulence with high ceilings, polished wooden floors and elegant fittings. With not much time to spare, we had a quick freshen up and bounced ou...
Read more →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 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 →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 →It was 7pm and we were pulling up to a palace. This definitely beat the local London boozer on a Thursday night. After taking a speedy train from Paddington to Oxford - still enough time for an enjoyable G&T en route - we were taxiing it up to the entrance of Blenheim Palace. Built between 1705 and 1722, this place has played host to an array of fine gentry and it is where Sir Winston Churchill was born. Now the stately home - the Duke of Marlborough's primary residence - is open to the public with a mix of events on throughout the year, from musical extravaganzas to open air cinema ses...
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...
Read more →On Tuesday June 6, iconic Chelsea landmark, Bluebird Chelsea, will be hosting the Blossom City Gala Dinner in aid of Lady Garden Gynaecological Cancer Fund. The sophisticated event is part of D&Ds Blossom City campaign, and will be showcasing Bluebird in full bloom. Guests will be invited to join the evening commencing with a glittering Moët champagne & canapé reception before the three course wine paired dinner party and live auction hosted by Tamara Beckwith. A showstopping event from start to finish, with entertainment throughout. A live raffle and auction will take place with pri...
Read more →'I think it's a deer pelt,' my friend Tom said as I caressed the wine menu at Battersea's newest eatery, the Nutbourne. The attention to detail here is on point and even the tipples of the day are presented in a strokable binder. If you're looking for wholesome comfort food, with a invitingly relaxed atmosphere, then this is the place to pop to. Founded by the same people behind The Shed (Notting Hill) and the Rabbit (Chelsea), the Nutbourne offers the same kind of cuisine using locally sourced ingredients. Oliver Gladwin, one of the three brothers behind the culinary enterprise, i...
Read more →