All Brits love May. Two glorious days of (free) annual leave, woollens firmly retired to the back of the wardrobe and endless evenings fuelled by Aperol Spritz. This Spring bank holiday we’re packing up our disposable BBQs and heading west for something much more wholesome - Porthilly Spirit festival on the Cornish Coast. A brand new three-day independent festival, showcasing and celebrating the finest elements of the outdoors, food, wellbeing, and music - including feasts from Chef and Writer Anna Jones and Tomos Parry, of Michellin-star Shoreditch haunt, Brat. From 24th to 26th May 2019, Po...
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If you're a fan of jazzing up dinner time, then be sure to book tickets to The Chambers of Favour. I first went to the wacky underground dining experience a couple of years ago and I'm pleased to say that it still retains the joie de vivre I remember. Writing about the event is a little tricky, as all diners are sworn to secrecy. But to the best of my ability, I will offer a little insight... After booking tickets for the event, you are not told the exact location until the night you dine. I received a text message with an intriguing set of instructions, which led me through a kind of buil...
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 →Following on from its debut last year, with the creation of 'Krug Island', the Krug Festival returns, and looks set to be even more magical. This year, Krug is transporting its unique festival experience to the grand English wilderness, taking up residence in The Grange Estate in Hampshire, partnering with specialist music and online platform, Mahogany to create 'Krug Festival - Into the Wild'. The event, taking place on Saturday 29th July, will be formed of musical performances accompanied by culinary delights from Francis Mallmann and unified by Krug Champagne, taking guests on...
Read more →POP UP PICTURES: present sunset screenings with Rick Stein at Chewton Glen this July For the perfect summers evening, and a mini escape away from London, we recommend Pop Up Pictures sunset screenings, a summer of al fresco cinema at two stunning locations both less than two hours away from London. What's more, the godfather of cookery, Rick Stein is providing guests with a two-course feast, whilst Tom Kerridge has kindly provided his famous Hand & Flowers ice cream to finish everything off. Starting the summer at the picturesque Clivedon House in Buckinghamshire, the cinema will then ...
Read more →I was rubbing mud all over my body when it suddenly dawned on me how relaxed I felt. The smell of sweet spices scented the air, some funky music wafted over the airwaves and soft lighting lulled over my skin. I’d only been at Archerfield House in Scotland just over 24 hours but this secret retreat is a place where you immediately lose all connection with bustling city life. It's charm attracts people from all over the world and Ronan Keating also chose it as his wedding venue. A one hour flight to Edinburgh, a 30 minute drive with the resort’s lovely driver Gordon and I had arrived at...
Read more →While eating out and heavy food might be the last thing on your mind after a month of over-indulgence, there’s a place that might be one to consider when your appetite is back on track. I paid a visit to Simpson’s on the Strand - one of the oldest restaurants in London - just before the overkill of Christmas and I was tickled by the eatery’s old school charm. The dining spot, which opened in 1828, oozes with character. Think parliamentary dining quarters crossed with a school library and the kookiness of your grandmother’s house. It was a chilly night when I stepped into the building ...
Read more →Absurd Bird is the type of place you go to with unadulterated cravings. Buttery fried chicken, fluffy waffles and tender wings drenched in tongue tingling buffalo sauce. Recently extending its offering to a new Central London branch, Absurd Bird aims to fulfil the hype of its Shoreditch counterpart. Cosier and with a decadent cocktail bar in tow, the underground eatery boasts of deep southern cuisine, cocktails that pack a punch and friendly, attentive staff. With exclusive offerings to its Soho menu such as the Waffle Cone with Popcorn Chicken that use only ethically sourced, hormone-free po...
Read more →Sat with butterscotch schnapps, turkey schnitzel and foamy snow it suddenly started to look a lot like Christmas. I might as well have been in Lapland but in fact I was perched on the back terrace of a swanky central London Hotel. The Montague on the Gardens has transformed its outdoor space this winter into a festive ski lodge, complete with fairy light-clad trees and a rather random bear statue wearing a Santa Claus hat. For £30, guests at the alpine retreat get a little platter of savoury treats and three warming beverages. Me and my friend headed to the Montague on a rather nip...
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