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 →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 →It was 7pm on a Saturday and London's West End was bustling. But we managed to escape the rabble by diving into J Sheekey. Sat on the fish restaurant's newly-opened summer terrace we could watch the madness from a safe distance. Drunk revellers passed us by, interspersed with smartly-dressed theatre-goers. J Sheekey is one of my favourite central spots for seafood but I hadn't been for years. On my return, I was delighted to find nothing much had changed other than the re-vamped terrace area. Everything is done to perfection. Old-school character dressed with a dash of modern-day pizzazz...
Read more →I'd always wanted to be a spy when I was little and I would spend summers crafting code wheels and solving pretty unmysterious mysteries. So when I heard I could stay at a former MI6 headquarters in the heart of London, I jumped at the chance. The Royal Horseguards Hotel - located right next to the Embankment tube stop - is set within a grand government-style building on the banks of the River Thames. On walking into the place you're certainly made to feel like a special agent with a doorman in a top hat greeting you and a giant glistening chandelier hanging in the lobby. It was a Tuesday ...
Read more →It’s that stomach turning time of year for kids, with “back to school” plastered all over the place, however lucky worker type can relish within the perils of education with the Gin School holding some extracurricular lessons every Monday at Charlottes Bistro in Chiswick. Every Monday (commencing at 6.30) the neighbourhood venue hosts free gin tastings, with different producers coming down to teach the locals of Chiswick, how their sip is sampled best. As well as being a great spot to taste some Vera Lynn (gin), Charlottes Bistro is a bookworm haven, with the restaurant having just been ...
Read more →Sipsmith have teamed up with Kettner’s in Soho to present the 100 Martini Bar, bringing to life 100 Martini recipes both classic and somewhat forgotten. The event is promising to be an enlightening experience and will have something to offer connoisseurs, discerning drinkers and newcomers alike.
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