After living in New York I’m used to things being 24/7 but London is a little sleepier and things tend to shut prematurely. But that’s why Duck & Waffle is such a joy. A chic restaurant that runs around the clock with unbeatable views of the city. I had a friend flying in from Norway on a Friday night with a 8pm touchdown to Gatwick, which meant he wouldn’t get into town for at least 90 minutes. Duck & Waffle was the perfect solution to our late-night dining conundrum and I managed to snag a booking at the much-sought after spot for 10pm. From the get-go this place oozes fun and a sens...
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I realised I was sitting there with a big grin on my face as I settled in to watch Cirque du Soleil's jaw-dropping production Ovo at London's Royal Albert Hall. Full of fun, humour and dazzling colour, this is a show that will brighten the rainiest of days. The nature-inspired spectacle, conceived by Brazilian writer Deborah Colker, delves into the world of insects, with performers transforming themselves into cartwheeling beetles, twirling butterflies and creeping spiders. It first premiered in Montreal in 2009 and it is currently showing in London before moving to Antwerp in March. From...
Read more →On walking into the Philippe Starck-designed Faena hotel in Buenos Aires you’re immediately transported into another world. Thick Alice and Wonderland meets a sexy dragon’s lair and you’ve got it in one. Triple-height ceilings give way to dramatic draped curtains and the place is dripping in blood-red swathes of fabric, from the carpet to the scatter cushions. Outdoors, the rouge theme continues and there is even an over-sized gold crown erected defiantly at one end of the swimming pool. I taxied over to the 105-room Faena hotel on a Friday night, to catch on of the best tango shows in the A...
Read more →The joy of London being such a rambling beast of a city is that there's always something new to discover, as my latest outing in the Big Smoke proved. On a nippy Sunday afternoon, I checked into The Stafford London, which is tucked away in the heart of Mayfair. In much need of some rest and recuperation, my friend Mary Lou and I decided it was time for a girls' night. After a swift check-in at the dark wood panelled reception we were shown to our room by Ned, who told us the majority of the guests at the hotel tend to hail from America and Europe. In total there are 107 rooms spread across...
Read more →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...
Read more →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 ...
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