If there's one film you bookmark for this week, make it ‘Mangrove’ the first in a 5-part collection of films in the ‘Small Axe’ series both c0-written and directed by Oscar-winner Steve McQueen. The Small Axe anthology tells the often untold black British experience during the late 1960s-1980s in London and is derived from a Jamaican proverb and title of a Bob Marley song from The Wailers' 1973 album Burnin'. The message in the first film ‘Mangrove’ is clear: Small voices of dissent can successfully challenge voices in power. It tells the true story of the trial of West London's Ma...
Read more →Notting Hill 9
'Pace yourself!' was the instruction we originally received before tucking into a multi-course James Bond food and drink extravaganza. ‘That’s not very in the style of James Bond,’ I thought to myself, as I imagined the infamous spy having little restraint in many aspects of life, especially on the subject of pleasure. The event was taking place at one of my favourite venues in London, The Distillery on Portobello Road, and I was sat in the upstairs private dining room with 20 other guests. There was a group of Americans, a man from Norway and Londoners, all brought together by one thing - ...
Read more →It's that time of year again. As the August Bank Holiday weekend opens its brightly coloured, feathered arms once more, West London prepares for Europe's biggest street party. The two-day celebrations (27th – 28th August) get brighter and better this year, so enjoy a taste of the Caribbean with Notting Hill Carnival's official drinks partner, The Duppy Share. Brimming with artistry, dedication and expertise, Rum Distillers helped George Frost set up The Westbourne Drinks Company to bring The Duppy Share to life. Perfectly balanced, The Duppy Share’s unique blend of premium rums hail from the ...
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 →Professing your love for all things gin has just become a whole lot easier as capital bracer, Portobello Road Gin, launches the first ever gin-themed emoticons. Released in celebration of World Gin Day, the ‘Gin-moji’ i-message emoticon and sticker set is the perfect way to ‘garnish’ your texts when using your i-Phone. The collection pays homage to the marvellous botanical libation, as well as Portobello Road Gin’s home city of London and its namesake road in Notting Hill. The brand’s signature red lion bottle design also features heavily across the collection’s designs. Priced at 99p, the...
Read more →I'm guilty of using an emoji - or five - when I message people. So the thought of an emoji-themed dining experience got me kind of intrigued. I'd heard that Notting Hill's favourite underground cocktail bar / eatery / party flat, The Little Yellow Door, had launched one of the first 'emoji menus', so I hopped on a tube from east to west to check it out. Firstly, if you haven't been to this tucked away spot, conveniently located right next to the tube, it's a must. It's been one of my go-to little hideaways for years. The eclectic party flat, which was once almost threatened with closu...
Read more →Love is in the air this week at The Rum Kitchen in Notting Hill.... and not just love for you or I... the love is for chicken.
Read more →Usual soundbites from a parlour would include “what colour would you like your poodles nails painting?” or in the dairy world “that one’s called Daisy”... however on our visit this weekend, to The Parlour in Kensal Rise we were greeted by the question “are you ready to be assaulted by food?”, and with elasticated waistbands at the ready and a gallantly famished hangover in tow, we accepted the challenge. Jesse Dunford Wood, the charismatic epicurean and head chef at The Parlour lead us through to The Chefs Table. Sat in a wooden paneled booth, that faced the fully staffed kitchen, we wai...
Read more →