'It feels a bit like we're in a Woody Allen movie,' I mused as I sipped my martini and basked in the warm glamour of Il Pampero. Maybe it was the jolly jazz tootling away in the background that made me feel like I was on a movie set or the romantic mood the place put me in when I stepped through the chic glass doors and was greeted by a duo of smiling doormen. The hot new Belgravia spot, within the boutique Hari hotel, oozes sophisticated cool. Thanks to famed British interior designer Tara Bernerd, the furnishings are a feast for the eyes. Think advant-garde art meets Art Deco, wh...
Read more →Sadie Whitelocks 9
I felt a bit like a princess as I clambered into the grand bed at Batty Langley’s. Given its regal height, the big wooden structure required a small to jump before I hit the plush duvet and got lost among the spread of snug pillows. Adding to the fairytale-like feeling was a shaft of golden light streaming through the window, illuminating a menagerie of fine breakfast treats perched on the end of the bed. I’d decided to do a city staycation, showing a visitor to town some of the capital’s more secret spots. I’d always walked by Batty Langley’s, peeking in at the hotel's romanticall...
Read more →I was on my way to the 'powder room' when I suddenly realised I was in the 'Bon Vivant' swing of things (in French the phrase roughly translates to someone who knows how to live life well). I'd had a couple of deceivingly heady Dirty Pink cocktails - a mix of gin, Chambord raspberry liquor, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white - and I was just about to settle in for dinner. The lights had dropped, with the glow of candle light setting the tone, and the restaurant was abuzz with chatter and funky music. I had to admit, when I Google Street Map imaged the address of Bon Vivant I was s...
Read more →Jacinta Phelan (Harvey Nichols as Director of Restaurants and COO at Chiltern Firehouse) spoke about her personal career journey at a recent event at Searcys venue 30 Pavillion Road to celebrate International Women's Day. During the talk she touched on why women need to make their own game plan and not play only by men’s rules in order to succeed and get ahead in business. Here's some snippets from the talk. What's your secret to career success? JP: I learned that you should always have a game plan. Why is this so important? JP: Life can be amazing but if you don't have a game plan...
Read more →I woke up with a fuzzy head and rather hazy memories of the evening before. The phone rang beside my hotel bed and I picked it up. It was then that I realised I was fully-dressed with my mascara askew. It was my chauffeur informing me - very fortunately - that my flight back to London from Dublin had been cancelled due to the wrath unleashed by Storm Doris. It had been raining tea cakes and doilies - and after clocking on to my dishevelled telephone manner my driver advised me to go back to bed and wait to catch a later lift. The trigger for my descent was a rather awesome introduc...
Read more →A giant Scotch Egg was rolling towards us. But this wasn't any old Scotch Egg. Instead of standard pork sausage meat, this seductive sphere - swiped with a smudge of mustard - had been fashioned out of venison. But this is what you can expect at the Scottish themed restaurant Mac & Wild: Highland twists on the traditional with a lashing of fun thrown in for good measure. There are currently two outposts in London. One in the heart of Soho and a larger one in the City, by Liverpool Street, which is the one I'd chosen to hit on Pancake Day, lured in by their playful twist on the tra...
Read more →'You'll love it there!' my friend text me as I made my way to the Bingham in Richmond for the first time. I was informed that this hotel and restaurant - set within two Georgian townhouses - had been here for a number of years but I hardly ever trek too far west as I live firmly east. However, this is a somewhere I'd be sure to make the effort to return to. I was venturing to the riverside venue to test out its new monthly supper club which is set to launch soon. On walking into the place, I was bowled over by its refined yet cosy atmosphere. The gentle rattle of a cocktail shaker ...
Read more →To keep active without the hassle of going to the gym, The Color Run UK has curated six simple lunch time runs that can be done with colleagues and friends in order to escape work and get your endorphins flowing. Each route will vary in gradient and depending on fitness level, can be made as hard or easy as you wish. Running during your lunch is not only a great way to improve fitness levels, but also provides a good excuse to escape the office for some fresh air. Exercising at lunch can have many positive benefits such as boosting mood levels and improving your chances of having a productive ...
Read more →Bobby Fitzpatrick, a legendary character whose penchant for rum and passion for gambling is matched only by his love of Formica and brown shag pile carpet, has opened the doors of his 70s- party-pad to the residents of West Hampstead and beyond. The characterful and unapologetically retro venue has cocktails and rum at its core with a playful pizza and burger offering. The drinks list features a jolly selection of rum inspired by Bobby’s travels in The Caribbean – ‘Bobby’s Rum Diaries’. This is complemented by a rum-laden cocktail menu that draws from chapters of Bobby’s personal history...
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