Cheltenham in Gloucestershire is a town that draws visitors from far and wide with its constant stream of events, from literary festivals to the horse races. But if you're a resident or visitor to the town and haven't been, I encourage you to gallop along to The Ivy Montpellier Brasserie. This restaurant, catering to 222 diners, is pretty stunning with it housed within a Grade 1 listed rotunda building. It is centrally located in town and less than a 5-minute taxi ride from the train station. I popped to the restaurant on a chilly Tuesday night and was immediately struck by the warm atmosp...
Read more →Sadie Whitelocks 9
San Francisco's Latino Mission District has been described as being 'Brooklyn on steroids' with its bustling hipster scene. On a brief stop in the Golden City recently I was steered towards the hip neighbourhood to delve into its restaurant and bar scene. It was a Tuesday night and I walked from San Francisco's more manicured city centre with its high rises and sharp looking store fronts to the ramshackle warmth of the Mission District. Think electric shops, twinkling lights and a motley bunch of characters from all walks of life. LASZLO Reaching 2526 Mission St I came across Laszlo, a ...
Read more →A flight layover is never fun but I always try to make the most of it. And if you're looking to make the most of it during a brief stopover in San Francisco, then I present YOTEL as a top option. I had just over 24 hours to burn in the Golden City on the way back to Europe from Fiji and I was recommended the hotel for its central location. On landing into San Francisco I found the BART train, which is an affordable and quick way of getting into the city straight from the terminal. It was just $10 for a ride to the Civic Centre BART stop, which is where the YOTEL San Francisco is located....
Read more →Location, location, location is what it's all about when it comes to the Kimpton de Witt Amsterdam. What's more, this slickly designed hotel boasts a top notch cocktail bar from the same team behind White Lyan, Cub, Dandelyan and Lyaness on the premises. I checked into the 274 room historic Dutch building on a Thursday afternoon. It's literally a hop and a skip from Amsterdam's central train station, which is the Eurostar hub from London and less than 20 minutes from Schiphol airport. From the outside the brick building doesn't look like anything special, but a garden wall and neon light...
Read more →Flying to Amsterdam is pretty swift but the hassle of getting to the airport can turn the 45 minute flight time into a 4 hour venture, by the time you've travelled to the airport, waited in the terminal and flown to the other side. In a bid to test a less stressful method of transportation (not to mention more environmentally friendly), I recently ventured to Amsterdam from London via the Eurostar. I can testify that the journey - just under 4 hours - is pretty seamless and you feel a lot perkier not being subjected to aircraft cabin pressure! The Eurostar hub is inside the wonderful London...
Read more →Sometimes I'm stuck for where to head in Kensington for a fun post-work drink other than one of the many great but not glitzy local pubs. But after stepping into Bloom on High Street Kensington, I feel like this dilemma has been solved. This bar, eatery and club ticks all the boxes when it comes to having a bit of grown-up fun with no fuss. There is no dress code and no guest list at Bloom, unlike when it operated as the Swiss-themed venue Bodo’s Schloss and the Polynesian-themed club Mahiki. The party spot, nestled under the Royal Garden Hotel, was snapped up by the Incipio Group, the s...
Read more →This fall, The Savoy’s Beaufort Bar revealed a new menu that delves into the fabled history, dark drama and timeless romance embedded in the mysterious world of magic. Having launched this October, Interpreted Magic is a three-part menu that explores secrets, tales and tricks as it subtly journeys through the history and performance of magic through the ages. Led by the bar’s passionate Head Bartender, Elon Soddu, the creation of the new menu has been very much a collaborative effort, with every member of the dynamic Beaufort Bar team inventing their very own cocktail. Following on from the...
Read more →I opened the plush velvet bedroom curtains to a view of a golden Willow tree blowing in the breeze, grassy banks twinkling with morning dew and the Thames trickling on by. It felt all very countrified but in fact I was just a short walk from a London tube station. Following a major refurb, I'd present the Bingham Riverhouse in Richmond as the ultimate London staycation spot. The interiors are chic yet cosy and with only 15 rooms, there is a certain intimacy about the place. I checked into the quaint redbrick townhouse (a former literary hub frequented by the likes of Ruskin and Yates) on...
Read more →The Royal Albert Hall's Films in Concert series is the ultimate movie experience when it comes to surround sound. This weekend, I went to see E.T. screened at the jaw-dropping venue and having a live orchestra playing the John Williams score while the plot unfolded certainly added some extra magic. Truly out of this world! You can grab a glass of wine and a bucket of popcorn before you settle into your velvet seat and there is even an intermission so you can restock supplies. But if you missed E.T., don't worry as the Royal Albert Hall has a bunch of movie offerings for 202o... As well as ...
Read more →