If you’re looking for a spot to stay with the city on your doorstep then pack your bags and head for The Trafalgar St. James. This hotel boats a top location, with rooms and a magnificent rooftop looking out over Trafalgar Square. From the National Gallery to the West End, there’s a wealth of options to keep visitors busy. I checked into the hotel on a Friday before Christmas and the small lobby area was a hive of activity with people wheeling cases through. The check in process was swift and I was directed to room 506 on the 5th floor (in total there are 131 rooms at the hotel). I liked ...
Read more →Sadie Whitelocks 9
If you’re a movie and music buff then I can’t recommend the Royal Albert Hall's Films in Concert series enough. During the season, a selection of classic titles are shown on a giant screen with a live orchestra playing. I went to a matinee performance of Home Alone in the run up to Christmas and was left spellbound by the whole thing. The place was packed out with many audience members wearing Christmas jumpers for the occasion. Taking a pew in the stalls, I sat transfixed as the magic unfolded. I’d got my mum tickets to see BBC's Blue Planet screened in a similar fashion and shed raved a...
Read more →For those who have never heard about Edible Cinema, I encourage you to check it out. The events, which run throughout the year, marry film and food together in a thoroughly unique way. Each movie-goer is supplied with a tray of numbered mystery boxes before they enter the screening room. These little pots contain a bite-sized tasting menu - both solid and liquid - tailored to specific moments in a movie. A man in front the screen then instructs when each box should be cracked open. Polly Betton, the London creative who masterminded the concept, presented her latest showing The Red Shoes t...
Read more →I hadn’t been to The Bloomsbury Hotel for some years but on a recent visit there I couldn’t believe the transformation. The historic 153-room property underwent a multi-million pound refurbishment last year masterminded by interiors pro Martin Brudnizki, who has worked on iconic London venues such as The Ivy and Scott’s. The place now oozes sex appeal, with luxuriously warm interiors enveloping you from the bustling concrete world outside. A few of my friends had mentioned the Coral Room, which is an impressive bar located on the ground floor but I ventured to the hotel on a Monday night to...
Read more →Sailing away from the standard City bar format is Mrs Fogg’s in Broadgate Circle. The Mr Fogg’s chain of bars is one of my favourite in town, given its exploration theme, and the latest site, Mrs Fogg’s, sticks to the standards. The place was inspired by Aouda, the explorer Phileas Fogg’s Indian wife, in Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel, Around The World in 80 Days. Everything has been designed with her nautical travels in mind, with bar-goers invited to board the Rangoon steamer. The full name of the bar is Mrs Fogg's Maritime Club and Distillery. I ventured to the bar on a Tuesday n...
Read more →It's somewhere I've walked by numerous times, but now I know what's lurking inside 30 Portman Square it's somewhere I'd definitely recommend as a more luxurious spot to stay in the city. The rather austere-looking building is home to the five-star Hyatt Regency London The Churchill, named and decorated in honour of the former Prime Minister. Not only does the place boast a prime location - around the corner from Marble Arch tube station and Hyde Park - it also serves up top notch service and delicious food, with a Michelin star restaurant on site. The moment you step into the Hyatt Regency,...
Read more →If you're looking for a Sunday brunch a bit slicker than your standard boozy affair, head to Hakkasan Hanway Place. The luxe underground restaurant has a very well-priced Sunday brunch menu, centred around dim sum. For £62 per person, you get a bottle of Louis Roederer brut champagne, two cocktails and a seemingly-endless stream of food. If you want to step it up a gear, you can swap the brut for Cristal, but that will see the price per person almost double to £120 per person. For those who want to go lighter on the drinking front, you can swap out the champagne for tea, bringing the price...
Read more →Balancing on a tightrope seems impossible at the best of times, but imagine doing it bobbing around at sea while on a boat. Well, for the talented artists at Cirque du Soleil, this is exactly what they have to contend with, with the company’s newest shows taking place on the water. The Montreal-headquartered firm has partnered with MSC Cruises to offer exclusive shows on board a new fleet of passenger liners. We gained behind the scenes access at the colourful Cirque Du Soleil HQ, to see how these special productions are designed from start to finish. There are currently two Cirque d...
Read more →Marylebone is a refined area with classic London architecture, boutique stores and it’s also become one of the hottest neighbourhoods to hang at night thanks to the addition of the bustling Chiltern Firehouse (opened in 2013). Rooms at the fabled hotspot start from £520, but if you’re looking for something a little more affordable and away from the thong, No. Ten Manchester Street is located a hop and a skip around the corner. The small boutique hotel, which has 44 rooms, offers a slice of cosiness and quite calm. Thanks to an elegant interior design job, the period rooms boast a contempora...
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