If you think you've had a top-notch piece of steak, I’d urge you to head to Smith & Wollensky, and compare your feed to one of their colossal cuts. My friend and I were left silently in awe after a recent visit to the smart New York-styled spot, located off the Strand. Our knifes sliced through our steaks with ease and the pink meat was dripping with flavour. When our Greek waiter Spiros served up the giant hunks of beef I didn't think I would manage the whole thing. But it was all so delicious, I swiftly polished it off with my knife and fork making fast work. I'd ordered a 680g Sign...
Read more →Sadie Whitelocks 9
The Mayfair Flower Show, one of the key events in Mayfair’s cultural calendar, blooms at Sketch this May. Running for thirteen days from May 17 to 29, this year’s exhibition will celebrate the Royal couple and their nuptials in a spectacular show which will see the entirety of No.9 Conduit Street transformed for the occasion. Featuring a total of seven installations, highlights from 2018 show include a stunning floral and feather wedding dress, a wedding aisle, plus scenes from a fantasy honeymoon trip around the world. Now in its third year, the annual floricultural event celebrates some o...
Read more →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...
Read more →If you’re looking to spice up dinner time with a dash of sensuality, book tickets to An Evening of Meat. This new provocative dinner installation promises to serve up ‘a feast of femininity where expressive dance and indulgent food meet to thoroughly inundate all the senses’. And after checking out the experience, I can promise it delivers! Heading down to one of my favourite London venues – The Vaults in Waterloo – I checked out An Evening of Meat on a Thursday night with a girlfriend. The production has transformed an area of The Vaults into a dimly-lit space to create an urban cabaret-s...
Read more →If you're a fan of jazzing up dinner time, then be sure to book tickets to The Chambers of Favour. I first went to the wacky underground dining experience a couple of years ago and I'm pleased to say that it still retains the joie de vivre I remember. Writing about the event is a little tricky, as all diners are sworn to secrecy. But to the best of my ability, I will offer a little insight... After booking tickets for the event, you are not told the exact location until the night you dine. I received a text message with an intriguing set of instructions, which led me through a kind of buil...
Read more →Walking past the London Marriott Park Lane at the top of Oxford Street it doesn’t look like much. But if you step inside, be prepared for a very pleasant surprise, as this place serves up refined luxury from the get go. The hotel - which boasts 152 rooms - underwent a £130 million overhaul a few years ago and today it boasts an alluring twinkle. Think marble floors, a mix of contemporary arts, dark wood panelling and well-positioned down lighters. The service is also flawless, from welcoming doormen to on-the-ball reception staff guiding you through the check in process. I checked into th...
Read more →‘You MUST check out the Henrietta!’ is what friends kept staying to me, knowing my penchant for quirkily beautifully boutique hotels. But with just 18 rooms, booking a place at one of Covent Garden’s hottest spots can prove difficult. Finally, I nabbed a booking at the Henrietta for a Sunday night and with great anticipation went to check the place out. Unlike some of my favourite boutique spots in the city, the Henrietta - founded by the same people behind the much-revered Experimental Cocktail Club in collaboration Michelin star chef Ollie Dabbous - boasts a more modern edge. Think a scen...
Read more →Paddington is a pretty bustling area with the grand train station attracting an influx of travellers around the clock from the Heathrow Express and beyond. But nestled away just a hop and a skip over the road is the new Pilgrm hotel, which offers a slice of calm from the madness. The boutique-styled spot boasts 73 rooms, which are well-appointed and decked out with all of the essentials from REN bathroom products to hairdryers and neat Bluetooth Marshall speakers. Catering to different types of travellers, there are three categories of room, including the ‘bunk’, ‘small’, ‘medium’ and ‘larg...
Read more →The thought of a traditional safari kind of filled me with dread. 4x4s waiting in lines crowded around animals and tourists clicking away with their long-range camera lenses. But in a bid to get off the beaten path and get a unique insight into Africa’s wild landscape, I signed up for a three-night tour in Kenya with The Luxury Safari Company. I certainly wasn’t disappointed and my fears of being on a ‘mass safari’ were skilfully avoided. GIRAFFE MANOR For my first night, I was directed to Giraffe Manor, which has repeatedly been voted one of the world’s most unique hotels. The gran...
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