The Cornucopia Edition

VOLUME THREE | ISSUE FIVE | FREE

The Cornucopia Edition Celebrating all that’s plentiful in the borough and beyond.

Featuring an interview with photographer Anna Laurent, cruising the Cotswolds with Aston Martin, and discovering an African paradise in The Gambia.

IMAGE COURTESY OF ANNA LAURENT. APANESE ANEMONE (ANEMONE VITIFOLIA) PHOTOGRAPHED BY ANNA LAURENT, INTERVIEWED ON PAGE 10.

Welcome to the latest issue of Kensington and Chelsea Review.

Filled with art, auction, culture and luxury, Kensington and Chelsea Review is the magazine for the rather discerning resident of the Royal Borough.

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S AT UR DAY 2 0 M AY 11 A M – 3 P M JOB OPP OR T UNI T IE S · T OUR S · HE A LT H A DV ICE K ID S Z ONE · L I V E E N T E R TA INME N T · MUCH MOR E !

CR I T IC A L C A R E C A MPA IGN L AUNCH!

W W W.CHE LW E S T.NHS.UK / OPE NDAY S UP P OR T E D BY OUR F OUND AT ION T R U S T C OUN CIL OF GO V E R N OR S

Editor’s letter It ’s be en a long while since I’ve be en here on these pages. Inde e d, it se ems like de cades have passe d, not le ast be cause of how much Kensington has be en in the news re cently. I fe el marke dly dif ferent ab out it from the last time I wrote an e ditor ’s let ter. It ’s a funny thing: having covere d the Borough for so many ye ars now, always as a visitor rather than a resident, and of ten as a writer or employe e, I have never felt like I knew the place. Not properly. I trie d to, but there was always so much to it - the dif ference bet we en the various districts; the jetset internationals alongside the quiet, traditional Brits; the grand museums of South Ken and the diverse urban scene of Nor th Ken. It was imp ossible to get a handle on it all. Perhaps my mistake was thinking I could.But one thing was always consistent bet we en me and the Royal Borough, and that was my love growing for it, month on month, ye ar on ye ar. And now it ’s time for some one else to take the reins on sharing that love through ar ticles and tidbits. This is my last e dition as e ditor, but I hope to be back writing in it so on enough.

In the me antime, don’t miss our inter view with the incre dible ar tist, Anna Laurent who is reinvigorating the flower as subje ct for mo dern eyes, and Holly Baxter ’s destination in-depth on Turks & Caicos, the se cret star of the Caribbe an.

EDITOR COCO KHAN PUBLISHER Talismanic Me dia FOUNDER AND M ANAGING DIREC TOR Sid Raghava EDITOR IN CHIEF Co co Khan EDITOR AT L ARGE Stephen Slo combe ART DIREC TOR Harriet Be dder MOTORING EDITOR Lisa Cur tiss OFFICE M ANAGER Le e Marrero CONTRIBUTORS Holly Baxter, Olivia Palamountain, Sarah Jackson, Kate Weir, Susan Saunders.

All material in Kensington and Chelsea Review is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without prior permission of the publishers. Colour transparencies and photographs submitted for publication are sent at the owners’ risk and while every care is taken, neither the publisher nor their agents accept liability for loss or damage however caused. The publishers can accept no liability whatsoeverof nature arising out of nor in connection with the contents of this publication. Opinions expressed within the articles are not necessarily those of Kensington and Chelsea Review and any issues arising therefore should be taken up directly with the contributor.

Contents 4. News News curated from the worlds of art, culture and intrigue 8. Creative Kensington We take a look at the season’s most exciting art and culture happenings in

the borough; including a new exhibition reinvigorating the Victorian art of botanical drawing.

21. Travel Far-flung and home-grown experiences that are picture perfect. We travel by

air, rail and sea to Greenland, India, and the Caribbean.

43. Eat More tasty morsels – what they are and where to get them – from our food

and drinks writers

49. Own Buy it, wear it, drive it: our picks from the small treats to the statement

pieces including an extended luxury motoring section.

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READ ALL ABOUT IT A rundown of news from the worlds of art, culture and the plain intriguing, all handpicked for the Royal Borough resident. WORDS: SID RAGHAVA AND COCO KHAN LOCAL CHARITY’S FUNDRAISING EVENT The Clement James Centre is an award-winning local charity that empowers the community to release its potential through education and employment support in one of London’s most deprived areas. Please join them for an evening of sensational sounds with the Jazz Dynamos who will perform music from the last 80 years and transform well known songs with a mix of classic jazz and swing, with bossa, samba and contemporary pop music at Ronnie Scotts on 10th May. Tickets can be booked online below and a suggested donation of £55 includes drinks, canapés and entertainment or if you are unable to attend you may wish to make a donation. www.mydonate.bt.com/events/cjjazzdynamos EVOLVE LAUNCHES IN NOTTING HILL After 25 years of experience with private clients and having lived half of her life in the neighbourhood, Emma Ball has launched Evolve for both her healing practice and meditation sessions in Notting Hill. “It is called Evolve because it has love within it … and getting to know ourselves holistically heart, mind, body and soul is at its core.” Emma offers hour-long healing sessions and works with individuals to bring more self-empowerment and awareness into their lives.

Evolve will also have group meditation sessions every first Tuesday of the month in the evenings. www.evolvehealingandmeditation.com SOMERSET HOUSE TO SPARKLE AGAIN WITH SUMMER SERIES Set in one of central London’s most iconic gig locations, Summer Series at Somerset House with American Express returns from 6–16 July 2017. The elevennight line-up reflects Somerset House’s commitment to showcasing truly world-class talent. This year’s festival presents headline acts from the UK, US, Jamaica, Mali and Lebanon. Nine-time Grammy Award winner Norah Jones is set to open this year for her only London show of 2017, performing a special selection of her best loved plus new and original songs.

The following day welcomes fellow Grammy Award winner Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, who weaves hard hitting social commentary with reggae beats. Others include Birdy, Cinematic Orchestra and Goldfrapp. www.somersethouse.org.uk

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CHELSEA ART FAIR The Chelsea Art Fair will open its doors to collectors and art lovers at the Chelsea Old Town Hall from April 27th to April 30th 2017. The chic boutique Fair has established itself as the quintessential London art fair which brings first class Modern and Contemporary art to the heart of Chelsea with a particular focus on three-dimensional art.

It will offer a wide selection of artists represented by around 35 of the most respected modern and contemporary art galleries from around the UK. A special project space will be dedicated to legendary musicians inspired by the King’s Road and will be curated by sculptor Guy Portelli - Think Sex Pistols, The Who, David Bowie, John Lennon and Elton John. www.chelseaartfair.org

OMONTENASHI IN M AYFAIR An experienced hair stylist renowned for his excellent cuts and sublime hair colouring, Hiro Miyoshi has stayed true to his Japanese heritage of achieving perfection and has now opened now opened his flagship Hair & Beauty salon right in the heart of Mayfair. Hiro’s intuition and drive to be London’s leading luxury salon should attract a lot of clientele from celebrities to royalty. We recommend Hiro Miyoshi wholeheartedly – they go by the Japanese concept of ‘omotenashi’ literally translates as “the customer is god” and it shows! www.hiromiyoshi.com

GET TING READY FOR A JAM-PACKED EXTRAVAGANZA AT FIELD DAY Our favourite London festival has all the goodness packed into a single day this year rather than the usual two with mouth-watering headlining acts including Flying Lotus, Aphex Twin, Arab Strap and Run The Jewels. Now in its 11th year, Field Day has consistently proved itself to be one of the leading festivals in the UK with PJ Harvey, Caribou, Skepta, Patti Smith and Pixies having graced its Victoria Park stages and Field Day 2017 is set to surpass expectations once again, with more artists still to be announced. www.fielddayfestivals.com PAGE 4

FINCHAT TON’S NEW KNIGHTSBRIDGE DEVELOPMENT Luxury property developers Finchatton have just got the go-ahead to show targeted media around some incredible new properties in Knightsbridge.

With each development featuring high-lux amenities, from private gyms and spas to wine cellars and below ground parking, plus incredible bespoke interiors and the finest attention to detail there is a huge amount to see. www.finchatton.com

CONRAN SHOP GETS INTO THE CAMPING SPIRIT We’ve always been fans of the trinkets and design triumphs that can be found in The Conran Shop, Chelsea, and looks like they’ve been busy stocking up for the camping season. Whether you’re a hiker or a festival reveller, you’ll find a variety of essentials at their chicest in-store, from exquisite BBQs, contemporary rainmacs, and these, our favourite, Swiss-army style cutlery kit. www.conranshop.co.uk

MARIE GUERLAIN, HEIR TO COSMETICS EMPIRE, LAUNCHES NEW RANGE AT HARRODS Marie Guerlain, 6th generation of the cosmetics dynasty Guerlain, is launching a luxury cookware range called Ondine that is being sold exclusively in Harrods. For five years, Marie has worked closely with Italy’s top craftsmen from Serafino Zani to develop a range, combining the art of cooking with the aspiration for aesthetical homeware.

Ondine’s signature is the use of 316Ti titanium grade stainless steel, the very best cookware material available.

Each piece has been hand-crafted and assembled in Italy with Marie involved every stage, from product design to the milling of the pan body. www.harrods.com www.ondine.com V&A PRESENTS PINK FLOYD BOOK On 28th April, V&A announced the release of Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains a new book fully authorised by the group widely known as one of the world’s most pioneering and influential bands. Comprising unseen images, archive material published for the first time and new essays, the book has been created with unprecedented access to the Pink Floyd archives.

The beautifully produced hardback, with a lenticular cover inspired by the The Dark Side of the Moon album artwork, coincides with the exhibition The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains, opening at the V&A on 13 May, and marks the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. www.vam.ac.uk/shop

RBKC ANNOUNCES NEW MEMBER OF YOUTH PARLIA MENT Local boy, Conor Quinn from Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School has been announced as the 2017 Deputy Member of Youth Parliament in Kensington and Chelsea. After several weeks of campaigning, it was Conor’s manifesto focusing on mental health in children that proved popular with voters.The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is an organisation that gives young people aged 11-18 a chance to express their opinions, and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has an elected member and deputy member as part of the parliament.

Conor will join fellow Member of Youth Parliament, Shamime Ibrahim to help represent the views of young people from the area. www.rbkc.gov.uk RSC’S QUEEN ANNE TO TRANSFER TO WEST END Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Queen Anne, which will transfer to the West End in June 2017 will star Romola Garai as Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough alongside Emma Cunniffe as the eponymous monarch.

After originally opening at the Swan Theatre in Stratfordupon-Avon in November 2015, the production will transfer to Theatre Royal Haymarket for a thirteen week limited run from 30 June until 30 September. Written by Helen Edmundson (RSC) and directed by Natalie Abrahami (Happy Days) this gripping new play explores the life of one of England’s little-known sovereigns and her intimate friendship with her childhood confidante Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough. www.rsc.org.uk PAGE 5

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WEST AFRICAN RESTAURANT, IKOYI, OPENS IN ST. JAMES IKOYI, a first restaurant for Jeremy Chan and Iré Hassan-Odukale, will open at 1 St. James’s Market this summer. The restaurant will take inspiration from West African regions and Jollof cuisine, using key ingredients and transforming them with varied techniques to create unique dishes. Chef and Co-Founder Jeremy has worked and staged in several leading kitchens, including Dinner

by Heston Blumenthal and Noma. Jeremy brings his fine dining experience to Ikoyi, where dishes will be refined and skilled. Iré, inspired by his family roots in Nigeria, will manage operations and hopes that Ikoyi will offer something new to London’s international restaurant scene. www.ikoyilondon.com

ENTRIES OPEN FOR GRIFFIN ART PRIZE Griffin Gallery is calling for recent art school graduates to enter for the Griffin Art Prize, worth £10,000. The award is open to anyone who has graduated from a British art school within the last seven years, and provides the time, space and materials to create new work in 2018, culminating in a solo exhibition at Griffin Gallery in November. The winner will work closely with curators and arts professionals, as well as receiving specialist expertise from chemists at Winsor & Newston and Liquitex. Since launching in 2011, the prize has discovered some of the most exciting contemporary artists in painting and drawing.Previous winners include Zsofia Schweger, who was listed in Forbes 30 under 30 this year. www.griffingallery.co.uk/GAP2017 BENTLEY AND PRINCESS YACHTS ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP Luxury British yacht manufacturer Princess Yachts and Bentley Motorsports have announced an exciting new partnership. The three year sponsorship will see the two brands partner for major motoring events across the world and Princess Yachts branding will appear on the livery for the new Bentley Continental GT3, which is racing in the Blancpain GT Series and the Pirelli World Challenge.

The partnership will allow Princess and Bentley customers access to incredible experiences from across both the marine and racing worlds and further solidifies Princess Yachts commitment to providing exceptional craft and innovative technology across their full range. www.princessyachts.com SYDNEY STREET HOSTS LUXURY SHOPPING EVENT ‘Spring into Summer’ is a luxury pop up taking place in London’s Sydney Street, Chelsea from May 21st – June 10th. Showcasing summer-focused products from emerging labels carefully selected for their quality, innovation and design - each brand at ‘Spring into Summer’ shares the same values with a strong emphasis on using the very finest materials and fabrics in their collections. Shoppers can pick up unique and beautiful summer pieces such as hand-made Ecuadorian Panama hats, silk scarves and sarongs, scented candles, sunglasses, pure linen shirts and much more.

KENSIN GTO N HARBO UR CLUB REL AUNCHES After a £5.5m transformation, the new club offers boutique fitness classes, state of the art gym equipment, and stylish spaces to work, relax and unwind. The new Harbour Club will join Notting Hill and Chelsea and aims to continue in their footsteps as oneof the capital’s most exclusive and luxurious health clubs. One of the Harbour Club’s most unique selling points is the its ability to cater to families. Children over 11 can join certain classes in the studio while whole families can join in Prama or Blaze classes which are created specifically for parents and kids to work out with each other in a child-friendly circuit pattern. www.harbourclub.com/clubs/kensington LAURA MARSHALL’S EGYPTIAN DEBUT Our dear Deputy Editor of yore, Laura Marshal née Steel has just released her first book for children.

Inspired by the Ancient Egyptian explorer, Harkhuf, this is a book for adventurers of all ages. Harkhuf the First Explorer tells the story of legendary explorer, Harkhuf, who lived during the 6th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt (in the 24th Century BCE). It is a work of historical fiction, combining elements of legend and quest. The story unfolds as Harkhuf makes his first perilous journey into Nubia (modern-day Sudan).

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Flowers have captivated the imagination and enthralled the senses of humans since time began, but their journey begins long before we see the tender shoots poking up from the earth.

Anna Laurent is an award-winning photographer capturing the magic of seedpods and how they disperse. COCO KHAN meets her to discuss The Dispersal Project

How did your interest in botany bloom?

I first became interested in botany as a result of reading Michael Pollan’s book, “The Botany of Desire”, in which he describes the existential dilemma of plants because of their immobility. But it was not until I moved from Boston to Los Angeles in 2008 that my passion for plants really took hold. At the time I was working in documentary film, but I found myself becoming more and more fascinated by the botanical diversity on offer in Southern California. Eventually, I decided to quit my job as a film producer and focus full-time on trying to capture their beauty and bring them to the intention of a wider audience through a combination of photography and writing. And that’s how the Dispersal Project was born.

Do you see botany and photography as natural bedfellows?

Absolutely. In addition to my photography I have written extensively about botanical art and its development and use in education - specifically the way in which botanical illustrators of the Victorian era and before sought to capture scientifically significant aspects of their subject while at the same time producing a work of art. I see my photography as a continuation of that tradition. Each of my photographs is carefully composed to illustrate one or more functional aspects of how the species in question disperses its seed, as well providing an aesthetically pleasing image.

Your work in this collection focuses specifically on the beauty and magic of seeds and how they are dispersed between plant. How did the often overlooked seed first catch your eye?

I am a keen runner and often on my jogs through the streets, parks and mountains of Los Angeles I would come across these amazing plants and PAGE 7

plant forms, and I felt I had to find out more about them. I was particularly intrigued by seedpods, which were everywhere I looked but which everyone seemed to ignore.

Across the collection of images, autumnal colours dominate - was this a stylistic choice or did you find that these really are the colours of flowers in their most neonatal stage?

I try to be true to my subject matter. Many seedpods develop in the autumn and what we think of as autumnal colours are, at least in part, reflective of that - think of fields of ripe corn. But many plants have very colourful seedpods, for example, plants that rely on birds for dispersal often have bright red seeds, as red is attractive to birds. Some of my favourite seedpods are from magnolias, which are a riot of reds, pinks and purples.

It’s hard to ignore the ‘human’ in these pictures - as a woman, my mind instinctively drew parallels between the plant and seed, with the mother and child. Indeed some of the shapes and forms have a yonic appeal. Was there an element of gender exploration in this project?

Not consciously, but fruits and seedpods result from the fertilised ovaries of flowers so perhaps it is not surprising that many images take on a sensuous or feminine form. Especially as the function of the seedpod is to nurture and protect the seed and help it find its way in the world, so maybe there is an element of that as well.

What are the technical difficulties with shooting seeds and plants?

Seeds and seedpods are actually quite forgiving unlike flowers or leaves, most of them do not wilt or change over time. Many are delicate - especially wind dispersed species - so it can be a challenge

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getting them back to my studio without damaging them. Once back home, the primary task is getting the lighting right - I use a muslin light tent with a six-point lighting system to illuminate the specimen from all angles. Of course, getting the perfect shot isn’t easy either! Over the years I’ve developed a number of techniques for posing the pods and keeping them in position ... but I don’t want to give away my secrets!

How would you describe the natural landscape of your hometown in Boston, and can we see any of its influence in this collection?

While I collected a number of specimens at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, my work was really inspired by the botany of California. Los Angeles has so many different micro-climates, from deserts to mountains, and in addition to native plants, is home to many foreign species. For example, in the early 20th century L.A. wanted to present an image as an exotic destination and so many Australasian and Asian species were introduced.

Where or what would you next like to focus on in the botanical world?

I’m currently working on a project with Kew Gardens to photograph endangered species and raise awareness of Kew’s conservation work.

It’s very different from my work to date as I’m based in the herbarium working with Kew’s dried collections, rather than finding specimens in the gardens.

Anna Laurent is currently exhibiting alongside Ernesto Caivano in “The Fall” at the Fitzrovia Gallery, until 28th May. Her work at the Chelsea Flower Show, 23 – 27 May, in the Great Pavilion www.apollinaire-arts.com

‘Botanical illustrators of the Victorian era sought to capture scientifically significant aspects of their subject while at the same time producing a work of art. My photography is a continuation of that tradition.’

ADVERTORIAL

A MASTERS IN FLORISTRY IN THE HEART OF LONDON London Flower School has sprung!

In anticipation of the Chelsea Flower Show, we thought we’d talk to the founders of The London Flower School Wagner Kreusch, former Head Tutor at McQueens Flower School, and Helen Dyson, an experienced teacher and florist.

The idea behind the school based in King’s Cross is to teach floristry techniques, create beautiful arrangements and inspire people to explore the world of flowers. Wagner grew up in Brazil, surrounded by its beautiful and diverse flora and trained as a graphic designer, florist and artist.

His interest in contemporary visual arts brought him to London where he had the chance to work with esteemed venues like Claridge’s, before becoming Head Tutor of their floristry school.

Helen on the other hand worked as a teacher and florist for many years. She’s arranged flowers for weddings and events, collaborating with many of London’s top florists and flower designers.

Together they aim to help Londoners to develop professional floristry skill and encourage them to indulge their passions and think differently about floristry.

We asked Helen a few questions in the run up to Chelsea Flower School, Summer 2017 and loads of great courses for all of us to indulge in at LFS May is a good time to be start I guess for obvious reasons?

May is the ideal time to open the doors of the London Flower School. The city is literally in full bloom and we are excited to be part it. There are copious flower events throughout the month, but the highlight is The Chelsea Flower Show and we at the London Flower School are delighted to celebrate it. We have tailored a one day course inspired by the gardens at Chelsea, and the by the range of flora on display throughout the week of the show. Flower lovers who attend this day will have the opportunity to create large scale arrangements using a wide variety of flowers.

We want to celebrate the city we live in, and the natural beauty around us.

What sets your classes apart from other courses available in London?

London has a great reputation for floral design.

We are lucky to have some of the foremost floral

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designers in the world in our vibrant city, who have been pushing the floristry industry forward for many years. The floristry courses that are currently available in London however, do not reflect this history of innovation. Most courses are directly associated with a floristry business, and therefore there is a natural tendency for the floristry teaching to reflect the business brand.

To be an innovative and professional florist, we believe that it is necessary and important to experience different floristry styles in order for our students to find their own voice. The energy and focus of our courses is therefore on the creative process, alongside the necessary technical training, as opposed to a particular style. We guide our students through different approaches and floristry styles, in order for them to understand the creative possibilities in floral design, and to ensure that by the end of their time with us, they leave with the confidence to explore their own creative vision.

We love the sound of the Constance Spry course - how do you think she changed attitudes to flowers? And what sort of things can students expect to learn on that course?

Constance Spry was a famous British educator, florist and author of the 1920’s. Although she became well known for her association with British aristocracy, she has also arguably been the most influential floral designer of our time. Her loose, fluid and natural style in solid blocks of colour were a move away from the stiff arrangements that were popular during the 20’s and 30’s. She also felt very strongly that imagination was more important than a huge budget, and brought flowers to the people encouraging them to use materials that were often discarded by other florists.

In our Two Days Inspired by Constance Spry Masterclass we will take a look Constance Spry’s unusual life, and explore her work and her design philosophy. We will look at her floral designs in context, in order to capture the essence of her inspiration. Our course aims to look at the unique way Constance incorporated different materials into her designs. We will experiment with the natural quality of flowers in order to create impact with line and texture. We will encourage our students to be inspired by her life, floral design

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‘We want to celebrate the city we live in, and the natural beauty around us.’

and thinking. To be adventurous and to open their ‘mind to every form of beauty’.

What is your take on buying flowers?

Our Career Course is focused on preparing every student for a career in floristry. Our floristry tutors are not only experienced teachers, but have years of experience in the floristry industry.

It was always our intent when we started the London Flower School that our students will learn everything about floristry that we know, including the necessary skills required to build a business.

As we do not run a flower business alongside our school, we are free to share our knowledge freely without worry of competition within the industry - everything we know, we want our students to know as well. We believe this sets us apart from other floristry schools in London.

What is the current state of Floristry in your opinion?

We believe that, like any art form, Floristry is greatly influenced by the history and social characteristics of the period in which we live. I recently came across some beautiful photographs of flower arrangements that were created during WII. During that time, there was a limited availability of flowers, because the priority was to grow food. This limitation however, did not deter the creativity or resourcefulness of the florists of the time, but inspired them to be imaginative with the materials that were available to them. The photographs show beautiful floral arrangements created with different types of foliage. Although there is an absence of flowers, and the arrangements clearly represent the hardship of the period, they also embody the resourcefulness and hope of the people at that time.

Up until recently, there has been an opulence in floral design that has been influenced greatly by economic prosperity and globalisation.

The availability and accessibility of different types of flora has provided florists with the opportunity to challenge their creativity without limitation. I do however, believe that this lavish approach to floral design is coming to an end. I feel that people have a desire today to reconnect with nature, and that florists will start representing this aspiration in their floral arrangements. My prediction is that

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the simplicity of the materials will not detract from the beauty of the arrangements though, as they will take on a more artistic and sculptural form.

This form of floral art that not only represents the way people feel about the world today, but also provides distraction from it, is the floristry of the future.

Will the art masterclass take inspiration from different artists or is there one that you will focus on?

I am very excited about the Inspired by Art Masterclass. As a florist, I often use art as inspiration for my designs. I take strong elements from the composition, such as colour and configuration, and use these as a foundation for a project. I want to encourage our students to look at art, and other forms of inspiration, in this way as well.

We will initially focus on the Dutch Masters on our course, but I would also like to introduce a more conceptual approach to the way we look at floristry. I would therefore like to introduce an artist such as Miro, so that our students will think differently about how they approach floral design and floristry techniques.

Do you think courses are more for floristry professionals and people who want to become florists?

We welcome everyone to the London Flower School. Our courses will provide a professional florist with the additional skills that they require, and more importantly, will inspire them to be as creative as they possibly can be, but we also have a love of flowers, and know that others do as well.

I have been teaching floristry for many years and I know the therapeutic property of flowers and flower arranging. There is a joy in working with and being around flowers that we want everyone to appreciate, and therefore we have designed our courses to ensure that, regardless of your floristry skill or experience, we welcome you to the London Flower School.

The next Inspired By Art Masterclass starts on 23rd June. We highly recommend London Flower School! For further information, please visit: www.londonflowerschool.com

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SUNSHINE ON THE SMILING COAST OF AFRICA COCO KHAN visits The Gambia for wildlife, winter sun, and a feeling she will remember for a lifetime.

‘What you will see is a cacophony of birds, tropical flowers, devilishly cheeky monkeys, and even some rare crocodiles that only eat fish.’

My trip to The Gambia began long before I arrived in the popular West African holiday spot. It started with a package in the post: a bundle of travel documents from our tour operator, The Gambia Experience. Inside the parcel was a hessian envelope packed with all the documents we’d need for our stay - convenient, as who really has a home printer anymore - alongside a pocket size guidebook about things to do.

I stayed up late that night, excitedly reading the guidebook, hanging on every word as though it were a Dan Brown novel. There was too much to take in, indeed, there is so much to explore in The Gambia that one little book was always only going to scratch the surface. Each day I daydreamed of the colours, the flavours, and the sun on my skin, and in the evening I’d return to the guidebook, to fill myself up with more dreams. I travelled to The Gambia for four days, but in spirit it was really 11.

Often, when we talk about “Africa” we speak of it as one single place. I imagined there would be giraffes, lions and rhino wandering the sands: there isn’t. If you want to see those kind of creatures, you’ll need to travel to neighbouring Senegal which, is actually easy enough through the tour operator. What you will see is a cacophony of birds, tropical flowers, devilishly cheeky monkeys, and even some rare crocodiles that only eat fish (so you can stroke them without fear of being mauled). I also thought of quaint village towns, women in gorgeous colourful traditional outfits carrying water or fruits - and you will see those, but you’ll also find premier league football, Heineken and the latest club music in the all-hours party district known as the strip. It

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is a holiday spot that defies expectation and is an easy-going introduction to the great continent.

Most tourists visit the Atlantic Coast for the sun, sea and sand, and it really is the perfect base to explore if you choose to do so. Tourism is one of Gambia’s main industries and many of the locals are involved in the sector, so despite the country’s economic instability, it is geared up to spoil visitors rotten as much as possible.

I stayed at Ngala Lodge, one of the main luxury hotels. It’s a short cab ride away from the strip and is designed like a plantation house, chock full of flora that attract the local birds. As you walk in, its silent - a luxury in bustling Gambia - with the only sound the squawks of the local birds. It’s a must-stay for twitchers, and relaxation junkies.

Ngala Lodge has it’s own private beach but no spa - for that you’ll need to stay at the larger Coco Ocean hotel which is designed like a North African palace. Ngala offers a boutique approximation: you can book spa treatments in your spacious double rooms (some of which even have their own plunge pool) and the hotel has a decking area that juts out onto the beach so you might tan to the sound of the waves. And both hotels have a fantastic outside pool complete with drinks service.

It’s true that The Gambia has an issue with tourists being hassled for money, or in elaborate ruses and scams - but despite not having as much private security as Coco Ocean, within the grounds of the Ngala Lodge itself I felt nothing but peace as the position of the beach makes security unnecessary. This is secluded, untouched beach..

The hotel has a good restaurant with three PAGE 12

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services each day and on certain evenings has live events. Jonathan Groves, the chef at Ngala Lodge, joined us for our after dinner coffees - and not because we are journalists - but because that is just the nature of the venue, and indeed of the entire nation. It’s not called the “smiling coast” for no reason: friendliness and joy is in every pore.

A trip to the dusty, Serrekunda market delivers everything we expect: car horns blaring, haggling in the air, energy and colour. We will visit various markets in our time there, marvelling at local craftmanship using mahogany, and picking up some traditional batik fabrics for low prices.

Everything in The Gambia is cheap for a UK traveller, which is perhaps why it is a favourite for package holidaymakers looking for winter sun (it’s well over 25 degrees when we visit in January).

The Gambia itself was formerly a Dutch and British colony, and these two nations make up their main visitors. English is therefore spoken everywhere and you’ll find European restaurants a-plenty to cater for homegrown tastes. For foodies, you must sample the traditional benachim, a gorgeous and rich stew made from meat or the abundance of fresh fish.

Being a coastal nation, fish is prominent in the cuisine and as part of their livelihood.

I’d recommend visiting the Tanji fishing village especially around the time the boats come in.

The boats are decorated by the fishermen in bright colours and it is quite the spectacle to see them return to shore amid the closing hours of the market trading that takes place there daily. There

is also the River Gambia - which winds through the nation and is perfect for a lazy (boozy) cruise.

Stop off in secluded riverside beaches for a swim, and marvel at the wildlife flocking to the creeks, and the oysters that grow on the riverside mangroves. And don’t forget to visit the riverside Lamin Lodge for a coffee and a deserved slice of cake. Be warned: the local monkeys are quite used to snatching sweet treats from your plates, and even your hands.

There is so much coast, you’d be mad to stick to your own hotel beach. We wandered down to visit the vibrant beach bars near Sanyang, taking in delicious BBQ food at the Rainbow Beach Bar, before watching the athleticism of competitors participating in the traditional Gambian wrestling the venue hosts. Watch out though ladies, these strapping men wear very little while wrestling and there were more than a few blushing belles in the audience. Topping it off with a doze on the beach (before being awoken by cow passing through), it was delightful to feel truly “far from home.”

When I returned back to London, it was difficult to adjust. I understood why, our fellow hotel guests said they returned every year, and I wondered how it could be that The Gambia isn’t spoken about more. More than anything, I felt pleased to have visited and to feel like I had stumbled onto a hidden treasure. I have looked to recreate that feeling on many of my other travels but few have come close. I said I travelled to The Gambia for four days, but really it was 11. In truth, that was a journey for a lifetime.

We travelled with The Gambia Experience - the UK’s only tour operator specialising in holidays to The Gambia - and stayed in the exquisite Ngala Lodge. To do the same, prices start from £599pp this summer, based on 7 nights B&B and two sharing a suite, including flights and transfers. This represents a saving of up to £369pp compared to winter prices, which is the most popular time for visits to The Gambia.

Their cheapest package holiday this summer is based on 7 nights B&B at Lemon Creek Hotel (3-grade) with prices from £399, a saving of up to £359.

For people looking to get away in the winter months, now is a great time to book with packages as affordable as 7 nights from £639 staying at the African Village Hotel (2-grade) including flights and transfers. And whichever way you choose to visit, book soon to avoid disappointment. For more information and to book, visit www.gambia.co.uk or call 01489866939

‘A trip to the dusty, Serrekunda market delivers everything we expect: car horns blaring, haggling in the air, energy and colour.’

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

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‘ It’s not called the “smiling coast” for no reason: friendliness and joy is in every pore.’

DRIVING ON SUNSHINE Aston Martin’s new offering - The Art of Living - are tailormade road-trip experiences in the same tone of exquisite luxury that has defined the iconic car manufacturer. OLIVIA PALAMOUNTAIN takes the DB11 for a spin as part of it.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so they say. In the Aston Martin DB11, I think I have found an exception to the rule. This car really is everyone’s type.

It’s a gorgeous machine, an undeniable babe with perfectly balanced muscle and curves and designed in proportion with Aston Martin’s famous golden ratio. The wraparound clamshell bonnet is a showstopper, made from a single piece of aluminum with no cut lines to disrupt the perfect nose, and the interior is breathtaking, rich with ornate brogue details. Bond aficionados will see clear parallels with the DB10, and thanks to the new and aptly named ‘Q’ service, it is now possible to work with the design team to customise every element of an Aston and tailormake your dream ride.

"We aspire to make the most beautiful cars in the world," said Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer – and it’s clear that Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman has absolutely smashed the brief. But the DB11 is more than just a pretty face – she’s a polyglot supermodel with a PHD in aerodynamic engineering. And I’ve got a ticket to ride.

In fact, even without keys of your own, with Aston Martin’s new ‘Art of Living’ offering, so do you. Part of Andy Palmer’s “second century plan” to evolve Aston Martin into a luxury brand, this offers both clients and fans curated driving and lifestyle experiences around the world. Fancy a rally weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed? How about a Fast Track Adventure at Le Mans with the Aston Martin team – or a four-day road trip exploring the Norwegian wilderness?

Art of Living experiences don’t come cheap: three days ice driving in New Zealand costs from around £5,500 for two –but compare this to the £155,000 price tag of the new DB11, it’s a snip. Aston Martin is a well-loved brand, but it’s no secret that the company has been struggling financially, reporting a £162.8m pre-tax loss for 2016, up from £128m a year ago. The Art of Living introduction is one phase of a £700m rebirth set to turn these fortunes around, designed to elevate Aston Martin into the same league as the likes of luxury powerhouses Hermès and Louis Vuitton by 2022.

A new product line has also been added including eyewear and accessories, and there’s even a division that will design your home.

Seriously. The arrival of the DB11 has already proven a surge in the right direction with the Gaydon HQ working flat out to meet demand. Opening the factory up to consumers via the Art of Living program is another vehicle to build brand awareness, with tours of the premises and one-to-one sessions with the master craftsmen that bring these machines to life. It’s from here that I have been invited to be one of the first people in the world to take a spin in the DB11, and join the team on a taste of what Art of Living is all about.

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

Even the most reticent petrol-head can’t fail to be impressed with the artistry and engineering at the factory, and after a walk round the factory floor I’m introduced to several steps in the design process, such as clay modeling and leather trimming. We’re even given a sneak preview of the track-only Vulcan hypercar, a £2.3m beast created in association with Red Bull. But it’s only once I’m behind the wheel of the DB11 itself that I’m well and truly hooked.

From the perfectly pitched clunk and suck of the door as it seals you inside, to the grip of the botoxed-smooth hand-stitched leather steering wheel, and the howl of the 5.2 litre V12 engine as it fires up, every element of the DB11 experience has been designed to delight the senses. And that’s before I’ve even put my foot down. With the satnav pre-programmed to take me on a tour around the Cotswolds, culminating at the elegant Painswick Hotel, after a few revs of the engine and a rather large gulp, I’m on the road.

Tootling the DB11 through some of the prettiest countryside in the UK is a killer experience – like I’ve landed a starring role in a supercharged episode of Midsomer Murders. Even for a grand tourer it’s a chunky car so I have to hold my breath when navigating a few of the slimline bridges and quaint Cotswolds bends, but the DB11 is really built for the open road. Since the DB11 is the most powerful DB production model in Aston Martin’s history – as well as the most dynamic – at speed it packs a serious punch. Capable of reaching 200 mph, with 62 mph dispatched in 3.9 seconds, in the right hands the DB11 flies. But in true Art of Living style I’m in deluxe mode and choose to cruise over pedal to the metal thrillseeking, at very least so I make it to dinner in one piece. That said, I’m pumped enough to start dishing out the royal wave to pedestrians (and posing when the cameras start flashing) so for anyone wanting to know what it feels like to have all eyes on you, I can vouch that this car delivers.

So too does our final destination, The Painswick, a glorious 18th century former vicarage built in honeyed Cotswolds stone. With a sexed-up home-from-home vibe, bijou treatment rooms, and hilltop views of the Slad Valley, a stay here makes a fitting end to a day in the DB11. Part of the Art of Living philosophy is intimate access to the team; design guru Marek Reichman joins us for dinner at the hotel. After my stint as a debutante VIP, there’s only one thing I want to know. Is there a DB11 Volante planned and when can I drive it. The answer? It’s out now, in perfect time for summer – and for me to start practicing my pout.

For more information visit www.astonmartinartofliving.com.

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‘I’ve got a ticket to ride, and in fact, even without keys of your own so do you.’

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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

ADVERTORIAL

MICHAEL JOHNSON COLLABORATES WITH DOM REILLY TO CREATE THE PERFECT BAG FOR INTERNATIONAL JET SETTERS The M JP is a luxurious hold-all for all ocassions

Michael Johnson won 13 Olympic and World Championship medals – all of which were gold! He still holds the World and Olympic records in the 400m and held the World and Olympic record in the 200m for 16 years until Usain Bolt broke his record at the Beijing Olympics. He remains to this day, one of the greatest and most consistent sprinters in the history of track and field.

When Michael tasked Dom Reilly to design a bag for him, they were looking forward to satisfying a highly demanding wish list and true to expectations, the resulting collaboration has created a multi-purpose bag designed to satisfy several distinct events.

Michael’s perfect travelling bag was based around his average day.

This often includes a trip to the gym, a TV appearance, a conference, a business meeting, a dinner and a stay at a hotel. He wanted one bag to satisfy all this daily needs and of course the bag also needed to be stylish,

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

elegant and luxurious as well as practical and lightweight. And that’s exactly what Dom Reilly came up with. A lightweight, hand-crafted in mixed material luxurious hold-all bag is ideally suited for a day at the office, an overnight stay at a luxury hotel or even a trip to the gym.

Combining soft, smooth leather handles with full grain leather panels and lightweight Italian fabrics the bag has a sophisticated layer of textures.

Every bag has a silver lining which is also waterproof. Inside there are distinct pockets for a phone, laptop, tablet and passport. In addition, it has a secret expandable shoe compartment that is accessible from an outside zipped pocket. Handmade in Italy by classical artisans, the bag offers a refined and understated elegance.

The MJP is available online from www.domreilly.com starting at £1050

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LUXURY RE-ENGINEERED

The Dom Reilly watch roll A supremely elegant case in full-grain leather affording unprecedented protection for up to four wristwatches.

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CRAFT FUSION

On the edge of the sleepy Devon market town of Holsworthy, not far from the North Cornwall coast and the border between Devon and Cornwall, glass artist Gregg Anston-Race has set up his studio Craft Fusion, making kiln formed art glass. As you enter the gallery attached to the studio, you find yourself surrounded by glass vessels and wall art, bursting with crisp bold colours echoing the tones of the lush green landscape and wild coastline found in this part of the world.

Gregg, a proud Cornish man, who has lived in Cornwall all his life and is a member of the Cornwall Craft Association, says, ‘It’s impossible to live in this beautiful part of the world and not be inspired by the countryside around you, the wildness of Bodmin Moor, the clarity of the light and beauty of the rugged coast and ever changing moods of the sea, sometimes still and calm in shades of deep greens and blues and at other times, wild and stormy with bursts of white foam rising from its clear aqua depths.

It’s easy to see the influence this has had on Gregg’s work, especially in the glass pieces where the base colour bursts through the colour on top giving it an almost textured look, a technique unique to his work. It’s an idea that came to him when driving home one day, when he realised what would happen if he combined the work that he’d been doing that day in test firings, the results can be seen in his ‘Oblivion’ vessel and many of his other works.

Gregg remembers dreaming about glass as a child and wonders if his Mother’s love of collecting coloured glass might have influenced him, as possibly her other passion for exploring old mine workings for minerals might have influenced his sister, who is now a Geologist! He says if he’s lucky perhaps his passion will influence his Daughter and she will follow him into glass making, though there could be quite a long wait before that happens as she is only just over a year old.

Gregg studied art in Cornwall before working in two art related jobs,

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

leaving them to set up his own studio, he likes to work where possible directly onto the glass, only occasionally drawing the work first, often making smaller versions of larger pieces to test out ideas. His work uses layers of clear glass, interspersed with different grades of glass powders in a myriad of colour, some items such as the large vessels have to undergo three firings before they are hand finished, each of these firings can be as long as twelve hours in the kiln.

All the work produced in the studio is handmade by Gregg, quite a feat with three kilns of up to 2 X 1 metres to fill, and over seventy galleries to supply, as well as work for private commissions, hardly surprising that Gregg often works a six-day week, though he says, “It doesn’t really feel like work when you’re doing something you want to do.”

His mother helps him out when she can with the hand finishing the glass and packing.

When Gregg started out in his own studio twelve years ago it was quite a leap of faith, he knew what he wanted to do and was determined to make fused glass that looked more organic. It wasn’t easy and for the first two years he worked without taking a wage determined to succeed as an individual glass artist, creating his own designs, experimenting with new techniques and testing new concepts.

His glass has a tactile quality, making it impossible to resist running your hands over its and smooth cool surface, to Gregg the curve and form of the glass are as important as the colour and design.

Gregg’s work will be on view this Spring at exhibitions at Cut the Mustard Gallery in Langholm, Scotland and from April to June at a maker ‘Focus’ exhibition held by the Cornwall Craft Association in the foyer of the Trelissick Gallery, Feock near Truro, Cornwall. A list of other galleries that regularly stock Gregg’s work can be found on his website www.craftfusion.co.uk

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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

POLO IN THE PARK World class polo comes to the Centre of London for Chestertons Polo in the Park

Combining world-class sport, a host of London’s most exciting restaurants and Europe’s longest outdoor bar, Chestertons Polo in the Park, taking place on 9, 10, & 11 June 2017 at Hurlingham Park, Fulham is the perfect setting for polo fans and London’s social society to kick-off their summer season in style.

The pitch side entertainment ensures that spectators are treated to a day of non-stop action both on and off the field. An array of exclusive bars, including the renowned Mahiki Bar, Champagne Lanson Garden Bar and Fever Tree Bar & Garden provide quintessential locations to enjoy world class polo and music whilst sipping a thirst-quenching cocktail. For those with withdrawal symptoms from the nearby Kings Road, there is an onsite shopping village featuring an array of boutiques selling unique luxury items.

The Grazing Paddock, polo’s greatest food festival, will return bigger and even tastier in 2017 with many of London’s most sensational restaurants and street food pop-ups in attendance to ensure the fans of Chestertons Polo in the Park 2017 dine like polo royalty.

International Friday promises to be a hotly contested showdown between ICM Capital Team England and Champions Polo League Team India, who are returning to the historic Hurlingham Park for the first time

in over 70 years. India will be led by HH Maharaja Padmanabh Singh. who belongs to the Royal family of Jaipur. He follows a bloodline of top international polo players including his Grand-Father, the late Maharaja Sawai Man Singhji Bahadur, who was a close polo-playing friend of Prince Charles. Joining HH in the team will be Shamsher Ali Khan, India’s highest rated polo player and Samir Suhag.

Saturday 10 June, Ladies Day presented by Foreo, has fast become one of the most desired tickets in the London social calendar as Hurlingham Park overflows with champagne and summer’s most stylish outfits.

Finals Day takes place on Sunday 11 June and will see the crowning of the champions of Chestertons Polo in the Park 2017. The last day of action is perfect for all ages, starting early at 11am with London’s top entertainers providing fun and interactive activities for children before the top-class polo gets underway. From lunchtime, attention will shift to the polo, when top London socialites will gather to watch the pinnacle of the weekend’s action from the VIP Mahiki tent.

Tickets for Chestertons Polo in the Park start from just £15. Tickets can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.co.uk. For more information please visit www.polointheparklondon.com.

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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

ADVERTORIAL

DISSENTERS GALLERY Kensal Green Cemetery has always been a cool place to go for a stroll, alone or with a companion, but now the Dissenters’ Chapel, tucked in the south-eastern corner, has come into its own as a destination in itself, with all kinds of goings there, all in the name of Art.

With its own entrance directly onto Ladbroke Grove, (through a door in the ancient wall, just after the bridge over the canal) the Dissenters’ Gallery has the pleasing feeling of a well-kept secret, and on descending the winding steps you find yourself presented with a very unexpected space indeed.

The glass frontage floods the space with light, and inside the intriguinglyshaped exhibition room one invitingly curved wall contrasts attractively with its straight neighbours, creating an atmospheric backdrop to enhance your appreciation of whatever happens to be hanging there at the time.

If the opening I attended earlier this year was anything to go by, the venue is somewhere not only to see but to be seen in - hordes of terrifyingly trendy types of all ages jostled to examine Haunted Beauty by Nadine Tallala, the first in a series showcasing emerging female artists. Her colourful works made up for what i felt to be a lack of technique with interesting subjectmatter and an enjoyably idiosyncratic vision.

I particularly liked the painting of a naked (apart from a top hat) James Barry, a highly successful Victorian surgeon, only discovered on ‘his’ death to have secretly been a woman all along. She is buried nearby, along with several of the other romantic and defiant figures from these arresting canvases.

Clutching my glass of wine, served through the convenient hatch to the little kitchen, I thought I had seen all there was to see, which had already

been plenty, but following the crowd to the end of the room, we turned a corner and found ourselves in the beautiful old chapel itself, its terracotta hues and decorative painted details a complete contrast in ambience to the whitewashed modernity of the previous room.

Here the artist had hung her larger, most striking works, and here too, a lone guitarist plucked plaintive melodies on a little stage in the corner.

Altogether a memorable evening in a magical place, and the memory of the live music brings me nicely to the most exciting aspect of this hidden gem _ a look at their website will soon make you realise that what goes on here is by no means confined to static displays on the walls. Oh no!

There might be music or performance! There will be multi-sensory workshops, whatever they may be, and much, much more! In short, there will be, indeed there already have been what in my youth were called ‘Happenings”... and it all sounds absolutely fascinating!

So get hip and check out the rich and strange programme of forthcoming events and enjoy some experimental mental stimulation in a unique setting.

In this crazy world in which we live, we are fortunate to have such a groovy environment right on our doorstep, fostering creativity and self-expression and it needs to be encouraged. Come see for yourself - and get involved! info@dissentersgallery.com

WORDS SUSAN SAUNDERS

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

PAGE 24

‘The hotel has the feel of a Dutch art curator quirky, fun, but very serious about aesthetics..’

DUTCH COURAGE Iconic east London hotel, The Hoxton, opened doors recently in the vibrant, trendy city of Amsterdam. Can it still continue its magic overseas? COCO KHAN went to find out.

I can tell I’m arriving to a little slice of east London as I approach the hotel. The canal it’s situated on, Herengracht, is one of the most important canals in Amsterdam, historically populated with wealthy merchants and still today associated with prestige. It’s silent on this early spring evening, except for a group of revellers crowded around a door, smoking. The revellers are well-dressed, chic, youthful but tailored, and the door they crowd around is the entrance to The Hoxton, Amsterdam.

For the uninitiated, The Hoxton Hotel was one of east London’s first premium hotels, before Ace Hotel, and before South Place.

With its boutique feel and engagement with the local, thriving cultural scene in its events and food offering, it marked the arrival of east London as a luxury force to be reckoned with. Some while after, the hotel continued its journey opening a venue in Holborn, and its latest incarnation is in Amsterdam, opening its doors in 2015.

As you walk in, the first thing you’re greeted by is the buzz of the bar and restaurant located next to the reception desk. With its low lighting, leather seating but stripped back, almost industrial decor it feels familiar.

I find out later the restaurant is run by Soho House & Co and it clicks: Shoreditch House. That’s not to say the hotel isn’t Dutch feeling. It is adorned with kitsch objects around the venue; the menu stands out with its use of local produce; and of course it doesn’t take long before you spot the odd image of a clog somewhere. It has the feel of a Dutch art curator - quirky, fun, but very serious about aesthetics.

The modern design feel of east London continues in the room itself.

Amsterdam, like many other historic destinations in Europe, is a city where space is at a premium, but although the room is modest sized, it contains all the modcons you could need - stowed away in chic cabinets created to fit a particular angle - and giving an overall feeling of care and meticulousness alongside carefree flourishes of 21st Century style: the exposed clothes rail, the refurbished rotary dial phone. The bed is

plump, the shower powerful, and the view is of the canal - what else can I ask for?

It’s strange to be staying in one of the best places for a drink and a bite in Amsterdam. Wandering around the city, we ask locals: “where’s a cool place to get a drink.” Without fail, on every list is the Hoxton Hotel and we are reminded how spoiled we are. it is clear The Hoxton has made its mark on the city, and with openings soon in Chicago and Paris, it’ll soon make its mark on the world.

For more information about staying at The Hoxton Amsterdam, visit www.thehoxton.com

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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

TOP OF THE WORLD: TRAVELLING TO GREENLAND WITH NORTH SAILING KATE WEIR braves the unknown (and the cold) to discover an untouched pocket of the world that surpassed all expectation

The Donna Wood, a riveted and beamed, century-old sailing boat – a former lighthouse ship and one of Icelandic travel company North Sailing’s (www. northsailing.is) fleet – could exist in any era as it crests through Greenland’s fjords. It’s a setpiece ripped from Shackleton’s memoirs, but outfitted for journeys of markedly less endurance: cabin bunks are soft and cosy, radiators are toasty, and – to my great relief – hot showers are available. Our band of 12 wakes to the scent of chef Gudný’s freshly baked bread every morning and returns to osso bucco and tender, barbecued Icelandic lamb after chilly hikes and zodiac outings. North Sailing’s ships usually cruise the coast of Húsavík on whale-watching trips, but this week-long tour passes through the world’s largest fjord system on the world’s largest island – a typical scale this far north, where glaciers the size of buildings calve to form the restless landscape.

Greenland is unique as a holiday destination – the island attracts adventurers, romantics, solitude seekers – its maps still show uncharted territory. As such, tourism is a slow grower, a near non-existent internal infrastructure (most natives travel by helicopter, boat, dog-sled or skis) makes self-planned trips near impossible, and the ominously disappearing ice sheet covering 80 per cent of its surface, raises ethical quandaries (Crystal Cruises came under fire for adding a route through the recently deiced Northwest Passage). There’s also no WiFi, anywhere. But, for some the country’s siren song is as clamorous as the howls of native packs of half-wild huskies, descended from those brought by the Thule people in the 13thcentury, themselves the ancestors of modern Inuits living in the capital Nuuk and some of the world’s remotest villages beyond. Alongside moments of intense wild beauty, there’s the intrigue of ice-bound survival: life and death

determined by freeze and thaw; stoical views of love and madness; and folk tales of an incestuous sun and moon, a capricious sea goddess demanding shamans to comb her tangled waves, and revenge by hand-crafted tupilaq (monsters animated by curses).

We arrive by chartered, propeller-driven plane from Reykjavik, a twohour journey ending in views over ice-bound mountains curving around the southeast coast, before landing between golden bluffs onto a dirt-track runway. Our Cornish guide, Iona, greets us, a rifle (used to frighten, rather than kill, polar bears and charging musk oxen) and flares in her backpack, it’s warmer than I expected – Iona wears a t-shirt – and the Donna Wood looks majestic atop the Hurry Inlet’s shimmering waters. After we’re assigned cabins, kitted out with unwieldy but warm flotation suits, and fed open-faced sandwiches with lamb and smoked trout, we set sail. Icebergs like crazed, megafauna meringues drift by, and we perch on the roof of the boat to watch snow cascade from the active Sunrise Glacier, breathing in the supernaturally fresh air.

By dusk we arrive at Ittoqqortoormiit. One of the world’s most remote villages, its closest neighbour is Tasilaq, 800km to the south, (Reykjavik is a relatively neighbourly 707km); it was settled as a hunting outpost in 1925, but since the industry dwindled, the population sank to less than 500. Royal Arctic Line supply ships can only reach here during the summer months, so the local shop sells everything from sweets to rifles. It was closed by the time we moored and sped over in a zodiac to the the last man-made harbour we’d encounter. Instead, we visit the two-room museum housed in one of the brightly coloured huts dotting the landscape. There are photographs of town ancestors, some dressed in polar-bear-leg trousers, and outsider

art: landscape oils by the town’s first qualified doctor, and a gift shop sells posters, books, traditional bead art and musk-ox-fur-lined doodads (sold for Danish Kroner or Euros). We dine on a musk-ox roast in the community hall. It’s warming and hearty, the locals we meet are friendly yet avoid being overly personable (the village exists at the crux of a curious culture clash, after all), and afterwards we walk up to the helipad to watch the Northern Lights flare and dance across the sky. It’s a magical send off before we abandon phone reception altogether.

Anchoring at Hekla Havn, we ride to Denmark Island to explore one of the wooden trapper’s huts left in various states of abandonment across the wilderness. This one is far from derelict – well insulated, furnished with beds and a kitchen, one that may well be used by brave souls who wander solo – but it’s the sort of place horny horror-movie teens escape to – dark and lonesome – and left-to-rot books, wine bottles, and even vintage pornography give it an eerie Marie Celeste feel. After all, in the crevasses between rip-roaring adventure tales from Greenland’s early 20th century are trappers and whalers succumbed to snow madness and scurvy – both rare occurrences nowadays, I hasten to add. The surrounding landscape is shockingly autumnal – a coat of red and orange added by dwarf birch and willow. It’s unexpectedly fertile, and rather enchanting.

Rødefjord’s ‘iceberg city’ – an inlet where these drifting sculptural behemoths get trapped – is perhaps my favourite part of the trip – it feels like Narnia’s snow queen’s great hall. In the zodiac, icebergs tower over us, at once white, pale green, lilac, pink and all shades of blue. The old ‘tip of the iceberg’ adage proves true – submerged shadowy bulks nod to their awesome ship-rending power; we’re silently relieved that our ship has a wholly modern radar. A crack – loud as gunshot – and a hunk of iceberg calves into the water; waves thrash and the ‘berg starts to tip. As mild peril subsides we’re elated to have witnessed something so humbling. We grab a clear hunk of ice from the water, later to be shattered and added to tots of whisky back onboard.

In Harefjord after spying dainty musk ox grazing on a slope, we stop to hike high over a canyon – there are no trails and it’s hard going for a novice such as myself, but our extremely patient guide teaches me how to zig-zag and scamper between the foliage. Brimming with confidence, I head out on every ensuing hike. Each reveals something new – artful boulder

formations, mirror-clear lakes, arctic birds peaceably roosting – and at the apex of our final hike, a five-hour climb up a peak in the Bear Islands, the natural panorama at the top is a breath-taking spectacle of far-flung peaks, troughs and frozen grandeur, which we enjoy in perfect silence. It’s an ideal swansong to a trip where we’d released main and mizzen sails to billow in the wind, huddled around a beach bonfire and witnessed the earth in its raw state.

Greenland’s cool otherness has fleeting moments of familiarity: Fønfjord’s basalt columns interrupt Gåseland’s mountain faces like an untamed Giant’s Causeway, the blush sandstone ravines and bluffs at the mouth of Harefjord recall Utah’s great outdoors, an earthily toned Uluru twin cleaves into Rødefjord – a dramatic backdrop for spearmint icebergs – and the snowy summits and arêtes of the Bear Islands could be plucked from Patagonia’s skyline. Each deja vu monument is gargantuan and untrodden, pure and silent – altogether stranger for its remoteness, but comfortingly of this planet in a place that often feels anything but.

I expected my Greenland visit to be low on creature comforts, and lumbered with the emotional and physical drain of final-frontier chasing – or, at the very least, chilly. However, our little boat began to feel rather like home; the small number of guests made for relaxed intimate company, a truly shared experience lacking on larger cruise ships that head this far north – an eco-friendlier way to travel too. Our crew – Captain Sune (a hilarious salty dog of fresher waters), ever-helpful first mate Henrik, snaphappy engineer Bjøssi, self-confessed ‘iceberg geek’ Inka and inspirational guide Iona (whose good nature and adventurous spirit made me think of her as a sweeter version of Mad Max’s Furiosa) – worked unfailingly to ensure we were comfortable, safe and happy. Come evening, devoid of electronic distractions, we’d revert to low-lit story swapping around a laden table, punctuated by shots of Johnnie Walker black label, and cans of Icelandic beer. Royal Arctic Line crew member Christian projected his snaps of itinerant life in the Arctic, Gudný talked of friends in Ittoqqortoormiit, people would dart in and out to see if the Northern Lights had begun their ballet, shanties were sung, jokes were swapped – and amid frosty impermanence, in an environment anarchically resisting human imprint, where the polar nip pinches through layers of Goretex, we found a spot of warmth.

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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

DIARY OF A DUBROVNIK WANDERER KIM TAYLOR-FOSTER discovers 72 hours in southern Croatia, the historic and iconic, Dubrovnik.

‘Replete with beguiling culture, a rare beauty in its landscape and mix of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture, it offers visitors to its rocky shores a trove of experiences.’

The famous medieval walls of the old city look dark and surly. It’s summer and they’re not used to this rain. From May onwards, you can pretty much bank on wall-to-ancient-wall sunshine but there’s clearly been a blip in the weather system.

It’s looking more Manchester-on-sea than Adriatic beauty spot right now. The sun will come out later, though, and the stone walls will be back to their usual bright and cheery selves.

It’s a paradox that in the 21st century these walls offer visitors such a warm welcome, when they were built to keep people out. Never once breached by hostile forces in their day, they were good at it too. Today, they might look dour and forbidding in the inclement conditions but the effect just serves as a reminder to its newly arrived British visitors of what they once were.

And soon, we’ll take to the cobbled streets to explore everything that’s secreted behind those walls, met this time with an all-together friendlier reception – a historic city brought to life by the sunshine; hospitable buildings, smooth, shiny travertine pavements and all.

This is Dubrovnik: a city so historically significant it’s been designated a Unesco World Heritage site. It’s seen a lot since the Middle Ages and today this small city of less than 50,000 inhabitants within the equally sparsely populated country of Croatia (around 5 million) is a unique, thriving place. Replete with beguiling culture, a rare beauty in its landscape and mix of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture, it offers visitors to its rocky shores a trove of experiences.

From its world-class wines and fresh cuisine to its rich history, unspoiled islands and unrivalled seascapes, you can discover it all while cosseted

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in the lap of luxury. Spend 72 hours there, like I did, and get a taste of its fertile shores.

DAY 1 Thank goodness for five-star luxury. Getting to the airport for a 6.15am flight, then to be greeted by wet stuff from the sky means I could do with some restorative pampering. The Hotel Excelsior delivers on that front. Occupying a prime spot along Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, views from the terrace are revivingly dramatic with the green and craggy uninhabited island of Lokrum directly opposite and those domineering city walls of Dubrovnik old town to the right. And, of course, stretching out ahead, the miles and miles of sea currently being battered by the heavy rain. It’s an adrenaline shot.

The 1913-built structure I’m standing on has been sympathetically extended and renovated over the years, and it closes later this year for a complete re-fit. Just a five-minute stroll from the old town, it’s not only well-located for views, swimming and sunbathing (it’s got its own private beach), it’s conveniently placed for seeing Dubrovnik’s historic sights and visiting its attractions. But for now, I’m replenishing my energy levels with a leisurely lunch in the hotel’s main restaurant. After, I’ll complete the job with a relaxing massage in the spa before heading out, prepped and primed, for a walking tour of the old town.

The sun’s out and Dubrovnik’s early evening seems a distant cousin to the earlier part of the day. Stone walls and the city’s limestone paving are transformed. They’re perky, almost; PAGE 28

hospitable. Our guide Aljoša, who’s also a music professor and plays in a local rock band, is a distracting combination of Richard Gere and Ruud Gullit, but he’s very knowledgeable and leads us casually through the winding, cobbled streets and walkways, stopping at key points to fill us in on Dubrovnik’s rich history.

20 years ago, this beautiful city was wartorn but the only real visual clues are the wash of bright new orange-red rooftops and the city’s evocative memorials. Aljoša takes us through into the 16th century Sponza Palace, where the ornate architecture is replaced with stark minimalism as we enter a room of walls lined with portraits.

This is the Memorial Room of the Defenders of Dubrovnik: rows of black and white photographs of the men who lost their lives defending the city in the Croatian War of Independence surround us, and there are one or two other artifacts dotted around telling their heartrending story.

Dubrovnik’s important buildings have a kind of rustic grandeur. In fact, you could say the same about all of the town’s edifices. We pop in and out of churches, this palace, bars and restaurants, and each one is dignified, quietly celebrating its own majesty, whatever its scale. Game of Thrones is filmed here and with all the money and will in the world, they couldn’t have built a better set.

The locals are proud of their city – that’s obvious. The streets are spotless; people are respectful of it, possibly because the memory of war is so fresh. They’re also easy going and minus any hint of pomposity. We interrupt a Catholic service in one church we step inside to gawk at and nobody bats an eyelid.

Ask a Dubrovnik local about the food, and they’ll all tell you to eat the grilled fish. Carpaccio is very fashionable here at the moment and, appetite stoked, dinner starts on cue with a superthinly sliced monkfish carpaccio. We’ve headed out to Vapor at the Excelsior’s sister hotel, Bellevue, for a seafood feast, which includes lobster with homemade black pasta as the main course.

DAY 2 Aside from grilled fish, Dubrovnik is also famous for oysters. This morning, we’re visiting an oyster farm by boat and I’m surprised at what constitutes ‘farm’. Our hosts tie the boat to a makeshift wooden platform in the middle of a stretch of sea along the coast and we disembark. This is the Maskevič family, and they’re proudly showing off their farm. It’s 700 years old – the oldest in Croatia – and has been in the family for every one of those years.

Around the platform is a network of ropes and nets with oysters attached. “The oysters release eggs, then the plastic nets catch the baby oysters. In a year, you get small oysters growing on the nets,” says Host Number One.

The oysters are then left to grow for another two years before they’re harvested and sold.

A farm like the Maskevič’s can expect to make around 5 Croatian Kuna (about 50p) per oyster.

“It’s the saltwater-freshwater mix here that helps oysters thrive. There is lots of plankton, which oysters like,” explains Host Number Two,

who’s busy plating up and shucking some fresh specimens for us to try.

“Here” is the bay of Mali Ston, home to some of the best oysters in the world and the globe’s largest producer of the delicacy. The Maskevič family also farms mussels, and I’m given a lovely juicy little morsel to try alongside a couple of salty oysters, half a lemon and a glass of wine. Not a bad morning.

I’ve cultivated a taste for Croatian wine now, so it’s a treat to be heading next to the Saints Hills winery a bit further out on the Pelješac peninsula. We take to the road to get there, and it’s a winding, undulating route across Croatia’s precipitous terrain.

The winery looks very new. It’s an enterprise now in its third season founded by entrepreneur Ernest Tolj, who has assembled a fine bunch of oenologists and gastronomes to create a wonderful tourist attraction. Here, you can see how the wine is made, taste it and experience fine dining. I try a type of risotto ball specific to this area and a focaccia-style bread from the island of Vis that’s a national speciality, plus an inventively arranged octopus carpaccio (naturally), homemade pasta with prawns and a spectacularly smooth vanilla and lavender ice cream accompanying a fresh fruit tart.

Tolj has named the wines after his children – there’s the Sveti Roko, a Zinfandel-like plavac; the white Nevina and the fabulous Dingač.

The 2011 vintage is one of the best years here.

They also produce an olive oil – Sveti Lorena – named after Tolj’s youngest daughter and a light

rosé called St Heel’s, quite unlike other Croatian rosés due to its Provence influence.

Today is certainly a showcase for Croatian food: after heading back to the hotel for some time on the beach, I’ll head into the old town to experience the cuisine at Proto, an acclaimed fish restaurant. This time, I’ll heed the local advice and try the grilled fish – sea bass, the catch of the day – and won’t regret it.

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DAY 3 The night before saw a protracted dinner in the company of some of the Game of Thrones production crew, followed by a stop-off in a central bar popular with locals. As such, today starts later than planned – and with a swim in the hotel pool which I have to myself.

Croatia’s Dalmatian coast is famed for its islands – there are 79 inhabited and uninhabited islands plus hundreds of islets too – and today I’ll take to the water and explore some of the more developed of the Elafiti islands. It’s overcast but we’re hopeful for sunshine, as some on the boat are keen to swim. We drop anchor at Lopud and take a wander through the gorgeously leafy Đorđić-Mayneri park.

But the sun is peeking through the clouds and the water is calling. We take to the waves once more, and I ride on the front of the boat where I promptly fall asleep, rocked like a baby in a cot by the rhythmic motion, waking once we reach our swimming spot. People jump in.

The sea is cold but not freezing, and we’re told

‘I return for a late lunch at the hotel’s beachfront restaurant, Prora, and I’m incredulous to learn that in winter the entire restaurant is submerged by the high tide.’

to mind the sea urchins that attach themselves to the nearby rocks.

The island of Koločep is calling, where we’ll lunch in the most wonderful setting outdoors at the island’s romantic restaurant, Villa Ruža – scene of a friend’s wedding actually, and many others since, no doubt.

It’s catch of the day for me. The waiter brings out a platter of freshly caught fish and I eye the red snapper. It feeds four, but it takes no effort at all to find three volunteers among my group willing to share. We’ll all share mixed appetisers and desserts too. I love the casual yet oh-so-civilised way of this island eatery and as I wait between courses, I sit with my legs thrown over the restaurant’s wall overlooking the waves smashing against the rocks below.

None of us would want to leave if we weren’t keen to sun ourselves back at the hotel’s beach and take another dip in the sea before dinner.

We’re booked in to sample more of the country’s finest cuisine at Villa Orsula, the boutique hotel next door to the Excelsior.

The Victoria Restaurant here actually serves Peruvian cuisine. The setting is dreamy and low-key and offers privacy, with a lower-level lounge bar that leads into the hotel’s manicured gardens below.

Head chef Roberto Chavez is a native Peruvian and introduces his tasting menu proudly.

There’s a fair amount of octopus but we’re lucky enough to try all sorts of delicious dishes, most of it seafood-based. The wine flows and I keep my Aperol cocktail on the go throughout.

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A really well balanced meal, I’m satisfied without feeling uncomfortably full but I’m tired and want my bed.

DAY 4 My last few hours in Dubrovnik ahead of an early evening flight back to London, I wake a little later than usual and head down for a swim.

I’m thinking about taking a last stroll around the old town before the cruise ships arrive and flood the centre with ocean-faring day trippers – I’ve got to try an ice cream yet, visit the morning market and reacquaint myself with the town’s museums and galleries. There’s the War Photo Limited gallery, which houses exhibitions featuring some of the world’s most powerful war photography, former governmental building the Rector’s Palace, plus the Dominican Monastery and Franciscan Monastery, each with fascinating exhibits and paintings.

I return for a late lunch at the hotel’s beachfront restaurant, Prora, and I’m incredulous to learn that in winter the entire restaurant is submerged by the high tide. Today, the sea frequently engulfs the entire beach, lapping at the restaurant’s stone steps, and there is evidence of its winter status in the temporary fittings and rusty chandelier. The head chef is something of a celebrity here, appearing regularly on television and you can see why he’s suited to it. He’s a wisecracking personality and a foodie talent to boot. Some of his dishes, particularly the prawn carpaccio, are works of art to rival anything you PAGE 30

might see in the town’s galleries.

If Dubrovnik has been known historically for its past, the future is likely to see the beautiful Croatian holiday destination famed for, among other things, its food. Welcomed by water of the precipitation variety when I arrived, it’s now bidding me farewell in the form of ocean waves, and as I take a last look at the view across the Adriatic, the ebb and flow of the tide invites me to return. I may have already uncovered Dubrovnik’s history, but there’s always more food to try.

GETTING THERE Stay at Hotel Excelsior with their special Dubrovnik Deluxe package including three nights’ accommodation in a deluxe room with a complimentary upgrade to a suite subject to availability. Luxury transfer to and from the hotel with a bottle of fine wine upon arrival, private guided tour of the Old Town along with a Dubrovnik Daily Card for access to all major attractions (city wall, museums and galleries), access to the property’s wellness and spa facilities and a late check-out. From £378 per room/night.

Classic Collection Holidays (0800 294 9315; classic-collection.co.uk) offers 7 nights at Hotel Bellevue, lead in price for 7 nights is £716 per person in November. Price based on 2 adults sharing a classic sea view room on a bed and breakfast basis and includes return flights from London Gatwick (other UK departure airports available) to Dubrovnik and private transfers.

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A STORY OF FIRE AND ICE SARAH JACKSON heads to Iceland on a whistlestop tour. Here’s Reykjavik in 48 hours.

So everyone knows that Reykjavik is the place to be these days, even since that unpronounceable volcano blew its top in 2010.

For some unaccountable reason, this ashy disaster which prevented approx. 10 million people from flying over Europe for weeks, has since increased Icelandic tourism by 20% per year since 2011. Well hit my old mother over the head with a decomposing Greenland shark.

With this boom in tourism in mind, I have flown out to Reykjavik to see what all the fuss is about and hopefully give you a run-down of the best things to do whilst you’re there. I didn’t actually try the shark by the way. Call me wimpy if you like, but there it is.

THINGS TO DO BLUE LAGOON

If like me you fly to Keflavik airport, I fully recommend heading straight to the Blue Lagoon, a mere 20 minutes by car from our hotel (the Hotel Keflavik). First tip: if you’re staying in the city centre, you’ll be ok with paying for connections from the airport to the Blue Lagoon. But if you’re staying in Keflavik, you will have to hire a car – taxis are ridiculously expensive and there’s no other public transport.

On to the Blue Lagoon! This is a beautiful geothermal spa, set into the local countryside and boasting a rich supply of silica mud. The water is light blue and deliciously warm, which is good because the weather is cold enough to freeze your bits off, so I suggest staying fully submerged at all times. The basic entry fee is 5400kr (about £40), but you can go for the comfort, premium or luxury entry fee if you’re willing to pay more, and then you get some extra goodies to go with your entry fee.

WHALE WATCHING

Special Tours offer three hours of Whale Watching for about £70, which is exactly the right amount of time I’d say, considering how freezing the wind is on the prow! And we kept getting told how gorgeous the weather was, so all I’m going to say is pile on the layers and don’t forget your gloves, scarf, hat and preferably a balaclava! Totally worth it though – we saw a pod of white beaked dolphins porpoising 20 feet from the side of the boat – it was magical.

NORTHERN LIGHTS

For a mere £40 you can head out of the city,

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to the remote area of Keflavik with Gray Line Iceland and (hopefully) see the Aurora Borealis. I have met many people who have been unlucky enough to stand outside in the cold for hours without seeing anything, but we were fortunate enough to experience them and it was a once in a lifetime pleasure that I simply cannot put into words. Seeing those lights dancing in the sky was a truly awesome experience, in the truest sense of the word.

PLACES TO EAT LAVA

The Blue Lagoon’s restaurant, Lava, is set into a lava cliff – pretty spectacular – with a wall from the old cliff actually making up one of the walls. The food is second to none and will set you back about 6400-7400kr, which is around £45-50 (not including wine). It’s mainly seafood based, as one might expect, with starters like garlic marinated langoustine and seaweed soup, and torched Arctic char with fennel, pearl onion, cucumber, toasted bread and aioli.

I absolutely insist you get the fish of the day, which is freshly caught from the nearby harbour in Grindavík and is served with potatoes, lobster sauce, kale and spring onion. Nothing in the world beats fresh fish. The deserts are all fantastic – managing to tread that almost impossible line between heavenly and sinful, but my favourites are the "Ástarpungar" & caramel, which is caramel chocolate mousse, vanilla ice cream, and salted caramel, and the poached pear with ginger sorbet, almond cake and elderflower syrup.

KOPAR

If you’re in Reykjavik with a few friends, I fully recommend going to Kopar, on the harbour.

It’s the perfect place to chill with a party of friends and enjoy authentic Icelandic cuisine in a relaxed setting. They offer a rather filling 9 course adventure menu which I recommend only if you have an elasticated waistband and haven’t eaten for a week, but to be fair, after all the running around we did on our trip, we did build up an appetite!

Top picks from the menu were the lightly seared tuna “harbour style” with garlic chips (2.290 kr.), the fresh Icelandic scallops from Breiðafjörður, done as a ceviche with wagame sala, dill mayo and crispy dill crumble (2.390 kr.), the salted fillet of Icelandic cod with butternut squash puree and warm salad of PAGE 32

butternut, jerusalem artichokes and quinoa served with roasted hazelnuts and mandarin sauce (4.990 kr.) and the chocolate tart upside down with caramel chocolate mousse, passion sorbet and honeycomb crumble (2.290 kr. per person).

SJAVARGRILLID

The perfect mix of luxury and lounge, Sjavagrillid may be hard to get your mouth around, but the food sure isn’t. Opening at 1130, we managed to sneak in there before our whale watching to have an early feast, and a feast it was! A plate laden with beef carpaccio, jarðsveppur, Parmesan, walnuts, arugula (3190kr) is proffered and promptly eaten, as steaming bowls of Clam chowder hallgrímur with scallops, mussels, shrimp, fennel (2980kr) are slid under our noses. All this is washed down with a gorgeous glass of Chablis – ok so it’s only just gone 1200, but I don’t care – I’m on holiday! Without a doubt the mains you must try are the long grilled langoustine & crunchy corn cake, carrot, saffron, and gulben (6970kr) and the grilled lamb & lamb shank with jarðepli, onion NIPÅ and oysters (6120kr) – perfectly cooked and presented, and hot enough to warm the cockles of your heart.

SLIPPBARINN

If you’re looking for somewhere more casual to eat, I recommend Slippbarin – an unassuming eatery hidden in a warehouse-type building the perfect place to unwind after a busy day.

Their cocktail list is impressive and imaginative, with my favourites being the 1920s inspired Blood and Fire (2300kr), made up of chilliinfused Scotch blend, Cherry Heering, Torino Vermouth, fresh orange, Hellfire with orange and chilli ash; and the 1960s themed Fight The Power Flower (2300kr), a luxurious blend of Blanco tequila, rosehip cup, Maraschino, lemon, raspberry, rhubarb bitters and Dot Cream.

The menu is more down to earth, boasting crispy calamari tempura with chilli aioli (2.190kr), freshly caught fish served in a pan with a medley of veg (2.790kr) and my personal favourite, the beef sirloin burger (2.990kr), served on malted bread with red onions and bacon ketchup, pickled cucumber, melted “Tindur cheese”, smoked onion and potato chips. Gorgeous.

‘Seeing those lights dancing in the sky was an awesome experience, in the truest sense of the word.’

POMP & CIRCUMSTANCE SID RAGHAVA travels to India’s biggest city to discover glitz and glamour that could rival Cannes

Marine Drive is a pompous boulevard that rivals the famous Promenade de la Croisette in terms of glitz, glamour and beauty. Impressive art deco buildings to rival those in Cannes, Nice or Miami dot the famous thoroughfare which is the heart and soul of the biggest city in India. Fortune seekers over centuries from all of India, across the Arabian Sea and even further beyond have dreamt of realising their dream of owning property on Queen’s Necklace as its fondly called by locals.

In one of Bollywood’s legendary movies Deewar, a blistering tale of a street kid who becomes the biggest and richest mafia dons in the city of dreams, the protagonist realises he’s made it once he has a view of the Marine Drive from his swish office up in the concrete stratosphere.

So whether you’re a rich gangster or an important government official or just visiting Bombay and would like to live in the most famous neighbourhood in a plush property right by the sea, it might be a very good idea to consider The Oberoi.

The group prides itself on its luxury credentials and while there are a few iconic hotels in the neighbourhood, this one’s definitely up there to rival with the best. The rooms and suites share the most charming views in South Bombay and the large French-style windows in commodious spaces filled with natural light are simply stunning. The Oberoi embodies the Indian Dream a la Bombay style.

Business and leisure travellers alike prefer The Oberoi for its excellent location and resplendent glory.

Modern art graces the spacious rooms and they all come with standard King or Queen size beds and baths.

Service is second to none something that can be said of Oberoi properties all over the world.

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Once you’ve admired the glorious vistas on view, you might want to try some food within the hotel. And you won’t be disappointed. In fact, you’ll be blown away by the sheer scale of choice available within this towering hotel. You might want to try Ziya, the contemporary Indian speciality restaurant before anything else. It has an innovative menu designed by the Michelin-starred Chef Vineet Bhatia who revolutionised the Indian scene with Rasoi all those years ago in fair Chelsea.

For continental food, there is Vetro with its attached wine library and Italian gastrowizardry. Enoteca is the international all day dining space, Fenix, the sunlit Champagne Lounge with a well stocked Patisserie & Delicatessen and there is always the late night option of the trendy late night bar, Eau. A cosy and rather velvety ambience emerges from classical music being played on the spectacular red piano in the atrium whilst and live music fills the bar six nights a week for late night revelry.

Once you’ve had food and wine and don’t quite have the energy to enjoy the buzz and chaos of Bombay, the spa might be the ideal destination. A range of effective therapies and remedies are available which exquisitely take in equal measures from Ayurveda, other Indian schools of wellbeing and modern holistic science.

The spa is the only one in the city that offers 24 hour services. It features six therapy rooms with a dedicated Thai massage room. There is also a hair and beauty salon, and separate pedicure room. The outdoor pool is temperature controlled and the fitness centre spans a vast 4,000 square feet (372 square metres) It is equipped with a full range of cardiovascular and weights machines, as well as free weights. Each machine has a personal television.

216, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Rd, Churchgate, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400021, India / +91 22 6632 5757 PAGE 34

‘Fortune seekers over centuries from all of India, across the Arabian Sea and even further beyond, have dreamt of realising their dream of owning property on Queen’s Necklace.’

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SPLENDID PORTOFINO SID RAGHAVA explores an architectural revolution on Italy’s largest lake

Oh the Riviera! The mere mention generates heady images of luxury and grandeur amidst sandy beaches with beautiful people sauntering around while being flashy!

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, a 1998 movie by Frank Oz depicts the swindling shenanigans of Michael Caine and Steve Martin as they seek the lifestyle of the rich and famous who frequent and live on the famous Mediterranean coastline. It is supposed to only feature the French side of the Riviera and the Wikipedia entry for the movie’s locations confirms the same except that quite a lot of the movie’s opulent charm was captured at Belmond Splendido, probably one of the swishest hotels in the whole world. Portofino, the town which contains Splendido, is mentioned in one of the earlier sequences on a train but is never officially visited in the film. Well we did visit Portofino and we did visit both of Belmonds in Portofino – the magnificent Hotel Splendido and Splendido Mare and we weren’t disappointed.

Housed in a protected Benedictine monastery dating from the 16th century, the Splendido first opened its doors to guests in 1902. Since then Winston Churchill, Clark Gable, Ava Gardner and Marlon Brando have passed through. Portofino Harbour shouts out to you from the beautiful coastline as you enjoy immaculate service from staff well-versed in taking care of you. The hotel houses the rather classy Chuflay restaurant (formal attire essential) where fish takes centre stage and delights such as gallinella, rombo e San Pietro (rock fish, turbot and John Dory) or zuppa di pesce del golfo, con Basilico e Timo (traditional local fish soup made from fresh seafood, basil and thyme) abound alongside regional specialities such as pesto alla Genovese.

There’s also a cocktail lounge, complete with pianist, and pool-side restaurant (10am to 7pm) offering pizzas and buffet bites. Breakfast is impressive with an à la carte menu and extensive buffet on offer, including fruit, cereals, pastries, freshly-squeezed juices and three types of Focaccia bread available. Eggs, bacon and mushrooms can

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be ordered à la carte as well as healthier options such as smoked salmon.

All sixty four rooms are individually-designed and fall into four different categories (double rooms, junior suites, suites and presidential suites). Standard rooms are decorated in golds and creams, and though short on space still offer impressive bathrooms and a good dose of grandeur. The suites, which are more contemporary in design with dashes of blue or pink, feature retractable televisions, walk-in wardrobes, comfortable beds, electronic black-out blinds and large bathrooms.

Both hotels complement each other perfectly and one is seldom short of things to do.

But its Splendido that really ups the ante in the luxury stakes. The bar usually has a good selection of jazz on the go and a piano player on a regular basis. The tennis courts come with a tennis ball machine in case you don’t have a partner to knock around with. Babies, toddlers and kids can stay busy at the playhouse complete with toys, video games and movies. The highlight of the property though has to be the heated infinity pool with spectacular views of Portobello Harbour from up above the hill. A short corner down from the pool is a well-equipped gym area. And if that’s not enough, there is a whole pathway that takes you down the hill for a healthy walk down to the Mare and the centre of Portofino. It’s a beautiful little town with quaint little shops and excellent restaurants all dotted up the immaculate harbour area. A boat trip to neighbouring towns such as Santa Margherita is highly recommended.

Portofino does luxury and Belmond Splendid along with sister hotel Mare epitomise the essence of the Italian Riviera. There are simply no compromises here and nothing is cheap. But its worth it - Its more than worth it

Belmond Hotel Splendido Salita Baratta 16 Portofino GE, Prices start at £1000/night approx. www.belmond.com/hotel-splendido-portofino

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‘The highlight of the property though has to be the heated infinity pool with spectacular views of Portobello Harbour from up above the hill.’

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WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T TELL ANYONE HOLLY BAXTER finds understated glamour and low-key luxury on the Caribbean islands, Turks & Caicos.

Visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands is almost worth it for the flight in alone. Just three and a half hours after departing from New York or Toronto - (either make for fantastic stopovers on your way if you have the time and inclination; we took the Air Canada route via Toronto and enjoyed a night in a luxury Airbnb flat overlooking the skyline from the 40th floor) - you begin to descend through the clouds towards the bluest sea and the whitest sand imaginable.

The Caribbean is famous for spitting out tourists full of hyperbole: “The sea was so calm,” they’ll tell you fanatically, “and so warm and so clear.” You may have rolled your eyes at their enthusiasm once, but when you glimpse those undulating aquamarines from 10,000 feet, you’ll immediately become a convert.

More than any other part of the Caribbean, the Turks and Caicos produces these evangelists. Its capital city, Providenciales, is the jewel in the crown of the region, with Grace Bay, that one long stretch of white sand which currently holds the position of best beach in the world on TripAdvisor, providing almost all of the hotel and restaurant space. The tiny island has an air of exclusivity about it, despite hotels lining the bay: no one fights over sun loungers here, where every hotel guest has a guaranteed seat and a butler to bring your pizza, homemade abalone salad or cocktail straight to your reclining form; equally, no one casts a disparaging eye over those who might profess themselves less than “beach body ready”. The packed beaches and the all-inclusive resorts of the Dominican Republic seem a million miles away, but so do the judgmental teenagers posing for Instagram shots on the shores of Miami. This is, quite simply, a Caribbean haven from the drawbacks of modern life.

To be upfront about it, the reason that Turks and Caicos manages to remain so exclusive is because it prices most people out. There are excellent deals to be had if you are savvy, and a couple of hotels which offer rooms just off the beach for discounted rates, but mostly this is fivestar territory. And if you’re going to five-star territory, you need to know

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where to get the best bang for your buck.

I’ve stayed in a lot of luxury accommodation in my time, and I have to say that while travelling the Turks and Caicos to review it, the Seven Stars Resort and Spa provided one of the most luxurious experiences I’ve ever encountered. The level of service is consistently excellent: from the moment you book (and it’s worth your time to take a garden suite, by the way), a grocery list is sent over where you can order any food you’d like in your hotel room in advance and the concierge will make sure it’s sitting in your cupboards, fridge and freezer by the time you arrive.

It’s standard in the Turks and Caicos for hotel rooms to come with fully functional kitchens, partly because restaurant food is pricy due to the costs of importation. Trust me, the rooms – and their balconies –are nice enough that you won’t begrudge a night or two grilling a freshly caught fish or heating up spaghetti for the kids.

The Seven Stars is well placed for this sort of routine: the main supermarket is just a five minute walk away, where you can buy a surprisingly large amount of home comforts (alongside local fare sits, slightly jarringly, Waitrose Essentials) and you can order in if the trip to the market feels too much to bear. Because the official language of the archipelago is English (it’s an official British Overseas Territory, in case you didn’t know) and the currency is the US dollar, everything is very easy to navigate. Indeed, you’d be hard pressed to find a problem here: when the temperatures climb into the thirties, hotel workers approach your seat or sun lounger with free mini sorbets or frozen cucumber slices, just because; your hotel room comes with a fully stocked Nespresso coffee machine; the free breakfast buffet is huge, and the hotel’s own newspaper compiling a summary of international news is brought to you when you sit down; the Seven Stars is situated nextdoor to a cheap beachfront local restaurant covered in lanterns called the Coco Bistro staffed with some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet; and the breathtakingly large marble rooms include Arctic air conditioning and huge Jacuzzi baths to relax in after a hard day on the beach.

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‘The packed beaches and the all-inclusive resorts of the Dominican Republic seem a million miles away, but so do the judgmental Miami teenagers posing for Instagram shots.’

With its large, rounded saltwater pool and its extensive private beach area with reserved loungers, Seven Stars delivers on everything you could possibly want for Caribbean relaxation. Its cocktail bar by the beach is a beautiful place to begin an evening, and its regular barbeque nights are worth forking out for: freshly prepared, top-notch food in unlimited quantities is lined up on the sand beside tables surrounded by candles and mounted torches just after sunset at these events. It’s the sort of night you never forget.

A little further down the white sands of Grace Bay and in a quieter spot sits The Somerset, a hotel which charges around three times the price of the Seven Stars and has a quintessentially British feel about it despite the managing director, Urmas Karner, being American. Perhaps it’s the fact that each room is owned by a family who has decorated in their own way (within reason) so the experience feels more homely, perhaps it’s the croquet lawn out the front, perhaps it’s the bar with its own signature cocktails which encourages guests to enjoy weekly free drinks with Urmas himself, or perhaps it’s the way American-style buffet breakfasts are eschewed for individualised a la carte service (be aware, however, that this sometimes leaves little for vegetarians). Either way, there is an easygoing familiarity about The Somerset that feels naturally welcoming to the travelling Brit (and a successful and varied kids’ club more than happy to take little ones off your hands for an afternoon.)

The Somerset is fantastically placed for night-time beach walks where the lack of light pollution shows up stars you’ve never seen before, and its staff are brilliantly efficient. While its restaurant, placed away from the beach, lacks the atmosphere of the Seven Stars, this is a great choice for those who prefer understated glamour and low-key luxury. Either way, the Turks and Caicos Islands are a must visit – just don’t tell too many of your friends about it.

For more information on visiting Turks and Caicos, you can find the official tourism office at http://turksandcaicostourism.com/ To follow in Holly’s sandy footsteps, check out Seven Stars Hotel (www. sevenstarsgracebay.com/) and The Somerset (www.thesomerset.com/), both on Grace Bay.

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NIPPING TO NIPPON Luxury hotel group, Conrad Hotels, are offering bitesize bespoke experiences to their guests, promising hidden treasures only insiders would know. COCO KHAN travels to Tokyo to discover more.

How do you discover something new in the heart of a place so exposed in books, films and television, that even the average person on the street could conjure an image of it? That is the great quandary for any travel journalist, and of course any travel professional. And it is a problem that Conrad - the luxury hotel brand from Hilton - might have solved.

The solution is Conrad 135, a new service that allows guests at selected Conrad Hotels to experience local luxuries for 1 hour, 3 hours, or 5 hours. The experiences are handpicked using local knowledge and focus on food, fashion, adventure, and more. The hotel even utilises city-specific “fixers” - the kind of ‘inside man’ a documentary film team or Hollywood star might use to secure the best of the best, quickly and easily.

I opted for the foodie-focused options, sampling a range of in-kitchen and marketexploring experiences both of which informed, and entertained. There was the lesson in noodlemaking in the private kitchen of a noted chef (taking the elevator to a snug apartment high up in one of Tokyo’s many skyscrapers stood out), in which we were introduced to precise alchemy of Japanese cooking; they even had percentage charts on the wall showing variations in temperature to density of noodles.

Elsewhere, we observed chefs create animalthemed dumplings and were enthralled by the skilled knifework of the professional sushi masters. Another stand out memory was the trip to the Hamarikyu Gardens, just a short stroll from the hotel itself. Here, in this oasis of peace in a frantic city, we wandered around the royal park blooming with pink blossom, before we took our seats on the floor of the Nakajima tea house for the traditional tea-drinking ceremony.

There was also the trip to the Tsukiji Fish Market, the Billingsgate Market of Japan if

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

Billingsgate was a suped-up action packed movie.

Hustling and bustling, this colourful hub was alive with Japanese voices rather than tourists, and made even more exciting by our guide explaining that Japan is the world’s highest tuna consumer. Indeed, this national love has driven the prices of tuna up worldwide: imagine walking around your average fish market and coming to learn that the fish in front of you could cost hundreds of thousands of pounds?

I left with a profound respect for Japanese cooking and a conviction to never sully the cuisine with supermarket bought sushi again.

It’s true that an experienced traveller would be able to organise these experiences for themselves without the need of a hotel - but the ease and convenience make this a compelling offer for the time poor, specifically the business traveller looking to squeeze a short bit of pleasure into a work-heavy schedule. Conrad also have good taste, so you can be assured of classy, chic experiences which are a far cry from the red open-top bus that have become synonymous with city breaks. This same good taste is articulated in the quality of the hotel itself swimming pool, killer views, modern design-savvy decor - and it’s in-house bars and restaurants.

There are of course some classic tourist things a first time visitor to Tokyo should do. Do drink too much sake and stagger around the eye-wateringly neon Shinjuku district. Do drop into Harajuku park to see the wild costumes of the youth committed to their respective “style tribes”. Do day trip out of the city for a hike up Mount Takao. But for everything else, it might be worth checking in with Conrad. It is after all, as easy as 1,3,5.

For more information on booking with Conrad, visit their website at www.conradhotels.com PAGE 40

‘I left with a profound respect for Japanese cooking and a conviction to never sully the cuisine with supermarket bought sushi again.’

BRUXELLES ET MOI

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RESTAURANT REVIEWS: A DEVIL & ANGEL ON EACH SHOULDER In this issue we sent our two reviewers, KATE WEIR and SARAH JACKSON, to discover some of London’s most devilish and most virtuous dishes. For Kate, lascivious abandon is the name of the game, while Sarah is looking for something a little more wholesome ELYSTAN STREET

43 Elystan St, Chelsea, SW3 www.elystanstreet.com WORDS: KATE WEIR Oh, you have a Michelin star? That’s cute. The chef at Kensington eatery Elystan Street – Phil Howard, who formerly helmed The Square – has two. With such a spangled reputation, you’d expect po-faced decadence; the sort where a whisper of truffle is considered enough to arouse both dish and diner, and an ingredients’ heritage could win it a UNESCO listing.

However, Elystan Street is a magnanimous, jovial host, the kind who tops up your glass and insists you try the pomegranate-spiked lentil soup, the bacon-cream-drizzled rabbit, the Pisco Sour, and oh, everything. We’re urged thrice to order the signature lemon tart, but this creeping-towards-cultist zeal is vindicated when our meals arrive.

A word to the light of wallet: prices are double-take steep, but portions leave little white space on plates. A hand-cut strozzapreti starter is steeped cacio e pepe-style in a comforting brew of Perigord truffle and melting parmesan, a roasted-till-tender cauliflower’s creaminess is teased out by a sprinkling of Mimolette and almonds; and southern France’s black-gold is shaved over both with cash-guzzling abandon.

Blackened fillet of mackerel, laid atop potato and crab meat and scattered with baguette-cut rhubarb pieces, is indulgent in its own right, but a dousing of vichyssoise adds a Neronian flavour.

Wines – a Gabriëlskloof Chenin Blanc, an Anthonij Rupert Merlot – pile up to the point where we forget what they were paired with, so we pause to take stock of our surroundings.

Gone are the charcoal walls and suited-andbooted furnishings of chef Tom Aikens’ former joint; in are chairs in Wedgewood blue and pink, wooden accents, Piet Boon-conceived crockery and enough mirrors for Kensington’s trophy wives to clock; well-dressed walls bear Patrick Caulfield and Henry Moore prints.

Our (second) main is a fillet steak that yields to a butterknife with painstakingly braised short-rib and a mop-uppable mess of creamed potato and bone marrow. The lemon tart we must, must, must try is precision-sliced, with a satisfying wobble and a brûléed crust to offset its strong citrus kick – three thumbs up to Howard. But, my fickle heart is won by the smashed brownie, which has been hurled

into vanilla cream and chocolate foam. It’s a dessert one expects a piggish child let loose at a Pizza Hut ice-cream factory to devise, rather than a decorated chef; but such wanton generosity makes those Michelin prices easier to digest and leaves you eager to pan the menu for gold once again.

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PESCATORI

57 Charlotte Street, W1T 4PD www.pescatori.co.uk WORDS: SARAH JACKSON This delightfully relaxed slice of the Med serves up a multitude of dishes to get your healthy juices flowing.

To start I recommend the beetroot marinated swordfish carpaccio with zesty raw artichoke salad (£11.50) – so light it melts on the tongue. And if you fancy something a little more sturdy, you can always try the dressed handpicked Dorset crab with fennel salad, lime and pomegranate dressing (£13.50). Not only will it fill you up, but those flavours pop and fizz like a love child of lemonade and champagne.

Main picks from the fish menu are the seared fillet of Loch Duart salmon, radicchio, barley, tenderstem broccoli, avocado and gold beets salad (£18.95) guaranteed to leave you satisfied for hours, whilst indulging in the decadence of silky salmon and creamy avocado. The mixed grill of fish and prawns with grilled vegetables and parsley sauce (£20.95) is also a winner – temptingly toothsome with vigorous flavours and robust textures. And of course you can’t go wrong with the wild sea bass fillet with hazelnuts, brown shrimp sauce and wilted spinach (£26.50) – the plump yet delicate fish sits expertly with the tangs of salt and warm oak from the shrimp and nuts. If you want desert then they do have a selection of sorbets for £6.75 – everything else is probably verboten if you’re on a health kick!

If you’re drinking wine, I’d err on the side of the whites since they are less calorific and of course go beautifully with fish. The Frascati (Premium Crio 10 DOC San Marco Lazio) is gloriously light, going for £6.50 a glass and of course the Gavi di Gavi (La Minaia Nicola Bergaglio Piemonte) and organic Sauvignon Blanc (Urlar Wairarapa Region) are fabulous (both approx. £11 a glass), but my real recommendation is the Falanghina (Beneventano IGT Bellamico Campania), a wine from the Amalfi coast which is fairly new to me, but will knock your socks off with its clean minerality and lasting finish.

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

CEVICHE

17 Frith St, Soho, W1D 4RG www.cevicheuk.com/soho WORDS: SARAH JACKSON This is one of my absolutely favourite places to eat in London, not least because the presentation of each dish is an absolute delight. In case you’re unaware, ceviche is not only the name of the restaurant, but the name of the main dish they serve here. Ceviche is a Peruvian style of lighting cooking fish by submerging it in a substance called “tiger’s milk”, a combination of citrus juice, pisco (a Peruvian spirit) and chillies. Much like with tapas, they recommend that you order three or four dishes per person (unless you order from the Grill).

Their signature dish is called the Don Ceviche (£8) and is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever had.

It’s a simple dish made up of fresh sea bass ceviche in amarillo chilli tiger’s milk, limo chilli, sweet potato and red onion. The combination of the fresh chunks of succulent fish, the raw heat of the chillies and the punch of lime is total perfection. Other newer recommendations include the tiradito de conchas (£12), which is handdived scallops tiradito, roasted amarillo-lemon tiger’s milk, cream, sea fennel and black tobiko caviar, and the camaron palteado (£9), king prawns and rocoto chilli salad, avocado, black quinoa and sweet potato crisps, and finally the causa la buena vida (£5.5), British heritage carrot, avocado cream, beetroot and horseradish puree, cold potato mash and passion fruit tiger’s milk.

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TEMPER

25 Broadwick St, Soho, W1F temperrestaurant.com WORDS: KATE WEIR Sometimes decadent dining is about giving in to your primal urges. Chef Neil Rankin, of Smokehouse fame, coaxes out our inner cavemen with brilliantly cooked, could-be-ripped-apart-with-your-handsif-it-were-socially-acceptable meats at Temper, a subterranean den with a vaguely industrial feel (rivets, metal and wood) and a date-night polish (artfully scuffed brass tabletops, warm woods and Martini-olive green leather upholstery).

The restaurant’s lobby is almost too subtle in the dark – mistaking it for an office block, I wander past its glass vestibule several times, my eyes caught by shinier lures close by. However, once you descend into the restaurant proper, it’s thronged with chattering carnivores (vegetarians don’t fare as well here) and the lavish, coal-smoked, boy-toy barbecue grill – with multi-storey racks, spits and other doodads hung and strung with carcasses and choice cuts – emits enticingly scented wisps of

smoke. Diners can sit at the counter and watch chefs slice and dice from their perfectly browned cuts, or pile into a banquette. The counter’s more sociable, but as our table’s laden with dishes, we’re glad that we’re not elbow-to-elbow with other diners – here we can hide our gluttonous shame. Tacos start proceedings: hunks of rich, aged burger with sharp caramelised parmesan, and shreds of soft smoked goat sit atop hand-ground tacos – the flavour cut through with crisp veg.

Meals are indeed decadent, promising meat and two veg and delivering so much more: we’re given around 300g of meat each: earthily sweet Daphne Tilley lamb and Belted Galloway beef removed from the grill with precision timing, both beaten into tender submission. They’re served on home-made flatbreads you can use to greedily mop up the juices with later – and you will. A ramekin of chili- and lemongrass-spiced Thai larb salad with

mint and coriander is plumped up with pork-y burnt ends. It’s by far the healthiest thing on our table.

Sides and sprinkles hold their own: goose-fat roasted potatoes are served in a gooey raclettetopped mess you’ll dip into long after you’re full, the MSG-infused ketchup and salsa verde (just lime juice, coriander and garlic) are simply moreish. Even the ostensibly healthy grilled corn with mint and chili is slathered in lamb-fat butter. By the time our dessert – a soft, warm cake of a cookie, served in a cocotte with vanilla ice-cream – arrives, we’ve fully transformed from London gourmands to insatiable beasts. This is no complaint – I came expecting unbutton-the-top-of-your-jeans dining and Temper have practically undressed me with their wanton abundance of Asian- and South American-tinged flesh. For tonight, you can keep your ideas of ethical franken-meat, insect protein and vegan smugness – tonight, we rip, tear and devour, and bloody love it.

AQUAVIT

and light, this is the ideal way to start a meal. I recommend the pickles, which are a mixture of carrots, onions and other crunchy veg marinated in vinegar (£3), the shrimp skagen (£9) and of the course the obligatory gravadlax with mustard and dill sauce (£9). The starters are divine and dainty, still allowing plenty of room for a main, with delights such as the venison tartar with wild blueberries, lingonberries and juniper (£12) - and the scallops with kohlrabi and lovage (£15). Both these dishes have strong flavours delivered by the meat and fish which blend beautifully with the fresh fruit and veg with which they are presented.

Onto the mains, there is a huge seafood influence here, as you would expect from a Nordic restaurant and Aquavit doesn’t disappoint. The standout dishes are the whole trout, with sorrel

and pickled beetroots (£22) and the turbot, with horseradish and brown butter (£34) - each of these dishes is next level with the fish prepared to perfection - it falls apart at the slightest fork prod.

And of course you can’t leave without trying Emma Bengtsson’s New York signature Arctic bird’s nest (£12), which is a total work of art. Ok it’s got a little bit of ice cream and sugar in it, but basically it’s just flowers and fruit!

A lovely touch here is the fact that they recommend a shot of Aquavit to have with each of the smaller dishes, and by golly they have a lot to choose from, in every flavour under the sun. But whatever you do, don’t overdo it because that stuff is LETHAL and you won’t be going to the gym in the morning if you have too many!

St James’s Market, 1 Carlton Street, SW1Y www.aquavitrestaurants.com WORDS: SARAH JACKSON As of November last year, the Scandinavian gastronomic sensation which has been wowing New York has finally moved to London with executive chef Henri Ritzen at the helm. The restaurant is warmly lit and boasts wooden walls and large art installations reminiscent of Picasso’s blue period. The room resembles a massive sauna - very appropriately Nordic - and was put together by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio.

Obviously there’s no point being in a Scandinavian restaurant without sampling the smörgåsbord which range from £3-£19 - healthy

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MARGOT

45 Great Queen St, WC2B www.margotrestaurant.com WORDS: KATE WEIR My first impression of Margot is of the sort of crisply laundered, quietly moneyed spot the protagonists of a Fellini film might discuss life’s ennui in before zipping off into the night on a Vespa. A liveried doorman ushers us in, the low-lit dining space is lined in dark woods and has a beckoning marble bar, serious looking grey banquettes and a polished finish.

Gilded edges and blue-glass decals (the sort of thing that might adorn a chic Dalek) and walls lined with wine bottles (which reflect the enormity of fine Italian plonk on offer) are the mod-luxe equivalent of straw Chianti bottles or copper-bottom pots found in trad trattorias. It’s decidedly high-end, yet homey.

Former maître d’ at Bar Boulud, Paulo de Tarso, and Nicolas Jaouën, former general manager of La Petite Maison combined their talents to create this set piece from Mad Men’s Rome-set episode. My dining partner frets that her outfit – post-work jeans and a sweater – is far from Betty Draper’s beehive and Sixtiessoiree-ready evening wear, but Margot’s effusive owner and staff treat us as if we’ve rolled in wearing the crown jewels. On arrival we’re presented with a flute of prosecco and slender grissini sticks, perched precariously in a coiled-metal pot. Then, we present a further challenge to the dinner jacket-clad servers, albeit one that’s swiftly deemed no problem: my friend’s dairy allergy. The chef is consulted and the menu is annotated accordingly.

After a man bestowing light sourdough and bouncy foccacia, we’re visited by the

sommelier who plots a course of paired wines for the evening – it’s like having a gourmet entourage. A plate of cured meats arrives; far from the last-minute ‘elegant starter’ you peel from a Sainsbury’s packet, these are realdeal, rich and pungent slices: smoky bresaola, unapologetically porky parma ham, fennelpocked salami and Jamón ibérico.

To start, I order the signature dish of handmade fish ravioli; each is unique, infused with squids’ ink and saffron, blended with butternut squash and spinach, and paired with a complementary fish (salmon, grey bottarga mullet) the chef’s skill is evident in making this most simple of dishes hearty yet elegant, the pasta is flavourful but not too overpowered by the strong fish and infusions. We’re frequently assured of chef Maurizio Morelli’s Italian provenance, but each bite of this Italian staple proves he’s as authentic as a Coppola.

We’re warned the hare ragu has a strong flavour, but the earthy taste adds comforting

clout and a dash of authentic rusticity to handmade tagliatelle. The steak tartare is uniquely served with eggs so lightly scrambled they form a light sauce, and osso bucco gives way pleasingly at the touch of a fork, served with a generous well of bone marrow for a full umami hit. It’s Italian cuisine that feels classic, yet modern without too much tinkering.

Journalistic integrity drives me to order dessert, a rum baba with a savarin sponge that’s suitably syrupy and sloshed, infused with a strong citrus kick that would make one recall Sicilian orchards even if they’d never been.

With several glasses of paired wines in us, I’m starting to feel like this could be a local that you visit with friends on a lazy Sunday, convivially ushering over more red wine and stealing bites from each other’s plates before wrapping things up in contented, sleepy fashion. And, if I had the funds for such decadence it absolutely would be.

trying the following unbelievable dishes. Firstly, the “chicken” wings with salsa verde and pickles (£6) - honestly, if someone hadn’t told me they weren’t chicken, I would never have known. It’s not like with quorn where it’s kinda of meaty but you can definitely tell the difference - with seitan (which is what these bad boys are made from), you literally cannot tell. Secondly, the amazing Baka To-Fish Taco with pickled red cabbage, avocado, salsa verde and chipotle chilli oil (£5.50) - this is so fresh and light and yet infused with the delicious taste of fish - how I have no idea and I almost don’t want to know!!

And finally, the annato glazed aubergine, with sour cream and coriander (£4.50) - ok it’s not pretending to be meat but it’s so tasty there should be something wrong with it but I really don’t think there is!

The best thing about this place is that the food is also remarkably cheap due to the lack of meat and fish, which gives you more money to spend on cocktails, if you fancy going

down that path... not that I’m trying to persuade you or anything, but if you do fancy one, then dddI’d recommend the Ol’ Grier (£8.80) with passion fruit infused Bacardi Gold, Cointreau and Prosecco and the Beetdown (£8.80), with beetroot infused Bombay Sapphire and lemon and elderflower soda (I mean the last one is sort of healthy right? Beetroot’s good for you.)

CLUB MEXICANA

@Pamela, 428 Kingsland Road, E8 4AA www.pamelabar.com WORDS: SARAH JACKSON This is without doubt one of the coolest places in London, with its finger so on the pulse it’s a sort of Fitbit for the zeitgeist. With 100% vegan food and sporting revolutionary meat substitute like seitan and jackfruit, it’s not surprising that Club Mexicana is expanding and moving to the hipster heart of London (a of the 17th Jan this year), from it’s spiritual home of Camden Town.

Everything in Club Mexicana is made fresh every day, including their tacos and the menu is the brain child of Meriel Armitage, who is quite clearly out to change to the way people think about vegan fare.

And you can’t blame her really can you; when I think vegan, I think houmous and pitta beard and that’s about it. How wrong I was. The first thing you’ll notice is, ironically, how meaty the menu is, as it twists Mexican classics around and sends a dizzy whirl of confusingly deceptive and delicious flavours your way.

Everything on the menu is worth a try, but for the love of all that’s holy, do not leave without

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DINNER BY HESTON

66 Knightsbridge, SW1X www.dinnerbyheston.co.uK WORDS: KATE WEIR Heston Blumenthal’s name is synonymous with theatrical decadence; his mothership – the Fat Duck in Bray, may be an all-singing, all-dancing folly, but Dinner by Heston in the Mandarin Oriental hotel also brings a giddying dose of the old razzle dazzle. The open, glasswalled kitchen (one of four) is abuzz with the team of up to 50 chefs and operates a pulley system which turns the famed pineapple spit; wines are displayed in window-walled vaults; and the food, while less idiosyncratic than Bray’s delightfully bonkers dishes, is playful and surprising.

Dinner is Heston’s passion project, a time machine for your mouth. Dishes from as far back as the 13th century are revived for a rapt modern audience. The pomp and circumstance of Tudor feasting, the delicacy of genteel Georgian dining, conceits and tastes once forgotten. It’s no gimmick; he’s scoured cookbooks penned by King Richard II’s chefs, worked with the kitchen team at Hampton Court Palace, studied the methods of Agnes Marshall, who pioneered liquid-nitrogen ice cream (more on that later). It’s the hippest of history lessons.

Overall, the restaurant is clean-lined and modern, but discreet design elements elevate the guest experience – the floor is slightly raised to allow for views of Hyde Park through panoramic windows, wall sconces have been crafted into the shape of Tudor jelly molds, and a piece of breakaway wall reveals the original underneath. A private dining table has a mural depicting significant moments in food history and the table is slightly indented to allow for smooth serving.

But, the food is the true spectacle. The oft-praised Meat Fruit is the restaurant’s star-turn. A silken chicken-liver parfait is disguised in an sharp orange jelly crafted to look like a tangerine. A happy mistake in the production process added realistic dimples to it’s mochi-esque skin. To follow, the 18thcentury Salamagundy from The Cook’s and Confectioner’s Dictionary by John Nott. It’s a comforting and comfortably sized starter; tender, crisped chicken oysters are given a piquant lift with salsify and horseradish cream.

The 19th-century-inspired roast Iberico pork chop packs a meaty punch – sweet, tangy and tender from the first bite. It’s paired with an oh-so creamy mash one might eat in a more sloppy, lascivious fashion if alone.

The desserts are tremendous – a Tipsy Pineapple nursery pud of brioche soaked in crème Anglaise and rum, paired with a slice of pineapple caramelised on the famed spits.

The Earl Grey-infused ganache with a caraway biscuit feels quirkily English.

It seems wrong for a Heston joint not to have some Willy Wonka-ish twist, so when a liquid-nitrogen ice-cream trolley is wheeled out with more dry ice than a magician’s entrance, I’m delighted. It’s no mere spectacle for the

sake of it, but a nod to Agnes Marshall, the Victorian who patented the method – so, it’s educational. It’s also a surefire way to send punters into the night singing your praises. The perfectly turned out scoop, the candyfloss-light sugar cone, the grown-up(ish) toppings (freezedried raspberries, popping candy…) – whether it recalls seaside nostalgia or sends you into a retro-futurist seaside-in-space reverie, it’s past and present met well in wonder, much like the whole meal, really.

DOMINIQUE ANSEL BAKERY LONDON

17-21 Elizabeth St, Belgravia, SW1W www.dominiqueansellondon.com WORDS: KATE WEIR And to finish… well, if its calorific, ‘eat now, regret later’ puds you’re after, turn to the man who brought us the Cronut. Pâtissier Dominique Ansel has brought his brand of starturn sweets to the UK. His café is a gleaming white space in Belgravia, with wooden flooring and splashes of sunshine yellow and teal. It’s a textbook example of ooh-là-là elegance with a dash of Brit eccentricity.

So, is the Cronut present? You bet your crumpets it is… and the queues have already begun to form (us Brits can surely show the yanks a thing or two there). One version of the famed pastry hybrid comes whimsically accessorised with a moustache and monocle – terribly droll, the Belgravia set will love it – and other nods to the Anglo crossover include an Eton Mess lunchbox with a savoury hit of pepper and basil, and a Paris Brest infused with Earl Grey tea. Other intriguing culture clashes include the Chilly Penguin Religieuse with Mexican mole-inspired chili-chocolate filling, banoffee paella and an exotic dosa mille-feuille.

There’s manna for those without a sweet tooth too, a Welsh rarebit croissant, chickenand pork belly-filled pot pie, the truthfully dubbed ‘Perfect Little Egg Sandwich’ with gruyère and herbs fine; and camembert stars as ‘funky cheese’ in a charmingly dubbed quiche. But, when the canelés bleed custard, you can do shots from cookie ‘glasses’, and a single pastry elicits A-list worship and frenzied queuing – you’d do best to grab a pastry fork and gorge yourself into a sugar haze.

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AFTERNOON MAR-TEA-NI AT MELIA WHITE HOUSE HOTEL Albany St, London NW1 www.melia.com WORDS: KATE WEIR

If you want to take your tea break to the next level, Meliá White House hotel’s new afternoon tea offering – the pun-nily named Mar-tea-ni – adds a slosh of champagne and a cocktail list that reads like a piss-up in a Whittard (albeit in elegant, Mad Men-esque fashion). The hotel’s Dry Martini bar is a low-lit, art deco-accented space that offers a sultry counterpoint to Regent’s Park close by. It’s an elegant setting for this most genteel of rituals: walls are mirrored and guests perch on paintbox-palette banquettes.

Dry Martini’s partnered with Jing Tea to concoct brew-inspired cocktails; but first, the non-alcoholic variety: the waitress reels off a list of fragrant options (English breakfast, Earl Grey, green, black, chai, oolong… Most of the teas in China, and beyond). We choose chai and green; both are served in dinky glass teapots (happily refilled on request).

Although we eagerly anticipate the paired cocktails, where tea-infused syrup is muddled with complementary flavourings – much more imaginative than the ubiquitous champagne or prosecco flute.

I opt for chai again with a Long Island Ice Chai; a short, fruity muddle of lemon, apple and spice with a slug of Tanqueray. However, flavours range from the creamy (Casablanca with crèmes de menthe and cacao) to the tropical (the piña colada-esque Caribbean Sunshine).

Such a heady brew requires suitable stomach-liners, and lo, three tiers of savouries, sweets and scones are whisked over. We scarf down mint-seasoned lamb, aubergine-andtomato brioche burgers, salmon on sourdough and an intriguing, California roll-style ploughman’s with pork and pickle. To follow, raspberry-mousse domes; chocolate-martinimousse-piped éclairs and mango cheesecake are deceptively dainty; by the time we reach the top-tier scones (which can be ordered in green tea, lavender and fruit flavoured), we’re in a happy gin-and-sugar-fuelled daze.

At £45 a head, this is steeper than the usual round, but moving afternoon tea from the mug to the martini glass is a stroke of genius.

In fact, we rather fancy a cuppa…

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BUBBLES WITH ROGER DALTREY & RED RED WINE WITH UB40

Hope I die before I get old’ he once sang. Thankfully, he’s still very much alive and kicking and to add to his immaculate legacy, The Who’s frontman Roger Daltrey has recently launched a limited edition champagne – Champagne Cuvée Roger Daltrey – to toast the band’s 50th anniversary of their classic 1969 rock-opera album, Tommy and their 100th show for Teenage Cancer Trust performed at the Royal Albert Hall in early April. The show was the first full band performance of the Classic Rock Opera since 1989 and a further fi ve dates are scheduled for the Greatest Hits Tour around the country.

“I am very excited to have this opportunity to express my passion for champagne through this limited edition cuvée. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.” Is what Roger has to say about the choice champers created in association with Eminent Life (www.eminent-life.com), who are dedicated to celebrating excellence in music and the arts by creating limited-edition products, selected and manufactured to the very highest standards with rock royalty. A percentage of proceeds from sales of the Champagne will go to Teen Cancer America, a charity founded by Roger and fellow band member, lead guitarist and songwriter, Pete Townshend. Enthusiastic fans and champers enthusiasts will find the band’s trademark bullseye symbol on the bottle, as well as artist Mike McInnerny’s famous Tommy album artwork.

In a similar vein, Eminent Life have partnered with UB40’s original members Ali, Astro and Mickey to create a limited edition wine to celebrate the return of Britain’s biggest reggae legends and their forthcoming GrandSlam UK Tour. Lovers of the iconic British band can raise a toast as they listen to their recently launched album, “Unplugged” featuring an acoustic smooth reggae sound. which is wonderfully reflected in the appropriately named ‘Red Red Wine Bordeaux Supérieur’.

Produced from a subtle blend of two grape varieties, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this cuvée represents a perfect expression of the two varieties used in Bordeaux. Deep colour red fruit with some blackberry notes, enriched with ripe tannins, with a long and elegant finish. Vinified especially for UB40, it is a wine meant to be appreciated within the first few years after bottling, and can be cellared for up to 15 years.

Ali Campbell commented “We have always wanted to release our own (wine) and we’re very excited to finally be doing this!” Astro added “this Bordeaux is really special and we think you will love it too!”

Champagne Cuvée Roger Daltrey is available throughout Europe and The USA at Eminent Life www.eminent-life.com/rogerdaltrey. A 75cl bottle is priced at £95. For more information on The Who tour, visit http://thewho.com/tour/ Red Red Wine Bordeaux Supérieur is available for order throughout Europe and The USA from Eminent Life and was released in the Winter of 2016 alongside their new “Unplugged” album www.eminent-life.com/ub40A 75cl bottle is priced at £28.50 PAGE 49

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

‘Endorsed in glowing terms by a star-studded clientele - you might find yourself rubbing shoulders with Mick Jagger as you select your asparagus...’

4, CALE STREET Andreas Grocers is a jewel of a local shop, the kind of mixture of exquisite produce, delectable presentation and smiling service that everyone dreams of having on their doorstep. Well, we can’t all be residents of Chelsea Village, more’s the pity, but hooray and hallelujah! now we can at least share in their good fortune, since Andreas launched its own online store, spreading the joy with free delivery for locals and on all orders over a hundred pounds. That sum is probably quite easily and happily spent, such is the range of exceptional comestibles.The average spend instore is apparently the same as that in Harrods food halls, and in this little gem you will be sure to discover unique treasures unavailable in that grand emporium.

Celebrating five years at number 4, Cale Street, just opposite the pretty little green, they have established themselves firmly at the very heart of their community as a place not only to find the best produce, but also to pass the time of day most agreeably with any of the knowledgeable team on the tiny shop floor, be it Sam, Paul or Nelson, or even the eponymous proprietor.

Endorsed in glowing terms by a starstudded clientele - you might find yourself rubbing shoulders with Mick Jagger as you select your asparagus - this foodie paradise is the first choice of celebrity chefs such as Gizzi and Nigella, and has even been taken to the less appealing bosom of the notoriously picky Gordon Ramsay, who i can just imagine getting on famously with the down-to-earth owner.

Andreas Georghiou began learning his trade at the tender age of seventeen, working for his Uncle Adamou at his continental delicatessen in Chiswick, one of the first and finest in the capital. Uncle would bellow ‘only the best!’ and ‘the best or nothing’ was also the mantra of Rose Grey of River Cafe fame, one of many highprofile customers. It is his devotion to these high standards that puts Andreas head and shoulders above his competitors. He goes to great lengths to source only the creme de la creme of produce, with not just an end result that looks and tastes

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fantastic, but production methods that meet his rigorous standards for purity.

He favours small suppliers who share his passion for excellence, from the rainbow-labelled Gayfarmer in Britain, with its own deliciously garlicky pesto, to the Campo Lisio olive oil which bears his own name, harvested and pressed in time-honoured tradition. His is the only grocers that can boast of receiving four direct deliveries from the world’s finest market, Rungis in Paris, as well as a succulent selection of the best organic ‘local’ produce, on a daily basis.

The key to keeping the fresh stuff as fresh as if you had just picked it yourself, is his secret weapon... a special temperature-controlled facility which exudes cool mists in a mesmerising fashion, giving the effect of clouds of refreshing moisture tumbling over the ferns of a rocky waterfall on a tropical isle. I should think on a hot day it would be very pleasant just to hang about by the vegetables, not only in the hope of bumping into a Rolling Stone, but also to restore the bloom in your English Rose complexion.

Two young members of this fascinating family business who are in no need of rejuvenation just yet, and whose cheeks are surely as plump and pink as the beetroot and goat’s cheese ravioli, are Andreas’ charming daughters, Tilly, aged 20, who checks everything scrupulously for any harmful or hidden ingredients that would not make the grade, and Tabbi, a mere 17, who does all the beautiful photography for their website and PR. It’s a real family affair, and Andreas is justifiably proud of his girls’ dedication and hard work. My own parents and grandparents grew up in that very special neighbourhood in the first half of the twentieth century, and while they probably wouldn’t have recognised all of the weird and wonderful edibles on offer, I’m quite certain they would have appreciated the life-enhancing contribution to a locality that a lovely little family business like this provides. info@andreasveg.co.uk 4 Cale Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 3QU PAGE 50

WALKING ON AER STEPHEN SLOCOMBE heads to the City of Angels via Dublin, taking advantage of new Aer Lingus’ pre-clearance, allowing you to get through US immigration before you’ve even touched down Picture the scene. You’ve just spent 11 hours on a plane, sandwiched between an unruly toddler and a cold-ridden traveler whose hair bears the murky sheen of that unwashed in three months.

After your trial du jour you step onto Californian soil, knowing an old friend is the other side of customs waiting to whisk you away to the sweet sanctuary of lunch and a lounger on their sundappled balcony. You can already taste tangy, pulpy orange juice and there’s that gleaming LA sun outside, just desperate to pump you full of vitamin D. You pick up your luggage at the carousel, thinking a silent prayer that the queue for immigration will be short and the officers amenable.

Good luck. Instead it seems every flight into America has descended at the same time, and in front of you is a veritable armada of families, business people and shady-looking guys in bands who you just know will raise the hackles of the immigrations officers. You sigh wearily, lean forward on your trolley and resolve not to clock watch, but of course you do and your soul sinks a little bit lower whilst the clock slowly rotates through one hours, ninety minutes and onto two. Several times an hour you think to yourself, “I would do anything, anything, to make this

quicker.”

Well, friend, there is an alternative available for those flying from Dublin to the United States.

It’s called pre-clearance and means you carry out all your immigration business before you step on a plane. When you land you’ll essentially be arriving with the same status as a US citizen, thus you can breeze through immigration with a smile and a wave of your passport and papers.

For those who value convenience and time (not to mention their sanity) it’s the perfect way to segue into a successful holiday or business trip.

I traveled with Aer Lingus - one of four airlines that use the pre-clearance facility - to Los Angeles LAX earlier this year and found the process to be everything it isn’t at the other end: fast and unencumbered by stress. Aer Lingus recommend arriving at pre-clearance - accessed from the departure lounge - no later than 90 minutes before our flight’s departure, though that is being extra cautious. On arriving at pre-clearance it was a queue for a kiosk where we scanned our passports in return for an approval ticket which we handed over with our documentation. A few scans, and off to the bar.

After that the rest of the holiday seems easy, starting with the flight; Aer Lingus’ business class PAGE 51

cabin is an exercise in modern business flying, with all the film selections, charging points, and Irish-leaning menus that anyone with half a day to kill could want.

I’ve never been much of a sleeper on planes - even in business class, let alone further back with the toddler/traveler contingent - so the various entertainments do not go to waste with me, unlike my partner who knocks back two glasses of red wine and promptly falls asleep on her reclinable bed for the entire flight. When we arrive, I’m understandably a little tired, though relaxed, a feeling that magnifies when we waltz through customs with the best of them.

Los Angeles is a city that some people find uninspiring; it’s wide-avenued largesse supposedly depriving it of a spiritual centre.

Personally I didn’t have an issue with this though, like many millions of travelers before me, I found little to beckon me back to Sunset Boulevard. A parade of tourist shops selling fake California number plates and plastic Oscars for awards like ‘Best Nanny’ or ‘Best Lawyer’, the street’s days as the romantic progenitor of films, musicals and romances seem long behind it.

Fortunately, the rest of the city rarely dips below 8.5/10. Particular highlights include

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Kismet, which more than lives up to its reputation as the buzziest - and friendliest - restaurant in town. Packed with families and their hipster parents, it serves up twisted Middle Eastern fare that had us picking at the remains of each other’s dishes. Fans of grilled seafood should try the squid on the plancha, while any vegans - which are ten a penny in LA - will find themselves in the welcome position of having too much to choose from. The menu is subject to change but the hen of the woods mushrooms, with chickpea, pea shoots, green chilli and almond broth was a ballsy boot to the palate, and unlike any vegan dish I’d eaten before.

We took in the rest of the LA tourist trail, with a trip to the Warner Bros. studios a peek behind the wizard’s sleeve of film and television production. The sheer scope of it all was the biggest take-home, and getting a look in a cinema-sized editing suite whilst the editors were working gave a potted view of the seemingly infinite nature of the procedure.

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For a less conventional experience I’d recommend the Bob Baker Marionette Theater.

Baker was a creator of puppets for the big screen, small screen and stage. The ornate Theater, with its palatial red and gold drapes and meticulously detailed-puppets, lives on in testament to Baker, for whom a cheesy-but-nice reverence is bestowed throughout. Of course, cheesy-but-nice is the American default and whether you have children or not, you’ll be able find a (puppet) show that’ll keep all parties entertained.

Ours was only a flying visit to the city, but we left feeling refreshed and feeling that that we had new stories to tell back home. Most importantly we felt relaxed. Now, I’m not saying that relaxation was all down to skipping the queue at immigration but it certainly set the tone. I now can’t imagine doing it any other way.

For more information and to book with Aer Lingus, visit www.aerlingus.com

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KCReview motoring editor, Lisa Curtiss, casts her eye on some of the latest news and releases from the world of luxury driving.

MOTORING

PETROL PLEASURES CATERHAM 270 R A true car enthusiast’s dream. Cart-like feel, pin sharp steering, turn on a sixpence, super-swift and head-turning to the max. Caterham’s 270R may be small but it’s most definitely mighty.

The model we tested featured a new engine and specification 1.6 Litre Ford sigma Ti-VCT engineered to release improved power and performance, giving the Caterham 135 BHP. This may not sound much, but as the car weighs in at a mere 540 kg, it’s all it needs to reach from 0-60 in just 5 seconds, and go onto 122mph. Sitting so low down and open to the elements, it feels much, much faster. But speed’s just part of its appeal.

Out on the road in the winter sunshine, it’s a genuinely super- exhilarating and engaging drive and lives up to the hype. The exhaust praps and growls deliciously, you feel every nuance of the road, and it’s good.. so damn good. The closest you could come to experiencing an open cockpit, single seater race car in production car form.

In terms of kit, the ‘R’ pack adds limited slip differential, lightweight flywheel, rear anti roll bar, sport suspension, 15”Orcusalloy wheels with Avon tyres, uprated brake master cylinder, carbon fibre dashboard, composite race seats, Momo steering wheel, 4-point race harness, unique key, gearknob and instruments, a choice of 4 paint finishes and more. www.caterham.co.uk

F-TYPE BRITISH DESIGN EDITION LAUNCHED Jaguar’s F-TYPE has notched up numerous awards and global recognition for its stunning lines, including winning the prestigious World Car Design of the Year accolade. Building on this, a special British Design Edition has just been unveiled.

Based on the F-TYPE S Coupé and Convertible, and featuring a range of visual enhancements and additional equipment, this special edition is offered in a specially-selected colour palette inspired by the Union Jack: Caldera Red, Glacier White and – new to the F-TYPE range – Ultra Blue.

Further enhancements to the F-TYPE’s awardwinning design come from the Sport Design pack and discreet British Design Edition badges front and rear, with unique branding on the centre console, headrests and the stainless steel tread plates.

Behind the 20-inch Cyclone wheels with unique Satin Grey finish is an uprated braking system featuring red calipers.

Complementing the range of exterior colours is a crafted premium Jet leather interior finished with contrast stitching in a choice of three colours. The driver-focused theme of the ‘one-plus-one’ cabin is

heightened by carbon fibre trim around the centre console. Jaguar’s InControl Touch and InControl Touch Plus infotainment systems are offered with upgraded audio equipment developed together with leading British experts Meridian. InControl Touch and InControl Touch Plus support a range of apps which make it easier than ever for the driver to stay connected.

The Jaguar F-TYPE British Design Edition will be available in Coupé and Convertible body styles. Power comes exclusively from the 380PS/ 460Nm supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine, matched to the eight-speed Quickshift transmission all-wheel drive.

“The F-TYPE is a sports car that excites the senses, with a visual drama that is both individual and very British. Creating the British Design Edition gave us the opportunity to subtly enhance the way the F-TYPE looks – inside and out.” Commented Ian Callum, Jaguar’s Director of Design. www.jaguar.com

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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

S90 SUPER SALOON A refreshing alternative from the plethora of super-bland saloons on our roads, Volvo’s effortlessly elegant S90 would grace any driveway with style.

It’s not all style without substance though, particularly with the introduction of the performance-inspired R-Design model recently introduced.

An advanced sport chassis and full complement of state-of-the-art dynamicenhancing tech makes for an engaging and responsive drive. Safe as houses of course too, as you’d naturally expect from Volvo.

Features-wise, the R-Design S90 sports a new front-end design with spoiler-integrated fog lights, unique grille and piano black trim front and rear, a new five-spoke matt black diamond-cut wheel, sporty contour seats, plus a high-level interior illumination package to just give it that extra-special touch. www.volvocars.com

ASTON MARTIN DB11 One of the most anticipated debuts of the year so far is Aston Martin’s DB11 - not only the bold new figurehead of the illustrious ‘DB’ bloodline, but the most powerful, efficient and dynamically gifted DB model in the company’s history.

Showcasing a fresh and distinctive design language, pioneering aerodynamics and powered by a potent new in-house designed 5.2-litre twinturbocharged V12 engine, the model is the most significant Aston Martin has launched since the debut of its acclaimed DB9 back in 2003.

Dramatic, streamlined lines, with a series of innovative and eye-catching design signatures, the DB11 is an aesthetic joy, all aiding aerodynamics to aid stability without compromising on form.

As with every Aston Martin, its heart is found beneath the bonnet. Designed in-house, the 5.2-litre engine develops 600bhp with a remarkable 700Nm of torque, delivering a top speed of 200mph and a 0-62mph sprint time of just 3.9 seconds.

To exploit the advantages of its new body structure and harness the immense performance of the new twin-turbo V12 plant, the DB11’s chassis, suspension, steering and electronics have been re-imagined and key new technologies embraced. The result is a driving experience that combines exemplary ride comfort and true sports car agility.

As you would expect, the DB11 combines the very latest technology with the finest quality and hand craftsmanship. Highlights include an allnew instrument cluster, satellite navigation and audio systems, plus newly implemented autopark assist feature and 360-degree birds-eye view camera which helps provide safe maneuvering at slow speeds. There’s also an enormous choice of finishes and colours to personalise the model to you particular tastes.

With wider doors, significantly increased occupant space, especially in the rear, plus a luggage compartment large enough to accommodate two large holdalls and carry-on baggage, the DB11 is a genuine Grand Tourer.

Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Dr Andy Palmer said: “This is not only the most important car that Aston Martin has launched in recent history, but also in its 103-year existence. The DB11 rightfully places Aston Martin once again as a leading brand in the luxury automotive market”.

Priced from £154,900 www.astonmartin.com

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Your neighbourhood townhouse hotel And

THE METRO Bar and Restaurant A Knightsbridge hidden gem

‘Croissant throwing distance to Harrods’ 28 Basil Street, Knightsbridge SW3 1AS

020 7589 6286

Conde Nast

www.thelevinhotel.co.uk

FERRARI CELEBRATES 70TH ANNIVERSARY IN STYLE Ferrari celebrate its 70th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, a special logo has been created for use on a limited number of iconic models such as the stunning LaFerrari Aperta, and also 70 individual liveries have been designed by the Tailor Made atelier, inspired by iconic models from Ferrari history.

A grand world tour spanning more than 60 different countries will also take place, highlighting this incredible company’s global reach and acclaim.

A year-long series of events will see classic Ferraris and modern cars side by side and the celebrations will conclude with an exclusive event in Maranello later this year.

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LUXURY RE-ENGINEERED

The Dom Reilly watch roll A supremely elegant case in full-grain leather affording unprecedented protection for up to four wristwatches.

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