Kensington & Chelsea Review Christmas issue

VOLUME FOUR | ISSUE ONE | FREE

The Bon Voyage Edition In which we tour Tokyo, Italy and Arizona, let kids loose on the Borough’s top-flight restaurants, and talk extreme travel with a world-conquering explorer.

Bienvenue, and bon voyage...

MAURIZIO ANZERI GIOVANNI, 2009 PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT WITH EMBROIDERY 51 X 41 CM © MAURIZIO ANZERI, 2017 IMAGE COURTESY OF THE SAATCHI GALLERY, LONDON

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.

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

LUXURY RE-ENGINEERED

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

w w w . d o m r e i l l y . c o m | Te l : + 4 4 ( 0 ) 1 9 9 3 7 0 5 4 5 4

Editors’ Letter

PUBLISHER Talismanic Media FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR Sid Raghava CHIEF EDITORS Kate Weir and Sarah Jackson ART DIRECTOR Harriet Bedder MOTORING EDITOR Lisa Cur tiss OFFICE MANAGER Lee Marrero CONTRIBUTORS Coco Khan, Daisy McMullan, Tani Burns, Adam Jacot de Boinod, Rashid Meer, Sarah Rodrigues, Sid Raghava and 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.

Let us introduce ourselves. Long-term readers of the KCR may recognise our names – Kate Weir and Sarah Jackson – from restaurant and travel reviews which have graced these pages previously; but the (sort of) departure of our beloved, former Editor-in-Chief Coco Khan, has forced us into the spotlight as your new guides to the Royal Borough and beyond. Yes, Coco made such an imprint on this publication that two editors are required to take her place; but, she’ll still be a firm fixture as a contributing editor (and, indeed she’s conjuring up new travel content as we speak...) Now that we’re well acquainted, let’s pour out a sherry and get in a celebratory mood as we run down the best luxury (and occasionally novel) Christmas gifts, get beautified for upcoming festive shindigs, and feast heartily through the winter months.

We’ve also wrapped up trips to Japan, Arizona, Portugal and beyond, before we reach ski season, and we talk to inspiring sportswoman Sarah Outen MBE, who risked life, limb and boat to circumnavigate the globe. So, ready the Shropshire blue from La Cave à Fromage, raid the box of Fortnum’s mince pies and settle in to find out what’s new near and far.

EDITORS KATE WEIR & SARAH JACKSON

Contents 4. News Explore the latest openings, exhibitions and events from the borough

and beyond.

8.

Creative Kensington

From contemporary installations to Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, immerse yourself in what’s new in the artistic side of Kensington and Chelsea.

14. Travel We fly away again to enjoy high-octane Tokyo and chilled-out Kyoto in

Japan, get a little tipsy in Luxembourg, traverse the Amalfi coast, and scope out Arizona’s art and architecture.

37. Own The elves of Kensington and Chelsea have been busy this year, pulling

together the best gift guide the borough has to offer, so get ready to indulge yourself and the ones you love.

45. Eat More tasty morsels: see what kids think of the Royal Borough’s

restaurants, eat your way through Emilia-Romagna, and dine along with one of the year’s most controversial films.

68.

Drive

We get behind the wheel and under the chassis of some seriously sleek motors.

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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, SARAH JACKSON AND KATE WEIR ST PAUL’S SPREADS A LIT TLE M AGIC An annual concert will be held in the beautiful St Paul’s Church in Knightsbridge, to raise funds for the 27th year running, to help people affected by cancer. We Are Macmillan hope to raise around £20,000.

Carols by Candlelight will be held at St Paul’s on Thursday 14 December, from 7.30pm– 9pm. Vox Cordis choir will be performing, Alastair Bruce OBE will be presenting and Nick Hendrix and John Foley will be doing readings. Reserved tickets are available at £30 each, unreserved seating at £25.

Purchase from: Judy Spence on 07793 579359 or www.macmillan.org.uk

ART FOR LIFE, NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS Art for Life is an exhibition and sale of paintings from a range of professional artists recruited by Royal Academician, Ken Howard OBE. The exhibition will run from Monday 30 October till Thursday 2 November, and a drinks reception and live auction of the paintings will be held.

Organised by a long-term National Events Committee member, this show will gather great artists and high-value supporters together. It will take place at the beautiful Chris Beetles Gallery in Green Park. 8-10 Ryder St, St. James’s, London SW1Y 6QB, www.chrisbeetles.com POLTRONAFRAU’S CHARITABLE PROJECT PoltronaFrau, a leading brand in Italianleather furniture, has launched a limitededition run of one of its most iconic designs; the Vanity Fair chair is now upholstered in a playful geometric pattern. The fabric was designed by the children of Tolentino in Italy to encapsulate the creative freedom of childhood. The chair is available in three sizes. Proceeds will be used to support a new school museum for the children of Favara – a Sicilian town which has been transformed from a semi-abandoned village into a cultural hub by the art charity FARM Cultural Park.

147 Fulham Rd, SW3 6SN, London.

IN THE HOOD WITH LUCA FALONI In October we witnessed a unique pop-up experience from online luxury menswear label Luca Faloni entitled ‘In the Hood

by Luca Faloni’. Situated in the heart of Notting Hill, the event explored how timeless menswear pieces have kept their place in the world through the ages, via an inspirational storytelling gallery. Alongside this, visitors to In the Hood were invited to enjoy a range of Italian aperitivos served at bar Torino, while browsing the brand’s products online, sampling the quality fabrics, and trying pieces on. Some of the clothes also feature in our Christmas gift guide. www.lucafaloni.com

AESOP’S FABLED NEW CHELSEA STORE The Aussie skincare brand will be moving into its new Chelsea home from early November. The boutique is a collaboration with visionary architecture firm Snøhetta, so alongside exquisitely packaged, delectably scented lotions and potions, the space will undoubtedly catch your eye too. The brand’s stores are renowned for their unique design touches – ceilings strung with coconut hairs, copies of the Paris Review plastered over walls – so it’s well worth stopping by.

22–24 Duke of York Square www.aesop.com CLAUDIA SEBIRE TURNS 30 Chelsea-based luxury boutique, Claudia Sebire is celebrating 30 years of impeccably dressing their clientele. The store showcases the best German and Italian designers, including Strenesse, Trixi Schober, Amina Rubinacci and Bruno Manetti, and staff are adept at curating a capsule wardrobe tailored to customers’ needs.

136 Fulham Road, London SW10 9PY, www.claudiasebire.com

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GAIL’S BAKERY BRINGS WARM LOAVES AND SWEET TREATS TO HIGH STREET KEN Gail’s cinnamon buns acted like a siren song upon this KCR editor each time she passed a branch, so news of the bakery’s November opening in High Street Kensington is a joyous occasion. Located at 240–242, it’s ideally situated for cake and coffee – and more cake, and maybe a cheese straw – after a visit to the newly opened Design Museum. Lunches of soups, salads and sandwiches; afternoon teas; and very fine coffee can be enjoyed too.

240–242 High Street Kensington, W8 6ND, www.gailsbread.co.uk

DINNER THEATRE AT DISHOOM Kensington is lucky enough to get a brand-new branch of lauded Indian eatery Dishoom (good morning, Ginger Pig bacon-filled naan roll) and dinner comes with a show, the twisting-turning noir Night at the Bombay Roxy. Swamp Studios will enact an immersive Indian pot-boiler set in Forties Mumbai, as servers ferry out multiple courses of top Indian fare. Catch curtains-up from 27 November to 14 December, 2017.

4 Derry Street, Kensington, London W8 5SE, www.dishoom.com/kensington FEAST CANTEEN Yes, Feast Canteen is beyond the Royal Borough’s borders, in Hammersmith; however, it’s worth journeying out your comfort zone for a canteen that’s more geometric pastels, greenery and artfully exposed industrial piping, than hairnets and heating trays. Set on the ground floor of Kings Mall, the four restaurant booths will be manned by Patty & Bun, Salvation In Noodles, Born & Raised, and Breddos Tacos – it’ll be several notches up from identikit food courts. Opening January 2018 on the GL of Kings Mall, King Street, Hammersmith, London W6 9HW, www.feastcanteen.co.uk

ALL OF THE LIGHTS If the enveloping winter darkness is getting you down, the Magic Lantern Festival in the gardens of Chiswick House will illuminate your outlook. Giant, luminous installations include flowers, forests and a reproduction of ‘an ancient city from the Song Dynasty’ – a nod to the festival’s inspiration, Chinese New Year’s Eve lantern festival. Food-and-drink stalls, fairground rides and a Santa’s grotto are included. Even better? The London event has partnered with Great Ormond Street Hospital to raise money for patients. Chiswick House and Gardens, Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London W4 2QN www.magicallantern.uk

BLAKES ARE PRIMED FOR A ROAST Blakes Hotel is already cosy, but with the introduction of a Sunday roast, they’ve acknowledged autumn’s chill and invited travellers in for British comfort food. Settle into Anouska Hempel’s sultry, grey and gilt-edged dining room, warmed by an open fire, and ready yourself for a plate piled with carrots, parsnips, roast potatoes and – of course – Yorkshire puds. The hardest decision you need make is whether you want 30-daydry-aged Angus rib-eye steak or corn-fed chicken – and after, you could snooze off the excess in one of the lavish bedrooms, mere steps away. www.blakeshotels.com FROCKS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER The Victoria and Albert Museum have announced their new big-ticket fashion exhibition for 2018; Fashioned from Nature shows style in its natural (and slightly less so) state, with feathered and flower-strewn garments displayed alongside flora and fauna specimens. The exhibition looks at the processes involved in making clothes, the ethics of our fashion choices, and innovations in textile design; definitely one to crow about.

The exhibition opens on 21 April, but tickets (£12) usually sell out fast. www.vam.ac.uk/ exhibitions/fashioned-from-nature)

Cape of curled cockerel feathers, Auguste Champot, France, ca. 1895 Victoria and Albert Museum, London

COAL DROPS YARD The Coal Drops Yard shopping quarter will open in King’s Cross in Autumn 2018.

The space will fuse the traditional with the contemporary, housing a unique mix of established and emerging retailers.

Independent shops, signature brands and new concepts from home and abroad, with cafés, bars, restaurants and public spaces, to create a new shopping destination for London. Coal Drops Yard has been reinvented by Heatherwick Studio, which has intertwined a striking contemporary design with the surviving brick viaducts, cobbled streets and rich ironwork of the Victorian Coal Drops that were originally on site. www.coaldropsyard.com

A HIDDEN ROOFTOP WONDERLAND The Berkeley Hotel’s Rooftop Winter Cinema is the cosiest way to watch a Christmas classic, not least because it’s only large enough for eight guests.

Viewers sit in two-person cabins filled with Moncler fur wraps, fleecy rugs and hot-water bottles, as steaming mugs of hot-chocolate and mulled wine are discreetly ferried out with trays of teeny, buttery mince pies. This year, happy-tearinducing Miracle on 34th Street, and sweet festive romp Elf will be screened each day throughout December at 5.15pm and 7.30pm (timings vary) Tickets: Adult £70 (mulled wine, hot chocolate, mince pies; Child 12-18 £50 (biscuits and hot chocolate) www.the-berkeley.co.uk FOTOGRAFISKA Stockholm gallery Fotografiska is opening a UK branch, which will be London’s largest dedicated photography gallery, set across 89,000sq ft of space in Whitechapel - opening in November 2018. Offering up to seven exhibitions at any time, the gallery will show the world’s top photographers alongside work by new talent; commissioned series on current affairs; exhibitions drawn from Fotografiska’s collection; and a wide range of themed group shows. As each show runs into the next, the resulting mix of programming will offer different insights into the ever-evolving world of the art. www.fotografiska.com/london

SK YL ARK AT T HE SCIENCE MUSEUM In November, the Science museum are unveiling their latest exhibition, Skylark: Britain’s Pioneering Space Rocket. This marks 60 years to the day since British scientists launched the Skylark rocket programme. To celebrate, TSM’s exhibition explores the story behind this remarkable project. Designed at the height of the Cold War, Skylark could fly to previously unachievable heights and perform experiments during its 10-minute flight time.

Over 50 years, 441 Skylark missions were launched, making it one of the longest and most successful rocket programmes in the world. www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

ICE-SKATING AT THE TOWER OF LONDON Ice skate at one of the capital’s most iconic historical landmarks! The Tower of London Ice Rink allows you to glide around the castle’s famous moat for an unforgettable festive experience. Evening sessions are illuminated by hundreds of snowflakes on the castle walls, while an early-morning session, new for this year, is perfect for little skaters. A huge Christmas tree adds to the magical atmosphere and there are pop-up food-and-drink stalls too. 17 November 2017 to 2 January 2018, see all ticket combinations/options online at www.toweroflondonicerink.co.uk ICONIC CHRISTMAS WINDOWS AT HAMLEYS Hamleys, the finest toy shop in the world, has unveiled its 2017 Christmas window!

Displaying frozen lakes, treehouses and cosy underground dens, the windows set the scene for a magical Hamleys Christmas. Designed and developed by Hamleys visual-merchandising team, together with toy-industry partner Ty, the Hamleys Christmas windows promise to fill you with festive glee.

188–196 Regent Street, Soho, London W1B 5BT www.hamleys.com

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CALLING ARTISTS, YOUNG AND OLD This October, Winsor & Newton launched their 2017 gift collections range. Combining craftsmanship with innovation, Winsor & Newton’s all-yearround gift collection will spark the creativity of young and established artists alike.

The range consists of five curated sets, each containing a collection of world-class art materials including ink, watercolour, acrylic paint, mediums and metallic markers – all presented in a beautiful keepsake box. www.winsornewton.com

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM ICE RINK The Natural History Museum’s beautiful, Alfred Waterhouse-designed, Romanesque building already looks like something from a whimsical Christmas tale, so the opening of the museum’s ice rink just ups the magic, especially when it twinkles with fairy lights, and with the addition of a large fully decked-out tree. It opened in October and will run to 7 January, and alongside showing off your best Torvill and Dean moves on the ice, you can sip mulled wine and hot chocolate with marshmallows. See all ticket combinations/options online at www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/ice-rink.

AN OLD SCHOOL FAMILY CHRISTMAS On the 3, 10 and 17 December, Kensington Palace will hold family-friendly events to show children how the Victorians celebrated back in the day. Kids can listen to tales of Queen Victoria’s Christmas traditions, craft decorations, and find out what Victorian children could expect to find in their stocking (it wasn’t always a Dickensian lump of coal…) It promises to be both educational and enchanting.

Kensington Gardens, London W8 4PX, www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/explore/ under-the-christmas-tree BARGAIN HUNT AT CATHERINE SOUTHON Catherine Southon’s auction house will be celebrating its 5th anniversary and the special Celebrity Bargain Hunt ‘Children in Need’ auction will include the collection of Playboy cartoons by the artist, a fantastic opportunity to buy some great art work just in time for Christmas - 1st November & 6th December. www.catherinesouthon.co.uk

J OIN T HE WAR O N FO O D WAS TE! If food waste was a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases after the US and China. This shocking statistic is enough to make people realise that tackling food waste is especially important in London, where it costs the average person £200 a year. Too Good To Go is an app that aims to reduce food waste by allowing food stores to sell surplus food at the end of the day to customers for a reduced price. The app is available to download for free on Android and iPhone and about 16 organisations in K&C have already signed up!

BO OK ALERT FOR CHRIS TM AS With Christmas fast approaching, Maud Russell’s War Diaries might just be the one of the books to buy. One of the few female art collectors of her time, Maud was a Jewish heiress who married into British aristocracy and mixed with politicians, artists and London society.

Having been Ian Fleming’s lover, owner of Mottisfont and Mayfair resident, Ms. Russell was a fascinating character and her diaries give a fascinating insight into life during the war. www.dovecotepress.com

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LABOURS OF LOVE KATE WEIR interviews textile designer Caitlin Hinshelwood about her industrial-strength artwork…

Artist and textile designer Caitlin Hinshelwood’s brilliant new show Kissing the Shuttle, at Cecil Sharp House, is the culmination of her research at the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, London; the Working Class Movement Library, Salford; and the People’s History Museum, Manchester.

Her large-scale banners evoke the styles and symbolism of the past – the sparks for Hinshelwood’s inspiration were union banners, protest songs, the historic customs of the textile industry. The show’s title references a process by which weavers used their mouths to pull thread through the eye of a shuttle, one that was outlawed after it led to health concerns; however, Hinshelwood’s work is colourful and rousing, imbued with spirit and solidarity. We caught up with the artist to quiz her on techniques, fashion collaborations and freemasons…

Where do you draw inspiration from?

In general I am drawn to ethnographic collections, folk practices and art, hand-rendered pattern, the craftsmanship of the unknown maker. I draw inspiration from museums, film, archives and travel; however the specifics change from project to project and my research isn’t just confined to these areas.

Have you always been a fan of working with textiles or is it a style that evolved over the years?

I trained in printed textiles at university and have always been drawn to it as a medium. I have continued working with textiles since graduating and my practice has developed over time, and the processes I use have become more refined.

You were formerly a Studio Assistant for artist Susan Collis. I’m interested in the dynamics of the role, is it challenging or liberating to step out of the spotlight?

I’ve worked for Susan Collis on and off for many years. During this time, I’ve helped with various techniques in making her artwork, including marquetry, inlay, embroidery to drawing.

I think if I worked full time making somebody else’s work it would be challenging, but for me it’s been a liberating experience and I have learnt a lot from working for other artists. A lot of the work has been very repetitive and manual and I enjoy it, because it allows you time to think.

Some of your work uses techniques that are traditionally considered feminine, do you find this perception has shifted now or is there still some gender-bias?

I teach Printed Textiles at Winchester School of Art and in the four-to-five years I have been there I have only taught three male students. That’s not representative of every university but it’s indicative. I hope that it doesn’t take some young male artist to convince people textiles are cool.

I like the apparent naiveté to your work – do you find that you can push the envelope more if you work in simplistic forms and tactile fabrics?

I’m not consciously trying to create work that looks naive but I am drawn to work made by un-trained artists/makers so of

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course that has influenced my style. Some naive works can seem simplistic but are actually incredibly crafted. I suppose this is something I am referencing in my work. The processes I use in my work are complex and take a huge amount of time.

Do you always set out to tell a story with a piece?

There is always a narrative element but often I leave this open or ambiguous so that the viewer is part of interpreting those stories. I’m interested in forms of visual communication and that’s important to my practice, and much more apparent in my recent work. It’s been an interesting process working with historical information, and little-known stories, and finding ways to communicate these without being too literal.

You’ve worked at Paul Smith and produced textiles for Marc by Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton and DKNY – who would be your dream collaborator?

I don’t know who would be my one dream collaborator. I would love to work with more institutions like Cecil Sharp House and those connected to my current exhibition. I’ve really enjoyed working with an archive; it’s felt like a luxury to really research for a project.

I’m really interested in making rugs – taking the scale I’ve developed with my banners but translating them in other ways.

Talk us through some of the symbolism in your work?

In my current work for ‘Kissing the Shuttle’ I’ve used symbols from historic trade union banners such as the beehive and bundle of sticks representing unity, working together. Some union symbols come from Freemasons and Oddfellows such as the all-seeing-eye. Other symbols I’ve used come from medieval trade guilds or motifs used in industrial folk practices, such as those in ceremonies when women left work for marriage. But many aren’t existing symbols; they are motifs I have created to stand in for something, to help tell a story.

Do you have a favourite of the patterns you’ve created?

My favourites change but there are always a few pieces that continually feel like strong works. It will be interesting to see which of the banners from ‘Kissing the Shuttle’ remain my favourites.

Sometimes I’m attached to a piece just because I know there is something in the process that went particularly well or achieved a specific colour. At the moment my favourite from the show is ‘Mee Maw’.

What can we expect from you next?

I am hoping to produce a publication for the show with the imprint Pleats to further contextualize the work and to reveal more of the research and archive material behind the work. So we’ll begin work on this soon.

Caitlin Hinshelwood’s Kissing the Shuttle is on at Cecil Sharp House until 28 January 2018. Visit www.cecilsharphouse.org for more information.

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Photo Credit Owen Richards and © Caitlin Hinshelwood

‘Symbols I’ve used come from medieval trade guilds or motifs used in industrial folk practices; but many aren’t existing symbols, they are motifs I have created to stand in for something, to help tell a story.’

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A TRIUMPH OF A TRAGEDY Theatre correspondent TANI BURNS finds political relevance in antiquity while watching the Royal Shakespeare Company’s new production of Coriolanus.

For more information on the RSC’s future events, visit www.rsc.org.uk.

Helen Maybanks © Royal Shakespeare Company.

‘The RSC’s production is psychological, incisive and visceral, but it remains somehow politically neutral.’

It’s a given for Shakespeare’s Roman plays to hit a particularly topical and – whatever the climate – timely note. What that says about the futility of sociopolitics I wouldn’t want to say. But, some things never change. Coriolanus is fertile ground for such contemporary political commentary, and although Angus Jackson’s production (the fourth in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Roman Season) draws away from specific references, it otherwise makes its points with vigour – playing up the visual signs of social division in this most political of plays.

Costumery enhances the staging and story; those of the populace wear hoodies and scarves, patricians black (sometimes white) tie – while the genderequality-box-ticking female tribunes present themselves with the cool efficiency of something between executive secretaries and observing Backbenchers. The play establishes its tone with a tense and protracted scene in which a forklift truck moves several pallets, laden with huge bags of corn, away from the reach of citizens and behind thick iron gates. The set is industrially, starkly modern and yet simultaneously hints at its Roman origins with its gladiator grilles and amphitheatre round.

What moves it from becoming too authentic a reproduction, as well as the wardrobe department, is the commanding lead performance from Sope Dirisu. His is a

formidable presence, appearing post-battle head-to-toe covered with blood, bringing a visceral force to the character more weighted by his martial vigour and physical authority than the subtlety of verse for which we might better recognise Coriolanus.

However, it is in his relationships with those around him that the lead brings out so much more of the play and, in fact, so much more from its other players.

Haydn Gwynne as Voluminia excels, presenting a sorrowfully convincing portrayal of a human transition from great heights to great dejection – from a proud and unflinching matriarch to a figure of despair, shrunken in voice and form, pleading with her son – a man who cannot and will not be the leader the people seek. Paul Jesson as Menenius presents the old patrician’s quasi-paternal adoration of the boy-hero, while the relationship between Coriolanus and Aufidius is here underlined by the latter (played by James Corrigan) grieving over the dead body of his former rival like a devastated lover.

Overall, the RSC’s production is psychological, incisive and visceral, but it remains somehow politically neutral.

Beginning with scenes of inequality, injustice, anger and riots, ultimately where the power should lie is, at the end, still a question.

Sounds vaguely familiar, doesn’t it?

THIS SEASON’S BEST ART SHOWS Words by curator, artist and contributing writer DAISY MCMULLAN

Sandwiched between October’s Frieze-fest and Christmas, November offers a chance to see some great contemporary work away from the hustle of one of the world’s biggest art fairs, and some cultural refreshment before the excesses of the festive season begin.

Listed are four shows taking place in the boroughs of the Kensington & Chelsea Review, featuring works that challenge conventional ideas about what art can be, and showing artists who test the limits of material, process and gesture.

In Exhibition Road, the Victoria & Albert Museum presents work of the 10 designer-makers shortlisted for the Woman’s Hour Craft Prize. The exhibition includes pieces made in a wide variety of materials, including Laura Ellen Bacon’s monumental woven-willow sculptures, Phoebe Cummings’ epic, raw-clay installations, and smaller embroidered-textile pieces by Celia Pym. The exhibition also features some of the craft world’s most established names, including Alison Britton, Romilly SaumarezSmith, and Neil Brownsword.

Challenges to material and technology also feature in Wade Guyton’s exhibition ‘Das New Yorker Atelier, Abridged’ currently on show at the Serpentine Gallery. Using consumer technology such as desktop printers, cameras and iPhones as tools to make his work, Guyton’s work transforms the real, three-dimensional world into digital data, which is then made into paintings.

Also challenging the edges of painting is an exhibition ‘Control

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to Collapse’, atImperial College’s Blyth Gallery. Nine emerging artists, including Clare Price, Ann Marie James and Tim A Shaw (who all work in paint) are brought together in this exhibition, that explores the use of gesture from the tightly controlled to more intuitive approaches.

Further destabilising notions of what art is, comes ‘Iconoclasts: Art out of the Mainstream’ at Saatchi Gallery.

Featuring work by Kate MccGwire, Maurizio Anzeri and Makiko Kudo, this show will turn the idea of what contemporary art is on its head. Through the use of unconventional materials, the artists in the show question cultural mores. Don’t forget to catch ‘Calder on Paper’, which runs concurrently through November at Saatchi Gallery’s project space, Salon.

The Woman’s Hour Craft Prize, at the Victoria & Albert Museum, continues until 5 February 2018. Wade Guyton’s ‘Das New York Atelier, Abridged’, at the Serpentine Gallery, runs until 4 February 2018. ‘Control To Collapse’, at the Blyth Gallery, runs from 22 November 2017 to 3 January 2018. ‘Iconoclasts, Art out of the Mainstream’, at the Saatchi Gallery, runs until 7 January 2018.

Other highlights include paintings by Gary Hume in household gloss paint, which he has created for nearly 30 years.

His new works on paper represent a departure from his ultraslick paintings on aluminium, to a more organic process and abstracted imagery. Mum, Gary Hume’s exhibition, is at Sprüth Magers until 23 December 2017.

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Celia Pym, Darned Tracksuit, 2016, photography: Michele Panzeri Kate MccGwire Corvid, 2011 Crow's feather and mixed media 122 x 331 x 149 cm © Kate MccGwire, 2017 Image courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London Maurizio Anzeri Giovanni, 2009 Photographic print with embroidery 51 x 41 cm © Maurizio Anzeri, 2017 Image courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London Wade Guyton, Untitled, 2015, Epson UltraChrome HDR inkjet on linen, 213.4 x 175.3 cm, © Wade Guyton, Courtesy of the artist, Photography: Ron Amstutz Clare Price, t.t.t., 2015, acrylic on canvas Tamsin Relly, Ice Mountain, 2015, oil on gesso

A TALE OF TWO CITY STAYS: TOKYO TO KYOTO The thrilling urban nerve-centre that is a country’s capital naturally draws in the traveller who wants head-first exploration. However, in this new series we look at how to maximise your city break with two-in-one getaways that offer more than just a glimpse of a country’s character and culture. For this edition, KATE WEIR is dazzled by Tokyo’s vibrancy before chilling out in Kyoto TOKYO Japan’s capital is every inch the feverish, neon dream pop-culture promises it to be: it’s Akira’s frenetic futurism, and Lost in Translation’s hazy nights. The former imperial seat of the Meiji empire, Tokyo is a sprawl of precision-plotted tower blocks and machiya houses. Shinto shrines rub shoulders with skyscrapers of crazed theme cafés accessed via Narniaesque elevators; vending and pachinko machines glow and jangle; spotless Metro cars keep a timely schedule; and Harajuku scenesters bring highenergy hipster swagger. Whether you’re scrambling over Shibuya’s iconic crossing or sipping homegrown whiskies in a Ginza bar, Tokyo – home to nine million citizens and counting – is a spectacle as dizzying as the games played in its Sega arcades.

But, the button-smashing, cajoling maids and mascots, and endless blinking, dancing kanji can be overwhelming, so booking a home base as serene as a temple’s innards is essential.

THE HOTEL

Luxury hotel Aman Tokyo offers a highend haven for taking a breather, or perhaps a puff on one of their fumoir’s imported cigars. For the uninitiated, Aman hotels are a moveable feast of Asian-minimalist opulence; a brand so consistent in its sumptuous offering that it has a loyal band of followers, dubbed ‘Amanjunkies’. Usually the resorts sun themselves on pristine beaches or accentuate a picturesque desert; this Tokyo outpost is a rare city-centre stay.

It’s set atop the Otemachi Tower; the surrounding Chiyoda district is a glassand-steel maze of skyscrapers, but it’s well placed for sightseeing, close to Tokyo Station, adjacent to the Imperial Palace and its groomed gardens, the Science Museum, and the National Museum of

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Modern Art. This is Tokyo’s business hub, so bars and eateries are thronged with suits after work.

On arrival, expectations rise with the manned elevator that whisks you to the 33rd floor. The basalt-rock lobby’s cavernous roof is lined in washi paper to resemble traditional shoji lanterns. Soft lighting adds a dreamlike quality to near 360-degree views over the city. The hotel’s hushed elegance best suits couples seeking cinematic romance, cosseting service and attention to detail: an art library (with a book on Aman architects Kerry Hill Projects), a lobby tree bearing seasonal foliage (sakura in spring, maple leaves in autumn), and background music that switches from sultry to soaring.

THE ROOMS

Rooms, lined in camphor wood and washi screens, are some of Tokyo’s largest (starting from 70sq m). Proportions and symmetry evoke traditional washitsus, and the design’s simplicity draws your eye to the view. The view: twinkling skyscraper lights carrying into the far distance, a map of the restless city laid out below.

The bathroom’s deep, stone furo bath is placed just-so for nighttime gazing as you ladle water scented with cedar salts and shiso leaves over yourself. Just make sure your partner doesn’t discover the ‘peephole’ shiso screen which can be opened from the bedroom.

Amans aim to be all things to all guests: our room has kimonos, tortoiseshell combs, a tea set, pots of spiced crackers, house-brand sake; beyond, the couple’s spa suite has its own onsen, the whisky lounge has safety-deposit boxes for unfinished bottles, and the pool has cityfacing loungers. The chef will accompany you to Tsukiji market to buy ingredients for a special meal – but, with an à la PAGE 14

carte of sea urchin with white-asparagus panna cotta, scallop and yellow pumpkin alla puttanesca, the most-pliant strips of wagyu and a Japanese-inflected Italian dessert list – served as the sun sets – the restaurant beckons.

THE SETTING

For late-night revellers, the Chiyoda district may seem a little subdued; we struggled to find a bar close by that was open past 11.30pm., but it’s an easy Metro ride from artsy Shibuya, shop-laden Roppongi and Tokyo’s main shrines at Asakusa and Ueno. The Ginza line runs right by it too, placing you a few stops from well-attended drinkeries: old-school glam at Lupin (www. lupin.co.jp), louche nights at Bar Musashi (in the Pacific Ginza Building) and Suntory times at Hibiya Bar Whisky S II (www.hibiyabar.com/whisky-s2). You’re a few footfalls from the fast-regenerating Nisonbashi district too, where the Mitsui family’s resplendent art collection is displayed (www.mitsui-museum.jp), Ozu Washi sells delicate papers (www.ozuwashi.net) and steaming bowls of ochazuke (matcha tea poured over rice) await. Once you’ve eaten your fill of kaiseki cuisine, browsed the mega malls and tried tots of sake and shochu, return to your ivory tower of lowlit, heavy-lidded sultriness and that worthevery-yen view.

Rooms at Aman Tokyo start from JPY90,000 a night (on a room-only basis excluding tax and fees). Visit www.aman.com/resorts/aman-tokyo for details.

To reach Kyoto from the capital, hop on the Shinkansen at Tokyo Station; the hyper-modern, speedy trains will get you there in around twoand-a-half hours, tickets from 14,000 yen.

LEFT: Aman Resorts RIGHT: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

KYOTO Where Tokyo moves at the pulsequickening speed of an anime theme tune, Kyoto – Japan’s second city – has the slow dainty gait of a geisha on geta platforms. Its Old Town, the machiya- and ryokan-lined Gion district, evokes scenes from painted silken scrolls: you’ll spy the flash of a vivid kimono, stroll under the red lanterns at night or listen to streams babble as locals cycle past and feel a quantum leap away from both the capital and the present.

However, the city’s more modern suburbs, where wood-and concrete dwellings of dollhouse proportions are dwarfed by fully-grown bonsai, feel like the backdrop to the sudden fantasy of a Ghibli cartoon. Modernity has brought its own magic to Kyoto; groups of students socialise on the banks of the Kamo River that bisects the city, there are pop-up eateries and sake stops, and its luxury hotel game is strong – as I found out during my stay at the Four Seasons, Kyoto.

THE HOTEL

My concerns that a megabrand hotel, in the hushed, historic Higashiyama district, would lack a true sense of place dissipated on arrival. The Four Seasons occupies a privileged plot in Kyoto’s temple district in an 800-yearold ikenawa (pond garden). Artisanal cedar-wood doors; orchids strung up in individual tiny vases; packets of Kyo-balloon rice sweets, a tea set and in-season sato nishiki cherries left in our room: all details that brought the surroundings in. ‘Yes, there are the sleek marble-lined halls, glossy length of bar, rattan and wicker statement pieces, and mob of helpful doormen, you’d expect of most Four Seasons stays, but the city’s spirit is infused throughout with the vigor of the delightful yuzu scent in the rooms’ bathrooms.

Just 10 minutes after check-in we watch a geisha in full regalia (rice-powder make-up, seasonal kimono and hairpieces, stiff obi belt) conduct a considered, graceful dance in the lobby. Considering their status as a cultural touchpoint in Japan, true geisha are actually quite reticent (appearing only on special occasions), so it’s a nice touch to have them brought to you. The hotel also has an authentic wood-andwashi-lined tea house (Shakusui-tei) where one can learn the Zen ritual of pouring and serving. The hotel’s concierge – Kyoto local Hana Morioka – has also crafted a series of authentic experiences, such as meditation with the deputy head monk of Shoden Eigen-in temple; kaiseki dinners; lantern, pottery and knife-making; rickshaw tours; and lessons in how to fold a kimono. Kids (and adults) can partake in ninja lessons too.

THE ROOMS

Rooms are light and luxuriously outfitted with deep-pile carpets, super-soft beds, huge walk-in showers, kimonos and thick fluffy bathrobes. Japanese minimalist style is adhered to, there’s little clutter, washipaper lamps, fusuma screens and urushi lacquerware. They’re wholly modernised, with remote-controlled curtains, a second TV in the bathroom mirror and an iPad on which you can order everything from extra towels to in-room massages. There’s a hidden butler box to ensure seamless laundry delivery too.

THE SPA

The hotel’s large pool has submerged loungers, wooden cabanas to seek seclusion in and bubbling hot tubs to relax in, as well as pine saunas and ofuro showers. Its destination spa, with elegantly minimalist treatment rooms, borrows its philosophy from ensō (the Zen practice of PAGE 15

Rooms at Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto start from £650 a night (www.fourseasons.com/kyoto)

drawing a circle in one stroke to signify when the mind is clear) with decadent treatments such as sake baths, gold-leaf facials and rice-milk, honey and jade-stone massages, you’ll feel rejuvenated if you adhere to this notion or not. Unbridled luxury is evident in the brasserie’s menu too, where we dine on confit-gizzard salad, comte crème brûlée, langoustines and hokkaido scallops and clafoutis – all washed down with champagne and rich regional wine.

A second eatery, Sushi Wakon, is where 10 diners can watch a skilled chef perform culinary theatre while crafting Edo-style plates.

THE SETTING

Whizz up your curtains on waking; the painstakingly pruned greenery, lazily frolicking koi and sacred serenity borrows a little of Kyoto’s spirituality and bestows it on guests. Not that you’ll lack for holy hotspots; there are more than 1,600 temples and shrines in the surroundings.

Along the same street as the hotel sit the Imahie Jingū Shrine monkey shrine and the Imakumano shrine. To the north lies Ryozen Gokoku Shrine, Heian Shrine, Nijō Castle and the Ryozen History Museum the famed Kiyomizu-dera, a millenia-old World Heritage site (one of 17), ideally placed for watching Kyoto’s greenery burst into pink sakura blooms in spring and mature into firelit shades during autumn’s momijigari (leaf-peeping) season. Another mustsee is the exquisite Zen Buddhist temple Kinkaku-Ji. In summer, the city’s bamboo forest casts an eerily beautiful green glow.

At dinnertime, order noodles ice cold and chicken extra crispy and wash down with sake shots – there’s nowhere finer to raise a ‘kan-pai!’ to Kyoto than at the Matsui Brewery, Jo Social and Shimogamosaryo: a fount of excellent kaiseke cuisine.

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ETERNAL SUNSHINE HARRIET BEDDER indulges in a week of extreme gluttony and picturesque views, as she learns about the culture on the Amalfi Coast and dines in style fit for Sorrentine sweetheart, Sophia Loren

Wine, signorina?’

‘Just water for me, grazi.’

The waiter looks horrified. ‘Water? But why? Are you ill?’ I am certain that he is either about to touch my forehead, or call a doctor. Feeling slightly tipsy from lunchtime, I smile uneasily at him. ‘Signorina’ he says, a jubilant grin spreading steadily across his face. ‘A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine.’

I laugh, and nod (in all honesty, the man speaks the truth) and in pours the wine, the rich berry flavours of the vast vineyards of the Sorrentine Peninsula filling my glass as I return to the menu to choose my primo piatto - for the third time today. This is not going to be a hard choice, I sigh. I look around; we are sitting in the most magical restaurant that exists. Possibly.

Restaurant ‘o Parrucchiano, is known as the restaurant that invented cannelloni. Besides being excited to try the signature dish, we are in awe as we’re lead from the street entrance of the Trattoria through 18th-century rooms and into what I can only describe as pure heaven. An orangery as yellow as a… ‘lemonery’? With the capacity to seat up to 500 guests, this secret garden is vast, with hidden tables framed with fairy lights, and the room is glowing from the famous Sorrento lemons hanging as far as the eye can see. The night ends in high

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spirits – and with famous spirits – locally produced limoncello is the lagniappe ending each meal in Sorrento. On that note, we retire for the evening ready for the adventure awaiting us the following morning.

We embark on the Amalfi Drive private tour at 9am and I’m grateful that I seem to have grown accustomed to the effects of the red wine. The tour takes us down winding roads that teeter on the verge of traumatising, but we soon relax and are quickly admiring the beauty of the coastal track that bends through the mountains, whilst being shown the sights – including Sophia Loren’s villa – from the minivan.

We move into Positano as the fog settles on the mountains and the sun peers through the clouds across the bay. Positano is a sickeningly photogenic town built on a vertical axis, where – from birth to old age – residents are accustomed to ascending and descending between their houses and their cars (some parked up to a mile away) via a series of steep staircases that go from cloud to sea. We are not so brave and park with the tourist coaches halfway down the mountain; the only car park in town is for visitors. Orange and yellow parasols nestled in the volcanic sand welcome the Travelmar from Salerno to the shoreline for those that arrive by sea. Chiselled into the cliffs are casatas with

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vast windows and daredevil balconies; entwined through the cast-iron railings are flowers: deep-purple wisteria and velvetine red-trumpet creeper, daisies and fuchsia bougainvilleas…

As the sun begins to emerge and radiate along the coastline, we climb up winding staircases and through whitewashed alleyways between crumbling stucco walls. Like many Italian towns, Positano seems to be built around the opulence of the Catholic church that stands proud looking across the shoreline, while everything crumbles around it. The domed roof is recognisable from far away.

As we look at Positano from the clifftop where we park to stop for fruit – greengrocer Salvatore is busy peddling cherries and freshly squeezed juice from his cart – a John Steinbeck quote (from my pre-trip research) comes to mind. After visiting in 1953, he wrote in Harper’s Bazaar, ‘Positano bites deep.

It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone’. The words ring true as we clamber back into our Mercedes minivan and reach around for one last look. The drive continues; next stop: Amalfi.

(Next stop: lunch.)

Amalfi’s streets are bursting with tourists. The town’s beauty is undeniable; it’s flanked by lemon terraces and fountains built

into side walls. The magnificent Arab-Norman Amalfi Cathedral takes pride of place towering over the Piazza del Duomo.

Among the hustle and bustle, we find ourselves whisked through back-alleys and up stairways where we reach the serenity of Trattoria da Gemma. Here we are free to people-watch the cobbled streets below with a glass of wine before we make our way to the final stop on our Amalfi Coastal drive.

Ravello, listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1996, is as beautiful as its sister towns. The main square overlooks neighbouring vineyards and the coastal road, while the gardens of Villa Rufolo are a must-see for the green-fingered; fans of Wagner can also admire the culture behind the castle.

We fall back into the minibus after our fleeting tour of Ravello and immediately fall asleep. A new day, a new adventure; we’re exhausted from our road trip the day before, but keen to fit in as much as possible while on the sun-blessed Amalfi Coast.

Capri, located between the bay of Salerno and the bay of Naples, is easily accessible by a short ferry ride from our base at the Grand Hotel Royal in Sorrento.* We arrive on the island and settle with some gelato – an error of judgement as we have lunch pre-booked at La Terrazza Di Lucullo.

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Citalia (01293 831 970, www.citalia.com) is offering a 10-night holiday to Sorrento and Ischia, from £1,539 per person – saving up to £335 in total. The holiday includes five-nights at the five star Grand Hotel Royal in Sorrento, on a B&B basis, followed by five-nights at the five star Punta Molino in Ischia, on HalfBoard basis. Also included are all private resort transfers and return flights from London Gatwick with easyJet. Based on 15 April 2018 departures. Call to book.

We’re quickly whisked up the mountain to The Hotel Caesar Augustus, Anacapri, where the restaurant sits overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. Before we dine, the owner of the hotel, Sig. Signorini, gives us a private tour. The hotel was built in the 1840s by a Russian Prince, and the tour included a selection of its 56 rooms. Suites rent for an average of €1,500 a night, and a private butlered lunch terrace is also available to book. The tour takes us through the mindfulness garden, up to the gym and past the masseurs. Onwards. Lunch.

A bowl containing a kilo of mozzarella is shown to us.

Ah yes, clearly for that light Caprese salad… We all prepare for the impending feast. Soon after antipasti is served, the primi, secondi and contorno piastre are served tapas-style. This is arguably the best meal of the trip; we savour melt-in-the-mouth parmigiana di melanzane alla griglia and panzerotti di ricotta e mozzarella, and finish with torta caprese and torta ricotta e pera.

Must it come to an end?After lunch we make a quick pit stop at Canfora to visit Salvatore (one of several we meet during the trip), a well-known Anacapresi cobbler who famously made sandals for Jackie O among other notable clients (Soraya, Princess Margaret, Maria Callas, Grace Kelly); evidence of which hangs on the wall above his workstation where he still makes more than 40 pairs of sandals daily.

Our tour of Capri finishes with coffee by the swimming pool at Hotel Punta Tragara, famous for hosting Einsenhower and Winston Churchill’s meetings during World War II. They met here to discuss top-secret war strategies, possibly on the same terrace on which I now share my biscuit with a sparrow. Our journey back to the ferry takes us through the winding streets of Capri, past Prada, Louis Vuitton and other high-fashion boutiques. I was sad to leave the Grand Hotel Royal, Sorrento and the picturesque views of Vesuvius. Not to mention Le Relais, the hotel’s five-star restaurant with an exquisite pre-Opera tasting menu. We vow to

return, to make use of the vast terrace for the famed New Year’s’ Eve fireworks show hosted in the Port of Sorrento; we hope the Three Tenors is still on at the Correale Museum, so we can have our Pretty Woman moments once more.

We arrived in Ischia by hydrofoil. The Grand Hotel Punto Molino was a welcome sight, particularly its spa, which offers a full-body lymphatic-drainage massage - the perfect treatment for releasing toxins. The island is home to famous faces during the high season, (both Angela Merkel and Roman Abramovich have been spotted in local trattorias and visiting the medieval Aragonese Castle). Our final night reveals the island’s best kept secret. Fashionable drinks at Coquille Ischia preceded the short walk off the beaten track in Ischia Porto, to the tiny ristorante de Bellezza.

The family-run restaurant, which stands on stilts in the sea has members of the clan running around everywhere; it’s charming and cosy and by day it must have incredible views over the ocean. After wine’s passed around, out came the bruschetta; it’s divine so we double up our order. Fresh anchovies and seafood linguine follow, and we finish with octopus on toast in a rich tomato sauce, the perfect meal to end a perfect trip.

Yellow, blue and green are the colours of the amalfi coast.

They’re the colours that spring to mind when you think of the cobbled streets, the abundance of lemons, the shimmering azure of ocean panoramas, and the mountain-creeping vegetation.

The whirlwind tour with expert advice, private transfers (that made island-hopping less stressful) and tour guides that gave us the freedom to explore individually and a footnote of adventure, came as a perfectly tailored Citalia package. Yet, if there is one thing I’ve learnt from my time on the Amalfi Coast it’s that if you are not prepared to eat – a lot – then perhaps it’s wise to holiday elsewhere. There is no use putting up a fight, you’ll receive all cinque piastre, whether you ordered them or not… oh, and don’t forget the limoncello.

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LUXEMBOURG: A GRAND DUCHY SID RAGHAVA found a city of commerce, culture and a very drinkable Crémant in wonderful, weekend-sized Luxembourg London City Airport always feels like the most convenient getaway point in a megapolis spoilt for international travel hubs. Its proximity to Central London, plus the speedy check-in and immigration clearance – both inbound and outbound – is a welcome change from the serpentine and lengthy departure process at Gatwick or Heathrow. Luckily, there is a growing choice of prime destinations on offer from the cute little aerodrome in Newham, which only recently added direct flights to two of my favourite cities: Lisbon and Munich. Conversely, Luxembourg City (LC) is one of those choice destinations seemingly always on offer, but it seems doubtful that as many people have it on their list of weekend trips as they might the Portuguese capital, for instance.

The City connection makes complete sense, of course; Luxembourg is a major banking and finance centre, and one of the de facto capitals of the European Union (alongside Brussels and Strasbourg). It’s also the seat of several institutions, including the European Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, the Secretariat of the European Parliament and European Stability Mechanism.

However, there is a lot more to Luxembourg than its political, economic and strategic clout. Luxembourg City is also the capital of the only remaining Grand Duchy in the world, situated in the heart of Europe, the ‘Golden Triangle’ between Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam, and merely an hour away from London by

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air. To be in the capital is to experience the melting pot it is; but, remarkably for a small country, there are quite a few other places to see, such as the wine-producing Moselle region. Crémant de Luxembourg is a sparkling wine from Moselle, made according to the traditional method (méthode traditionnelle), which includes a second fermentation in the bottle followed by nine months of maturation. Only the choicest grapes make the cut and it is a must that they are fully ripened, and free of damage from crushing or transportation.

The results are outstanding, producing some of the world’s most joyous white wines – in my humble opinion – both still and sparkling.

Back in the capital, the high quality of food and a cache of world-class restaurants astound visitors; at least 11 Michelin stars have been awarded in a country with just over a half-amillion people. If you’re looking for arts and culture, there are museums and galleries of the highest order and the Old City will entertain both history and architecture buffs. It’s quite plain to see that Luxembourg is a very underrated destination. A city break may involve a diverse groups of friends, acquaintances or family, and Luxembourg is enviably good for a plethora of reasons, which firmly belie its relatively small size. The Old Town is an architectural marvel, complete with winding waterways, secret alleys and ancient walkways – all topped off with a grand castle amid an intricately chiselled PAGE 20

rock face. A walk up this cavernous and rather steep route offers panoramic views of the city at varying heights; it maintains consistent medieval charm, reinforced by touristic gems such as Place Gillaume II, the historic town square which stands majestically at the heart of the city. The Bock is a promontory which seemingly hovers above the River Alzette, and was the foundation of historic Luxembourg.

Count Siegfried built the Castle of Lucilinburhuc in AD 963, and its ruins – and the vast underground system of passages and galleries known as the ‘Bock casemates’ (the world’s longest underground tunnel system) – continue to be major tourist attractions. They’re a lasting testament to the Luxembourgians’ valiant attempt to lock out several foreign invaders, including the Spanish, Prussians and French.

If you are not one for history, the city also offers a very modern shopping experience and the perfect ambience for an enjoyable drink or two at any time of the day. Settle down for a beer or two at one of the city’s fabulous taverns, and look up to admire the tiered scenery. This UNESCO World Heritage site offers an at once vivid and stark amalgamation of the old and new, all while having arguably the most multicultural and diverse population in Europe. Culture vultures will find one of the highest concentrations of museums in the world here, including the brilliant Museum of Modern Art, alongside the Grand-Duc Jean MUDAM gallery, the

Dräi Eechelen museum and a worldclass orchestra at the Philharmonie, with Gustavo Gimeno as its current Music Director.

Did I tell you that the best part about Luxembourg is how petite it is? A short drive away from the capital is the Moselle Valley. Set by the eponymous river that Luxembourg shares with France and Germany, the region has been producing quality wines since the 19th century, much like the Mosel region in Germany.

Its idyllic setting is a bigger pull for tourists than corresponding regions within the country’s giant neighbours. It includes the central and eastern parts of the cantons of Grevenmacher and Remich. This a is a heaven for the ruralist, the oenologist, the medievalist and the watersports whatsit. Several of the white wines and Crémants from this region are absolutely divine; by themselves, they’re a very good reason to visit this country. The Wine Museum in Ehnen is located in an ancient wine house built and developed over the 18th and 19th centuries; it’s a wonderful way of discovering the region’s history of viticulture. An old

forge, patented weights and measures, a distillery and a cooperage are some of the various bits and processes on display in a celebration of the fascinating art of winemaking. The traditional method of opening a Crémant bottle requires a deft swiping action with a sharp knife away from the body. The forceful decapitation should ideally cut off the narrow stem as clean as possible,without spillage, of course (sacrilege!) – it’s really rather enjoyable to watch. There is a character or two at the wine museum, and most hilariously a wonderful local who conducts proceedings with two, red-topped corkholders balanced on his eye sockets, which gives the rather peculiar and disconcerting effect of protruding eyes. It will make you laugh out loud while you sip a delectable Crémant.

Luxembourg is also the country where the Schengen treaty was agreed upon in a town of the same name. It has essentially created a borderless zone for Europe and unified Western, Central and Eastern Europe by enabling ease of movement (for now, anyway). And yet, remarkably for a small country, it is as interesting for PAGE 21

entirely touristic reasons as it is important for its Eurocratic and financial significance and contributions. It very much represents the heart and soul of Europe.

Luxembourg for Tourism (LFT), www. visitluxembourg.com. Luxembourg City Tourist Office (LCTO), www.lcto.lu Wine House & Museum, 115, route du Vin, L-5416 Ehnen, Tel: +352/76 00 26 www.museevin.lu. Visit Moselle, www.visitmoselle.lu Flights Luxair and British Airways both operate flights from London City Airport to Luxembourg City Daily, www.luxair.com and www.ba.com Restaurants and Cafes Ca(fe)sino at Casino Forum of Contemporary Art, www.casino-luxembourg.lu Am Tiirmschen, 32, rue de l’Eau, L-1449 Luxembourg Tel: (+352) 76 00 26, www. amtiirmschen.luHotels Hotel Melia Luxembourg -1, Park Dräi Eechelen, L-1499 Luxembourg Tel: (+352) 27 33 31, www. melia.com Hotel de L’Ecluse, 29, Wäistross, L-5450 Stadtbredimus. Tel: (+352) 23 61 91 91, www. hotel-ecluse.lu

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

SHAKEN OR STIRRED? HARRIET BEDDER explores the coastal getaway of the 1940’s bourgeoisie and tests all of the Pastéis de Nata/Belém in Lisbon

Pause. Admire the panoramic view of the River Tagus. Mentally untangle the snaking labyrinth of streets that lead through the heart of Lisbon. Sip a ‘Romantic Movie’ – a delicious concoction of rum, vanilla ice cream, raspberry and champagne. This, I have decided, is my happy place (and not only because I am drinking a cocktail with ice cream on top).

A prime spot on top of one of the city’s seven hills, overlooking terracotta roofs and china-blue tiles, DJ in full swing and early evening sunshine flooding over the terrace. Being at Sky Bar, Tivoli Lisboa, felt like the only natural conclusion to our whirlwind adventure that started as soon as we touched down in Portugal two days previously.

Stepping off the plane into an embracing 28 – degree heat we are whisked straightaway to Hotel Palácio, Estoril, a testament to understated 1930’s grandeur located 18 miles from the heart of Lisbon. On arrival we take a table by the swimming pool in the early afternoon sun and share our first of many bottles of famous Portuguese vinho verde; followed by a decadent lunch on Bougainvillea Terrace, the hotel’s restaurant overlooking the gardens framing the pool area, we are spoilt with plates of salt and rosemary focaccia heavy with olive oil.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once said that ‘in 1940s Lisbon, happiness was staged so that God could believe it still existed,’ and this was not a sentiment restricted to the country’s Capital.

While refusing to behave as if there was a war on, the mixing pot of Europe’s famous, wealthy – and even royalty – had evacuated to Estoril. Famously frequenting restaurants, bars and the grand casino, the cream of the aristocrats relished their time in the seaside resort whilst the Second World War raged on at home.

As one might expect, Hotel Palácio’s stories do not disappoint.

Due to Portugal’s neutrality throughout the Second World War, the country was a hotbed of spies; British and German, Russian and French; double and triple agents. Famous for being the Hotel (with it’s unchanged, charming, sophisticated bar) next to the grand Casino Estoril, the hotel saw the likes of these spies staying within its walls and using it as a drinking base before moving on to the casino in the late evening. Here was inspiration

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

for part of Ian Fleming’s ‘James Bond’, where he stayed during the Second World War as an undercover agent, and used his time to test out whether his protagonist (based on the handsomely famous Serbian double agent Dusko Popov who stayed here at the same time) would prefer ‘shaken’ or ‘stirred’ martinis. The Hotel is steeped in both mystery and luxury and makes for a great stay, if only to hear the stories passed down from generations of hotel staff.

Following a great dinner at the Hotel’s Four Season’s Restaurant, and a night’s sleep, our first stop on our way into Lisbon the next day was Antiga Confeitaria de Belém. An unassuming bakery from the street, the confectioner is expansive and we find ourselves walking through the various dining rooms of an old monastery before we choose a spot in the conservatory.

Cue two plates of Pastéis de Belém, six espressos and several very happy patrons. We continue seeing the pastéis everywhere during our time in Portugal, but no de Pastéis de Nata compares to the original, and the ever-expanding queue outside the pastry paradise finally makes sense.

We walk off our pastéis by heading to the MAAT (famously designed by Stirling Prize-winning architect Amanda Levete), and climb on top of it to admire the view of the River Tagus and Ponte 25 de Abril, which came before the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, we are assured by our unwaveringly stern guide (we are certain it definitely didn’t…). Monument to the Discoveries was the next on our list, a vast and romantic tribute to Portugal’s national pride, an overwhelming reminder of the great Portuguese explorers who once left from Belém to discover the unknown.

Finishing the day by exploring the neoclassical Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, we decided to hit Lisbon early the following morning.

Following a Thai massage at the Banyan Tree resort (connected via a complicated underground passage to the Hotel Palácio – Fleming would be proud) we begin our drive to the Capital, and make our way up the Arco da Rua Augusta to see the late-morning views of the river. After a few goes ringing the bell, we begin to explore the streets, the toilet paper shops (!), pottery boutiques and tiny sardine stores. Cue fashionable

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‘in 1940s Lisbon, happiness was staged so that God could believe it still existed.’

- ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY

drinks at Tivoli Bar and dinner at Gambrinus – clams in garlic oil, rich fish soup and hazelnut mousse. An utterly indulgent day.

We save the Palácio da Pena, Sintra for last and we are not disappointed, the UNESCO World Heritage Site is a short drive from our base in Estoril and it is a real-life fairytale castle.

Romantic and Islamic styles – updated by the Portuguese Royal family around the 19th century – make the castle an aesthetically intriguing testament to what is left of old Portugal’s love of Romanticism. With walls painted bold, bright yellows, reds, pinks and blues and the castle turrets overlooking all corners of the Parque da Pena, you can gaze over the view inclusive of sea, forest and mountain ranges. We spend the last few hours of our trip admiring all that we came to visit, and all that remains to be explored along Portugal’s coastline.

Sovereign Luxury Travel (01293 832 459, www.sovereign.com) has a seven night holiday to the five star Palacio Estoril, on a B&B basis, from £899 per person – saving up to £156 in total. The offer includes one complimentary night’s stay, UK airport security fast passes and access to N°1 Lounges (where available), private resort transfers and return international flights from London Gatwick with TAP Portgual. Based on departures 22 March 2018. Call to book. http://www.sovereign.com/ hotel/120784. TAP Portugal flies direct from London City (new since 29 October 2017), Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester to Lisbon up to 12 times daily.

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FINDING HOXTON IN THE HEART OF PARIS After being delighted by the pleasures of the Hoxton, Amsterdam, HARRIET BEDDER travels to Paris for the highly anticipated opening week of their latest European offering.

It never fails to amaze that you can escape the bustle of London for the elegance of Paris in just over two hours, but escape you can.

Exiting Gard du Nord, and assessing the weather, you’re safe knowing it’s only a five-minute taxi ride or a 15-minute walk to the Hoxton hotel, which has opened on the Rue du Sentier in the 2nd Arrondisement. The area itself has transformed in recent years from the city’s less favoured industrial area to a trendy hub and the centre of Paris’ tech industry, not dissimilar to the original ideology and current culture behind the Hoxton, Shoreditch.

Not far from the hotel are plenty of brasseries du moment, like the picture-perfect ‘Pizzeria Popolare’, sister to the famous four-storey Pigalle eatery Pink Mamma, and daughter of the Italian Big Mamma group, currently taking Paris by storm. Close by is the Rue du Nil, home of Frenchie, Frenchie To Go and Frenchie Caviste; the former having opened its second establishment in Covent Garden in recent months. Classic Parisian fashion store Sézane is not more than a stone’s throw away and boutiques such as La Garçonnière sit tucked away on streets nearby. L’Éclair de Génie is not too far so make sure you stop off to buy some of – arguably – the best éclairs in Paris for the Eurostar home, after of course you bid a teary adieu to Colette.

A somewhat further stroll from the Hotel is the Jardin du Palais Royal and Musée des Arts Décoratifs, so while you are tucked up in the trendiest hotel in Sentier for the evening, you’re not far from the city’s classic sites and most popular cocktail bars and restaurants during the day.

Looking around the hotel, you’ll find several wings, a plethora of staircases and winding corridors, all overlooking two picturesque Rococo courtyards. The fully renovated 18th-century building is comprised of 172 bedrooms with exposed wooden beams, panelling and parquet flooring. Some have top-floor views of the Eiffel Tower and others are available for only €99 a

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‘... while you are tucked up in the trendiest hotel in Sentier for the evening, you’re not far from the city’s classic sites and most popular cocktail bars and restaurants during the day.’ night when booked in advance. With bedroom interiors designed

by Humbert & Poyet, (various sizes available; Shoebox, Cosy, Roomy and Biggy) the communal areas are complimented by the design collaboration with Soho House. A classic Hoxton quirk paying homage to the arrondisement can be noted throughout; the book selection in each bedroom has been curated by locals, giving the rooms distinct personality and a sense of homeliness. It isn’t a surprise when we are told that the hotel itself has achieved the recognised status of ‘historic monument’ by the French authorities, and could be part of the reason why the brasseriestyle Rivié restaurant has been packed out with locals since its opening.

Up a refurbished, grand oak staircase is Jacques, a picturesque cocktail bar where resident mixologists, Quixotic, create liquid masterpieces while you can relax and reflect in style, admire the livelier courtyard below and begin to plan your next adventurefilled day in the heart of the City of Light.

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

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Have you ever thought how fantastic it would be to flop into a hotel post-theatre rather enduring the dreary trudge home? Well we may have found the perfect place... Join SARAH JACKSON as she discovers the delights of The Henrietta Hotel in Covent Garden.

VACATION OR STAYCATION?

‘Attention to detail is probably their unique selling point, because it’s plain to see the individual crafting that has inveigled itself into every element of the décor.’

The Henrietta Hotel in Covent Garden reinvented itself this year into a kooky, classy and cultured establishment, perfect for a mid-week or weekend stay. Created by the creatives from the Experimental Group, The Henrietta is indeed very inventive. With 18 rooms decorated by Dorothée Meilichzon, sporting fascinating features such as golden pineapples on their doors, or panoramic views across London, this is the kind of hotel that makes you sit up and pay attention. And attention to detail is probably their unique selling point, because it’s plain to see the individual crafting that has inveigled itself into every element of the décor.

Having said that, the gastronomic genius of Michelin starred chef Ollie Dabbous could arguably also make their restaurant the top selling point. I mean they do all the usual high end stuff like buying seasonal produce, creating an interesting menu, changing things up all the time etc. But what I really adore about The Henrietta, is the inventiveness and the quirkiness, which so beautifully mirrors its location in the heart of the crazy, creative Covent Garden. One of the starters, the barbecued octopus with crushed peas, broad beans and sour cream (£13), is a delightfully Mediterranean and British portmanteau. Melt in the mouth doesn’t cover it. It explodes with fresh delicacy and yet punches you with fleshy flavour. My other choice from the starter menu is the burrata with nectarine, honey and lemon PAGE 25

thyme (£10). The creaminess of the cheese with the sugary honey, then the bitter tang of the lemon, with the nectarine bridging the borders of sweetness and acidity.

And finally the thyme adding a pungent twist, reminding me of Rudyard Kipling’s quote about thyme smelling “like dawn in paradise”. Ok a bit poetic for a starter but it really does make you think of English gardens in summer.

From the rest of the menu I have two absolute favourites, although trust me, you cannot go wrong here with whatever you choose. However, from the mains, the lamb with charred socca, lesser calamint and violet mustard (£24) is a head above the rest; the combination of flavours and textures, the perfectly cooked meat and the pure uniqueness of choice here took my breath away. And for desert, you must, simply must have the warm madeleines with Chantilly cream (£12). They take 15 minutes because they are freshly baked but don’t let that put you off as just the waft of hot sugary air as they are carried to your table is worth £12 by itself.

The final, and possibly most heartwarming thing about The Henrietta, is the staff. Warm, welcoming and smiley, they make you feel immediately at home. So in short, should you find yourself stuck in the centre of London after a trip to the theatre, or just fancy a night away from home, the Henrietta is the place to go. The only problem with this staycation is that you might want to stay forever.

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

A WEEKEND IN DUBLIN RASHID MEER gets a stout intro to Dublin’s premier brewery, unearths the city’s speakeasies, and finds he hasn’t quite enough Dutch courage for wild swimming at the Forty Foot…

With Brexit on the horizon, now is a perfect time to visit Ireland, before we all might need visas to enter. Aer Lingus is making this much easier to do, with 13 new routes opened recently, and the creation of an air bridge. We flew to Dublin from Heathrow; with flight times at around 80 minutes the city makes for a perfect weekend getaway. On arrival, we checked-in at The Clarence, which is famously owned by Bono of U2 fame, although unfortunately I failed to see him working at the reception. A lovely hotel on the banks of the Liffey, and a stone throw from the busy Temple Bar area, it makes an ideal base from which to explore the city.

We began the trip with a visit to a pub, naturally, although we went to The International Bar at lunchtime, so it was to visit the theatre upstairs rather than watch ‘Ireland – The Survivors’ Guide’.

This interactive (or hyperactive) show aimed to explain the history of Ireland in under 10 minutes, alongside explaining how to ask directions in the Emerald Isle and the strange world of Irish sports (both gems…). All I had was soup and sandwiches, honestly. Next up, a trip to The Little Museum of Dublin. Launched with a public appeal for historic objects, the collection focuses on the lives of everyday people; but it also covers such events as the Easter Rising, as seen by ordinary people.

No trip to Dublin would be complete

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without a drop of stout, and where better to quench your thirst than the Guinness Storehouse. We were given a guided tour of the showpiece factory – from its 999-year lease, all the way to the gravity bar at the top of the building, which had 360-degree views across the city.

Along the way, we had the opportunity to sample all of their products, and we enjoyed a tasting menu to show how the famed tipples could paired with food. The advertising hall is also a mustsee; it explains everything from the ‘Guinness is good for you’ tagline, to modern advertising from Africa (one of the company’s largest markets).

After dinner at the lovely Winding Stair restaurant, which overlooks the landmark Ha’penny Bridge over the Liffey, it was off to the theatre. The ornate Olympia Theatre must be the world’s first with a bar on the stage for pre-show drinks, before a performance of ‘Once, the Musical’ We rounded off the day with a drink (or two…) at Vintage Cocktail Club – set in a quirky room behind an unmarked door, it had the feel of a speakeasy (bookings are for two-and-a-half hours at a time).

Although the prize for the most curious pub must surely go to Mary’s Bar and Hardware, a throwback to the days when pubs doubled as everything, from shops to post offices. It is the first drinking establishment I’ve been to that sells hard hats alongside pints; and apparently builders do pop in for nails and other bits PAGE 26

of kit, when working near by.

The next morning, we needed to clear our heads, so we ventured out of the city to the Zipit adventure park. Here, you can use zip-lines and take on an obstacle course, depending on the challenge you wish to set yourself. Later – heads suitably cleared after lunch at the highest pub in Ireland, Johnnie Fox’s – we headed across to the coastline to see the James Joyce Tower.

Although the writer only stayed here briefly, this beautiful building is home to a museum dedicated to the quintessentially Irish scribe. It’s also home to a popular wild-swimming spot called the Forty Foot – an activity for those braver than me. Then we moved on to Dalkey Castle, where actors bring to life, roles such as long-bow archers and barbers-cumsurgeons. Dalkey is a pretty and affluent suburb, south of the city, and remnants of its great trading families are still visible in their leftover storage towers. Now it is known as the home of writers and artists such as Maeve Binchy, Van Morrison and Bono, as well as Ireland’s biggest selling musician Enya.

Dinner that night was at The Rustic Stone, an eatery run by top celebrity chef Dylan McGrath, Ireland’s answer to Gordon Ramsey. I enjoyed a delicious steak cooked on a hot stone, brought straight to the table. The truffle fries were divine, too. The next day began with a trip to EPIC: the Irish Emigration Museum.

This museum housed in a historic warehouse tells the story of Irish dispersal over time, across the globe, through interactive exhibits and multimedia displays. It aims to answer the question ‘what does it mean to be Irish?’, and I’d highly recommend it.

Then we braved the crowds at Trinity College to see the Book of the Kells, a 9thcentury manuscript with beautiful, handdrawn illustrations, before the Treasury and and Long Hall which houses the library. Some of the books date from Trinity College’s foundation in 1592. Quieter, but no less interesting, is is the Chester Beatty Library, a home for many curios and objets d’art from around the world. It’s home to everything from samurai armour, to early printed manuscripts, and the library is situated next to Dublin Castle.

We then spent some time at the Teeling Distillery, where men with a dram Jack and Stephen Teeling are bringing back the lost skills of their ancestor Walter, by re-establishing Dublin’s only whiskey distillery. After a tour, where we learnt the distilling process, we had a tasting which highlighted raw un-aged spirits, the finished product and several malts in-between.

In need of exercise, our final stop was at Malahide Castle, home of the Irish centre for cycling, which offers a fairly gentle ride around the grounds – just try not to scare the resident peacocks. Malahide is also home to many language schools and is a popular place to learn English.

And, despite being fluent, we may have been tempted to linger, had it not been time to fly home while my liver was still operational.

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SUMMER THE SWISS STYLE ADAM JACOT de BOINOD travels to Switzerland.

Not only is it the same sun that shines on the Mediterranean beaches as on the Swiss Alps but, instead of trash, crowds, traffic and hassle, there is the stark contrast of the silence, space and relaxation of Europe’s highest mountains. I soon discovered which of the two holidays I would find the more restorative.

What I liked about Zermatt was its authenticity. It’s still a working community with the men in short woollen trousers and the women in long thick dresses of dark red wool. This is by no means solely a tourist resort. There are parades and festivals, singing and yodelling, squeezeboxes and zithers. These days this German-speaking town has a Portuguese community that’s 3000 strong alongside the original Zermatters (2000) and other foreigners (1000). At the main church, they hold mass at 10 for the Germans, 4 for the Italians and 5 for the Portuguese. This progressive harmony is similarly evident in the lack of rubbish and graffiti. There are no cars, only electric taxis and the electricity is all powered by local water.

The summer season, from mid-June to the end of September, is a third less busy than its December to April counterpart.

It took me a bit of time to adapt to the altitude but twenty yawns later I was ready to explore. It’s all about early rising, as I discovered from the local goats when they paraded through the village every day at 9am.

I took myself off on a hike up the mountains, along the supposed ‘granny trail’ that turned out to be a little steeper and more arduous than I had bargained for. I was told: “It’s not the mountain we have to conquer, but ourselves”. I got the just deserts of a lunch at the perfect food stop Chez Vrony, a family-run restaurant on the Sunnegga side, snuggled up to acharming 18th century chapel. And I was

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able to put my feet up literally on a lounger wrapped in wool as I took in the views and a local beer.

The Chalet Les Anges, where I was to stay, courtesy of Sylvia Delvaille Jones of Villas and Apartments Abroad is open plan and spacious with a grand piano in the corner and an indoor-outdoor feel. I pulled back the curtains to see the Matterhorn towering over the town and below in the valley all the clustered charm of the Alpine chalets.

Before leaving I witnessed runners from all over the world competing in a marathon, pacing themselves as they ran steeply uphill. And I moved from one ‘peak bashing’ competition to the next as Nendaz, my next destination, was similarly having a summer contest that was equally bracing and demanding. No granny trails for them.

At Nendaz I stayed at the Chalet Etoile. It’s part of the Hideaways Club, membership which allows access to a portfolio of properties all over the world.

And it’s great for kids. Many say how much their children preferred the many activities on offer to a beach holiday.

Nendaz is famed for its historic “bisses”, small irrigation canals which are still such a vital water source that it all reminded me vividly of the Jean de Florette film. They also offered a refreshing dip for Kelsie, a huge fluffy St. Bernard who escorted me half the length of my bisse walk from the tourist office to Planchouet. Much more a ‘granny trail ‘I thought, being an hour and a bit along level paths. For those with families, I suggest the engaging qualities of trails and treasure hunts devised by the local tourist board.

For a true dining out treat I highly recommend the passionate creations of chef Loris Lathion and sommelier Romain Arnaud at Le Mont-Rouge. Loris is particuarly known for his variety. ‘If I PAGE 28

have to do the same thing for too long, I go crazy” he says. “That is why I change my menu at least six times a year”.

Passionate indeed.

I spent a lot of time pleasurably people watching and found the mountain dwellers very engaging. They are unbelievably fit and healthy and I met two people who as a matter of course would be awake at 5am to climb 2000 feet to the top of a peak before roller skiing back down for a day’s work.

I took the romantic walk from my chalet down the piste (before a challenging walk back up) to Restaurant Les Etagnes.

It’s well-positioned at the bottom of the slopes for all the après-ski crowd and it’s where I had a wonderfully healthy and hearty dinner courtesy of the manager Onno, one of the impressive dawn raiders.

On next to Interlaken. It’s easy to see why this tourist resort is so popular. It is uniquely set between two of the great mountains, the Eiger and the Jungfrau, and two of the larger Swiss lakes, the Brienzersee and Thunersee.

But the real delight of Interlaken is its ‘glacier milk’. This beautiful aquamarine channel of water unites the two lakes and is so stunning it deserves the following explanation. When temperatures warm up during the summer, the snow on the Alps begins to melt and cascade to meet tiny particles of rock. It results in a green, cloudy appearance by the time it enters the rivers and streams, hence the name ‘glacier milk’, a type of blue that I had only ever witnessed in the seas of the South Pacific.

My final resting spot was at Interlaken’s foremost hotel the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel and Spa. Which has a stateof-the-art Nescens Spa and is the perfect way to finish a day up in the mountains.

I got to appreciate how the Alps form the backbone of Europe and to see the

fairytale charm of the farm buildings amongst the patchwork of pasture and tilled land. It’s all green and abundant. The Swiss literally carve out their existence from the Alps. They also have developed robust, healthy, grounded, non-showy, undramatic characteristics. All formed, I felt, by the environment.

It seems so odd that people are prepared to arrive in hordes to the Mediterranean to search for their overcrowded beach holiday when, for children as well as adults, there is so much more variety and many more opportunities to relax in the sun, take in the fresh air and come back fully restored from a summer holiday in the Swiss Alps.

Even for laggards like me!

Adam Jacot de Boinod worked on the first series of the BBC panel game QI for Stephen Fry. He is a British author having written three books about unusual words with Penguin Press.

Classic Collection Holidays (0800 047 1064; www.classic-collection.co.uk ) offers 3 nights at Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa from £1049 per person. Prices based on 2 adults sharing a superior double room on a bed & breakfast basis and includes return flights from London Gatwick to Zurich and first class rail transfers.

7 nights at Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa from £2416 per person. Prices based on 2 adults sharing a superior double room on a bed & breakfast basis and includes return flightsfrom London Gatwick to Zurich and first class rail transfers For more information, please visit: www.vaanyc.com www.chezvrony.ch www.thehideawaysclub.com www.mont-rouge.ch/fr www.lesetagnes.com/en www.victoria-jungfrau.ch/en

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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

DESIGN IN THE DESERT HARRIET BEDDER heads to Arizona to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Frank Lloyd Wright, and samples a surprising amount of Brussels Sprouts

It’s not often you can acknowledge your insignificance in the world; but, floating 5,000ft above the ground in a two-metresquare wicker basket puts things into perspective. After a gradual climb above the magnificent Sonoran Desert, we see panoramic vistas of the sunrise shadowing the mountainous terrain from our hot-air balloon, and lots of saguaro cacti, which take pride of place in the only place in the world where they naturally grow up to 40-feet tall. The 5am start was worth it, we realise now, as we try to spot birds and other wildlife, rabbits and the legendary miniature burros; without binoculars you can only just about make out tracks in the sand and along the highway, laid straight and proud through the terrain – and, hovering over that, hot air balloons along the horizon. We finish the flight with a traditional glass of champagne, toasting to a newly engaged couple.

We touched-down in Phoenix twelve hours before our first Arizona experience in the sky. We were whisked away from the airport in our private transfer, travelling under the stars, to downtown Scottsdale where – looking at the bungalow casitas lining the main road – we are confident that our mid-century modern architecture tour will soon be underway. Phoenix is a sprawling city built to Frank Lloyd Wright’s ideological vision for the United States’ identity: structure + land = vast cities (Phoenix spans 519 square miles). It’s only fitting that we fly to Arizona to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the architect’s birth.

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HOTEL VALLEY HO Hotel Valley Ho (www.hotelvalleyho.com) is the first of three hotels we visit in the Valley. It’s the oldest – built in 1956 – and as such it’s steeped in culture. It’s renowned for being the modern minimalist getaway for the stars of a generation – classic Hollywood celebrities, such as Bing Crosby, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh and Zsa Zsa Gabor. It’s also where Natalie Wood and Richard Wagner were wed. On arrival, we can imagine this dream team flouncing around the ZuZu Lounge restaurant, perched on stools at the bar, ordering flute after flute of champagne.

Our first meal, following our high-flying morning is at Diego Pops, a Mexican restaurant local to the hotel in central Scottsdale. We’re chauffeured here by the hotel’s golf cart –a ‘complimentary’ service (but expect to tip generously in lieu of any set fee). At dinner, we’re surprised to learn that kale’s world domination in 2016 has been superseded by Brussels Sprouts in America – and boy do they love them! We can’t say no to a vast platter of fried-egg and Brussels sprout nachos with garlic-beet crema, queso Oaxaca and Fresno chilli . We are hoping that the trend will catch on back at home, and we take full advantage of exploring The Many Ways to Make Brussels Sprouts Great Again while we are in ‘Murica.

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Over more Brussels sprouts, we discuss Scottsdale’s artistic legacy; a scene influenced over the years by the desert and its architecture. Arizonans are used to everything being ‘about 30 minutes away’ from anything else; Lloyd Wright is largely responsible for this modern city set-up, his influence is unavoidable in its everyday movements. We visit Taliesin West, Lloyd Wright’s winter home (where he lived with his ever-patient wife). It’s also the headquarters of the ongoing Taliesin Fellowship, nestled in the desert foothills of the McDowell Mountains. Designers have flocked here from all over the world, since the Thirties to seek Lloyd Wright’s guidance and tutelage; even to this day, they live on site in their own self-made huts.

Italian-American architect Paolo Soleri also studied here, and the experience inspired his gallery and studio Cosanti, based a few miles away from Taliesin West. He wanted to create an ‘arcology’ (architecture and ecology) community called Arcosanti, which he started to develop in the desert in 1970. He favoured the more compact, European-style of city building and planning, as opposed to Lloyd-Wright’s sprawl.

We potter around, admiring Soleri’s concrete formations, caves and corners, moulded from natural structures. We tap the famousSoleri bells, and watch as molten copper is poured into moulds. Soleri’s own international fellows heave wheelbarrows around, shirtless, listening to music while they restore the midPAGE 31

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century modern architecture they’ve studied and loved for years.

Their time here supplements a year of their architecture studies and is consideredhands-on experience. We aren’t complaining.

To follow, a visit to the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art follows. The museum, is a renovated, old movie theatre with vast rooms. We stop by the Soleri exhibition, a retrospective of his work, including drawings, architectural models, sketchbooks, sculptures, prints and photographs, all of which demonstrate his unwavering influence on the region. We look at other native art from around the world and then stumble across a room with an installation by Brit designer Thomas Heatherwick, where his spinning-top-style ‘Spun Seats’ for Magis – a must for five minutes of surprisingly good fun!

We have a great Mexican lunch at the Missionary – an imposing Mexican cantina with vaulted ceilings, purpose-built as a chapel, where we try surprisingly delicious, creamy avocado margaritas. Brussels-sprout nachos are – of course – on the menu. After we officially resume our standard ‘food coma’ state, we’re taken to our second hotel, Mountain Shadows.

MOUNTAIN SHADOWS We recover from our large lunch by Mountain Shadows’ sizeable pool that stretches the length of the property. We soon understand the hotel’s name. Two mountains stand tall, shadowing each end of the swimming pool and casting shade in the early-evening sunlight. The property is a boutique resort, not dissimilar in style to Soho House or the Hoxton. Mountain Shadows is the newest property in the Valley, though it first opened its doors in 1959 and was favoured by Hollywood stars John Wayne and Elizabeth Taylor. Nowadays, the hotel is comprised of condos for sale, suites and luxury rooms.

Dinner that evening is at the hotel restaurant, Hearth ’61, which serves steak better than any I have eaten in the UK. Naturally, we have Brussels sprouts with bacon in balsamic vinegar as a side dish. We’re here long enough to enjoy the private gym, too, where we try to work off the speciality cocktails we drank the previous evening, before our next adventure.

We clip lifejackets over our swimsuits and push the kayaks into the river; we float – or in our case, spin – down the Salt River, spying herds of wild horses along the way, as well as a bald eagle and blue herons. A short stop is permitted for the more adventurous to park up and jump from a rock into the middle of the river. I sit and look after the paddles.

We head for dinner at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, a five-star hotel nearby in the Paradise Valley. Beforehand, we are taken by golf cart to Casa Seven – arguably the best place to watch the sunset in Scottsdale. There’s champagne and a tour of the house, and we’re told that it is Adele’s home of choice when she tours Arizona. There’s no time to feel star-struck: we are taken from Adele’s private cinema to Casa 10, the house

famous for being the destination that ‘Catered 4’ R&B royalty Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s honeymoon. It’s no surprise – Sanctuary on Camelback feels luxurious, exclusiveand private and its secluded villas overlook the Valley of the Sun.

We expect great things from the kitchen, following our strenuous day on the water, and we’re not disappointed. Chef Beau MacMillan looks after our spirit and senses are he serves kimchee pork belly; shishito peppers with garlic, sesame and soy; eggplant summer rolls with toasted pine-nut couscous and tempura vegetables… to start. After our Asian-accented American cuisine, I demolish lobster carbonara and soon begin to feel lethargic, but I don’t give in until there’s nothing left of the PB bombe (chocolate, peanut butter, macadamia nuts and crackerjack popcorn). The views from the restaurant are equally as spectacular as that from the casas; I wouldn’t be surprised if I witnessed yet another romantic sunset engagement here.

We walk through the bar, which has recently undergone a $3 million renovation, and catch Beau winding down after the hectic kitchen rush; we tell him we look forward to seeing his next cameo on The Today Show.

ANDAZ Another day, another hotel: we finish the trip with a stay at the new $75-million Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Spa (https:// scottsdale.andaz.hyatt.com). We start with a Himalayan saltstone massage at the Palo Verde Spa on site, where we’re pampered in individual casitas, located in idyllic locations around the site. Andaz hotels are renowned for respecting the culture and community of their locations, and the Arizona branch is no different. All pottery and art has been sourced by Cattle Track, a compound next door, housing live-in artists, that’s been in action since the Thirties. Guests get a feel for the area through the creative eyes of those that live there. These artists carve themselves a platform for authenticity and intimacy that is seldom found in other resort hotels.

The hotel is peaceful, with there’s no noise pollution; after a quick recharge we have sunset cocktails at Weft and Warp, the Andaz’s cocktail bar and restaurant, where the mixologist crafts drinks are made to your preferred tastes. We watch nightjars swoop bat-like overhead with our cocktails, before heading to our table inside the chef’s kitchen. Here we devour appetisers of medjool dates with fresh cream and a pistachio crumb, followed by swordfish loin, with a lot of wine to match.

After a night’s sleep, there’s an early-morning wake-up call, which reminds me of the hot-air-balloon adventure on our first day. Sadly, it’s our last, but what better way to say goodbye to Arizona than with a customary hike up Gateway Trailhead. With a sense of self-accomplishment, and a trip so full of ​unmatchable activities, we can hardly believe a week has gone so fast. We watch the sun rise over the mountains for the last time, casting shadows over the rocks on the slopes, and we hope we can take just a little bit of Arizona back with us.

Harriet Bedder was a guest of Experience Scottsdale. British Airways flies direct from London Heathrow to Phoenix Sky Harbour International Airport. Lead in rates for hotels include Andaz Scotttsdale from $149 (£114), Mountain Shadows from $169 (£129) and Hotel Valley Ho from $121. For more information on Scottsdale visit www.experiencescottsdale.com

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WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR. AND A LOT MORE...

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72 HOURS ON THE PEARL OF THE ATLANTIC Sugar cane and seafood, all-year sunshine, and banana-lined streets. It might sound like the Caribbean, but it is in fact – Europe’s very own sunshine island – Madeira. COCO KHAN writes.

Located just off the northwest coast of Africa, amid the glittering blue of the North Atlantic, lies Madeira, Portugal’s four-island archipelago and one of Europe’s best kept secrets.

Funchal, the capital which sits on the south-eastern coast of the main island, is a perfect spot for walking holidays.

The unique Madeiran levadas – irrigation channels dating back to the 16th century, built to bring water from the west and northwest, to the drier southern areas – double-up as beautiful flowerlined walkways with some breathtaking ocean views. Be warned, they are trickier than the inviting flowers make it seem. Indeed, across the dramatic Azores mountains, which cover much of Madeira, there are many challenging walks which is perhaps why the island has become something of a rambler’s paradise.

All year round Madeira boasts excellent warm weather, though Funchal enjoys the most sunshine, protected by the high peaks of the Azores. In fact, you may hear the island’s climate referred to in terms of the ‘banana line’, below which are the warmest temperatures, and therefore, the best regions for cultivating banana plants. Madeirans are very proud of their bananas, which are smaller and sweeter than traditional varieties, and you are sure to see them standing tall in resident gardens even in December – a particular delight for winter-weary Brits like ourselves.

We actually visited during the winter, on the run up to Christmas, looking for some last-minute affordable sunshine, and simply couldn’t recommend it enough. As a Catholic country which takes Christmas very seriously, the streets are filled with

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

the sounds of carols, while lights are rolled out across balconies, twinkle in windows and form on-street Nativity displays. Yet, all the while the days are full of 20-something-degree heat, bananas poke out from their trees, and visitors can watch dolphins leap through the sea via the tourism boats. Unbelievably, it’s also quiet at this time of year, as Madeira’s peak tourism season has passed, and any visitors expected at the island for New Year’s are yet to arrive (more on that later).

In the heart of Funchal is the Castanheiro Boutique Hotel, moments away from the city’s main attractions, and bursting with character. The hotel itself is converted from five separate buildings, dating from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, the oldest of which was once a workshop for artisans. The heritage of the site is preserved throughout, and augmented by distinctly modern flourishes. In the Til Spa, Castanheiro have an excellent facility, with hot-stone massages and a Turkish bath on offer. There’s also a heated outdoor infinity pool with a view out over the bay, which makes for some truly priceless evening vistas. One of the hotel’s buildings was once a typography studio, and this is alluded to in the name of the hotel’s restaurant, Tipografia, which serves traditional Mediterranean fare – plenty of good seafood, and lots of good vegetarian options.

Madeiran cuisine combines European, North African and Caribbean influences, and certain ingredients that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. The Black Scabbardfish, locally known as Espada, was once thought to only dwell in the deep waters around

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‘Madeiran cuisine combines European, North African and Caribbean influences, and certain ingredients that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.’

Madeira, and although they have now been spotted elsewhere, the island is still one of the few places you’ll see them on the menu. Funchal boasts some impressive restaurants: Restaurante Mozart, which names its dishes after famous composers, is a quirky and eccentric spot in which waiting staff dress (white facepaint and all) like characters from various operas, and the decor could be described as ‘18th-century dining hall meets Seventies discotheque’.

Chief among Funchal’s food scene though is two-Michelinstar-holding Il Gallo D’Oro, which celebrates local fruit and flowers, brilliant wines, and the best of the island’s produce, including excellent beef. During the summer the restaurant hosts regular pop-up dining experiences right out on the bay, which is worth trying to book in advance.

Another of Madeira’s main exports, historically speaking, was sugar cane. For more than a hundred years, around the 15th century, the region was Europe’s main producer of sugar, and as such, became a crucial trading port. One of the things Madeira used its sugar for was to make aguardente, a kind of rum. When the Portuguese moved their sugar production from Madeira to Brazil, they moved many of the pot-stills too, leading to the creation of the spirit Cachaça. Aguardente continues to be produced in Madeira, and is a key ingredient of poncha, a traditional drink made by mixing the spirit with lemon juice and honey. Head to Venda Velha to try it for yourself, but do organise one of the vintage taxi cars to take you home if you have too many

(which is easy to do, the drink is lethal).

Perhaps the most unique experience you’ll have in Funchal is a toboggan. Don’t let the lack of anything approaching a winter climate fool you – since the 1850s, people have been travelling from the mountainous region of Monte down into Funchal via these wicker sleds; now, it’s a big tourist attraction. Perfectly safe, while still managing to get your heart racing, it really has to be experienced to be properly understood, and the cable-car up into the mountains is nothing short of breathtaking.

But – and we cannot emphasise it enough – it’s over the festive period when the island really shines. Funchal boasts incredible illuminations throughout the city, and a spectacular fireworks display on New Year’s Eve that is said to be the biggest in Europe (it previously held the world record). As the city is structured like an amphitheatre, you can get great views from pretty much anywhere; although, if you want to ring in the festivities in a special way, you can hire a boat and sail out, and join the cruise ships that linger around the island for the display. There is nothing quite like watching the fireworks illuminate the mountains in the middle of the dark blue sea, enjoying for a moment Madeira: the pearl of the Atlantic.

Prestige Holidays (01425 480400, www.prestigeholidays.co.uk) has a week’s stay at Castanheiro Boutique Hotel, departing 22 January 2018 with return flights from London Gatwick, and TUI accommodation in a Standard Double or Twin room on a bed and breakfast basis. Private return transfers are included, too. From £595 per person.

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BRUXELLES ET MOI

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VOLUME FOUR | ISSUE ONE | FREE

The Bonvage Edition In which we tour Tokyo, Italy and Arizona, let kids loose on the Borough’s top-flight restaurants, and talk extreme travel with a world-conquering explorer.

Bienvenue, and bon voyage...

GIFT GUIDE: food and drink It’s that time of year again; time for ice-skating in South Ken, long evenings in front of a roaring fire, egg-nog, family arguments over sock-gifting and Rudolph the red-nosed reprobate, photocopying his bits at the office party. So the team at the KCR have spent a bit of time pulling together the choicest Christmas gift items, so that you’ll have more time to spend skating, arguing and avidly avoiding Rudolph. This is the ultimate 2017 Christmas gift guide – enjoy!

IM AG E

C UR O

O SY TE F ME

DIA WISDOM

Biscuiteers’ selection tin and other sweet treats Biccie-ki-yay muthafunkas! No mere selection pack, treats from the brill Notting Hill bakers are more ‘edible art’. The selection tin (£30) of baubles, snowflakes and reindeer ups your Quality Street game; but we also love the Nutcracker designs (£10.95 each) and DIY gingerbread house kit (£35). www.biscuiteers.com

Xmassy treats from Paul Bakery From the tempting pâtisserie that gives Pret a run for its sandwich money, comes Xmas treats that sexily bespeak of bavarois cream fillings, layered joconde biscuits, and bûche de Noels in a Gallic whisper. Plump for the macarons (from £6.95), praline Christmas-tree cake (£4.95 each) or the buttery lovechild of a mince pie and croissant (£1.75 each). www.paul-uk.com

Finca la Barca’s smoked olive-oil and Vinegar Shed’s aged red-wine vinegar Finca la Barca’s oil (£28 a bottle), made from Arbequina olives, has been wood smoked for 15 days; bottles are numbered and sealed with wax. To complete your ‘impressive nibbles’ kit, pair with Vinegar Shed’s limitededition London Vinegar (£14.50), made with Bordeaux wine and aged in French-oak barrels. www.vinegarshed.com www.fincalabarca.com

Fortnum & Mason Christmas goodies The marché that makes even M&S look slightly low-rent is a totem of classic London Christmases. While lifting the lid on a Fortnum’s hamper is an unmatchable thrill, our eyes have been caught by the holly-berryred packaging of the spiced stilton pot (£24) and praline mince-pie (£15.95). Portion out the Fortnum’s fanciness with their glamorous gilded advent calendar (£25). www.fortnumandmason.com

Casamigos Blanco tequila We don’t really think of George Clooney as a shot-swigger, but to his credit this mezcal, made from Blue Weber agave from the Jalisco highlands, and crafted after lengthy ‘research’ with business partner Rande Gerber, is smooth enough to sip solo. From £48.39 a bottle. www.casamigostequila.com

The Cambridge Distillery Seasonal Gin and Nicholson London Dry Gin The G&T is firmly back in vogue, so gin is the perfect choice for the discerning tippler. On one side of the drinks cabinet we have fragrant The Cambridge Distillery Gin (£45) with notes of lemon verbena, rose and violet; on the other the feisty Nicholson London Dry Gin (one of the city’s oldest brands, don’t ya know) with coriander, cinnamon and liquorice notes (£32.57). www.cambridgedistillery.co.uk www.nicholsongin.com

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Tempus Two Silver Series wines If you’re going to gift the ‘oh I wonder what it is…’ wine bag, at least fill it with a good ‘un – or two.

Aussie wine range Tempus Two’s Silver Series has a Christmassy cabernet sauvignon with cherry and chocolate notes, and tropically inflected, summer-evoking sauvignon blanc. £7.99 a bottle www.tempustwo.com.au

Moët & Chandon mini crackers How many mini toolkits and mood fish can you really own? Moët & Chandon have filled the Christmas-table staple with mini bottles of blanc (£15.99) or rosé (£18.99) champagne, so give some of these babies out and this year you really will fight to pull the bigger half. www.selfridges.com

Grey Goose Vodka and Bombay Sapphire gin Everyone wants their bar bulked up at Christmas – give someone a bottle of topdrawer gin or vodka and it’ll keep them in cocktails for months, at the least. Grey Goose’s sleek bottle with blue detailing pairs nicely with Bombay Sapphire’s blue-glass bottle when sat on a shelf. www.bombaysapphire.com, from £17; www.greygoose.com, £31.71

GIFT GUIDE: for the home

Picks from the Liberty for Anthropologie range The Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively of merging brands: the British prints giant and free-spirited US fashion and homewares group have created flowery chairs, china sets, bedspreads, and more to covet… www.anthropologie.com/en-gb, from £12 for an oven mitt, to £2,798 for a sofa

Urbanears Baggen multi-room speaker These smart boxes will make any musicloving aesthete’s ears prick up. The Baggen (named after a Swedish housing block) multiroom speaker sports six colours (we like the blush-pink, tangerine and forest-green hues), and they’ll connect to Bluetooth or converse with your devices and streaming services. www.urbanears.com, £450

Cold Picnic tonal boob throw It’s devastating to us that Cold Picnic’s risque range isn’t fully available in the UK, but you can get this fantit-stic throw in Liberty London. www.libertylondon.com, £225

Amplifi Router and Mesh WiFi Extender This nifty gadget is the perfect solution for the Smart home of today. Amplifi's LCD screen doubles up as a sleek digital clock while also being much more than just a router. www.amazon.co.uk, £157

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GIFT GUIDE: kids

Giant inflatable unicorn from Firebox Some people will tell you you don’t need a six-foot inflatable unicorn – these people are not your friends. Saddle up Sir Sparklehooves and rise above it… www.firebox.com, £49.99

Hape Toys, Figure-Eight Railway Set We love Hape Toys’ bright primary hues, forms for little hands to use easily, puzzles and sweet mind-engagers for kids of all ages. This choochoo is a plaything that’s endured through the ages and in this incarnation it’s delightfully colourful and simple, yet beautifully made. www.hape.com, from £21.35

Chuggington Little Chuggers Starter TrackPack Before commuting is a requirement, trains are fun, playful even. Chuggington’s Little Chuggers are colourful trains that roll over tough, preschooler-friendly tracks and are a darn sight cheerier than London Underground at 8am on a Monday morning. www.toys.chuggington.com, £9.99

Thames and Kosmos, Kids’ First Boat Engineer Give fledgling engineers this extraordinarily smart little intro to STEMrelated skills, fine motor skills, science skills and more. Centred around a playful story, kids must use the extensive kit to build boats to solve different problems along the way – smart stuff. www.thamesandkosmos.com, £37.50

GIFT GUIDE: beauty

Make-up from Bleach London Only for the bold, put your best face forward in custompressed glitter shadows, lip kits in Washed Up Mermaid blue and Bruised Violet (£12), Louder eye powders (£3), and look-at-me Grafiteye liner (£12). www.bleachlondon.co.uk/product-category/ makeup

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

A glamourous gift set from Aesop We heart the colourful geometrics of Sixties and Seventies psychology-paperback sleeves, so we think Aesop are trying to get inside our heads with their new gift sets’ retro packaging. Each is influenced by a mind- and scent-enhancing sociological experiment. www.aesop.com, from £65

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Nutri Derma pillow-mist spray We This bit of misty loveliness contains organic lavender, bergamot, lemon and rosemary. Spray on your pillows and sheets to help with insomnia and other sleep problems, while the fragrance transports you to a warmer, happier place. www.healthy2u.co.uk, 100ml for £9.95

Beauty product stocking fillers If all else fails, assemble a sophisticated selection of beauty products. We like Sam McKnight’s hair-raising Easy Up-do Texture Spray (www. net-a-porter.com, £25), Vita Liberata’s Body Blur (www.vitaliberata.co.uk, £29.95), and Bioré Animal-Print Deep-Cleansing Pore Strips, (www.superdrug.com, £8.99).

Sanatio Naturalis oils are a range of Daniele Ryman aromachology-approved, therapeutic, luxury oils and waters, to nourish the skin and uplift the spirits. Natural, with sensuous scents, the oils are made in UK and packaged in beautiful lapis-lazuli-blue glass and luxurious white boxes – they make ideal gifts. www.sanationaturalis.com, from £15 a bottle

Nügg All-Natural Lip Treatment Set Have your lips had enough of winter, pollution and being nibbled on in times of stress? The answer is this luxurious lip treatment by Nügg.

With 100% vegan ingredients, such a jojoba wax, cocoa butter and Irish moss extract, this treatment leaves your lips feeling silky smooth. www.nuggbeauty.com, £17.99

Nügg Beauty skincare masks These little pods are the perfect stocking fillers for your Nana, your Mum and even your daughter. They come in a bunch of delicious varieties, ranging from the deep cleansing with cucumber extract and jojoba oil, to the revitalising with flaxseed and peppermint oil –there will be one to suit everyone. £3.99 each, in multiple styles www.nuggbeauty.com

Margaret Dabbs, London Fabulous Nutcracker These fun, Christmas-inspired gift sets are all your hands need for a winter revamp. With emu and tea-tree oils which strengthen, protect and hydrate nails, and devised by the queen of hands and feet herself,these could be the perfect gift or stocking filler. £12, small, £31 large www.margaretdabbs.co.uk

Margaret Dabbs, London Christmas Cracker Make sure you don’t get this mixed up with the crackers on the dinner table, or you might find that your grandfather gets your gorgeous hydrating foot lotion while you end up with a cruddy, unfeasibly impossible puzzle, or a pencil sharpener. The lotion’s non-greasy formula slides on like a dream and is a treat for any foot. www.margaretdabbs.co.uk, £25

Atelier Bloem Black Tulip and Nieuw Amsterdam Atelier Bloem is a collection of evocative perfumes from Matthew Malin and Andrew Goetz. Each fragrance is infused with the expertise of its founders and their passion for the country. www.libertylondon.com, 100 ml for £160

The Spirit Of Dubai - His and Hers Inspired by Dubai’s ‘captivating contrasts, scenic beauty, and ancient traditions’, these perfumes promise ultra luxury and come in many alluring and evocative varieties, including their most popular, Bahar, which takes inspiration from the ocean and contains top notes of coconut, bergamot and cardamon, middle notes of jasmine, rose and cedarwood and base notes of vanilla, oudh and amber. www.thespiritofdubai.com, from £275, 50ML EDP spray

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GIFT GUIDE: style

Knitwear from Norse Projects So, you can’t bestow Skarsgård cheekbones or Nordic blondeness on someone, but you can give them a stylish Norse Project yoke sweater. www.norseprojects.com, £170

Mi-Pac Gold Backpack in Mirror Pink Remember those teeny backpacks in ice-cream shades we all wore in the Nineties? Our brains say ‘you’ve outgrown this’, but our hearts say ‘Ooh, shiny’. www.mi-pac.com, £39.99

Donna Ida Lounge Lizard silk pyjamas When it’s too chilly for a negligee and too hot for flannels, these cute, silky star-printed pyjamas are a stellar choice for cosmic girls. www.donnaida.com, £325 a set

Pickett Piccadilly suede overnight holdall Clothes make the man, but the bag that man putteth the clothes in for a two-night break ought to be baller, said Shakespeare, possibly.

We love Pickett’s suave suede holdall, in a stylish retro shade, which absolutely supersedes the rucksack you took on your gap year – bin that, buy this. www.pickett.co.uk, £615

Tatty Devine’s out-of-this-world accessories are jaw-droppingly creative, but still look stylish.

Their collaboration with the Barbican has produced a covetable, space-themed range, so this Christmas, don’t give them the moon, give them a whole galaxy with this Planet Link Necklace (£65). We’re also quite taken with their Labyrinth-quoting, Babe with the Power notebook (£16). www.tattydevine.com

Kronaby Watch Another instance of Nordic style superiority, Sweden’s Kronaby watches are the supermodels of the Smart-watch world, with their leather straps, silvery faces and a filter to block out undesirable callers The Sekel style (£435) is our pick for a longlasting gift. www.kronaby.com, from £315

Carrier Company Celtic Wool Jacket The brisk salt-sea air on your face, the splintery axe handle between your work-worn fingers, the thick, tartan Carrier Company jacket that helps you brave the elements as you roam the wilds... www.carriercompany.co.uk, £240

Hiking boots from Keen Footwear ‘TrailFit’ is a new fitness movement espoused by Keen’s Terradora range of women’s shoes.

They come in various styles and deliver peak performance for vigorous autumnal walking and hiking. Starts from £129.95. www.global.keenfootwear.com

Pinset navy-blue jacket New & Lingwood, founded in 1865, is one of London’s longest established English gentleman’s outfitters, supplying bespoke and ready-to-wear shirts, hosiery, the finest pyjamas and most wonderful footwear to customers worldwide. www.newandlingwood.com, £595

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GIFT GUIDE: experiences and stocking fillers

Princess Yachts have partnered with watertoy specialists Cayago to create a zeroemissions, limited-edition F5 S Seabob ‘Volcano’ – the perfect gadget to accompany your superyacht for fun on the open water. It features artwork by renowned artist Jaume Vilardell. €345 each will be donated to the Marine Conservation Society www.princessyachts.com, €11,255

Mr & Mrs Smith’s limited edition, Angelica Hicks-designed Get a Room! gift card Boutique hotel experts Mr & Mrs Smith have found the perfect foil in Angelica Hicks, an illustrator known for her cheeky, fashionlampooning depictions. But, it’s what’s on the inside that counts too – and inside this keepsake box is the key to some of the world’s dreamiest hotels. www.mrandmrssmith.com, from £50

Casio compact piano Casio Music, one of the world’s most-renowned producers of premium, digital-hybrid pianos has just introduced three new designs to its popular home-piano range, which include those perfect for beginners and advanced users alike. Furthermore, these home pianos come at a reasonable and affordable price. www.music.casio.co.uk, from £799

The Chapel, Noctula Candle Hand poured in the UK, Noctula’s exquisite candles are encased in a uniquely finished ceramic.

The super-cool, puckered-lip- and owlemblazoned candle burns with a lingering scent of rich oudh, mandarin, violet and jasmine. www.shop.thechapel.co.uk, £65

Teddy Maximus Dog Accessories Launched in 2015 by Holly Simpson, Teddy Maximus provides all kinds of quirky British accessories for the fashionable pooch. Bestsellers include super-soft dog carriers that unzip all the way and double as dog beds and their handmade bowties that easily attach to the collar. www.teddymaximus.com

Aspinal of London For Him This year, Aspinal are offering a range of stylish stocking-fillers and gifts that are just what the discerning gentleman would hope to get for Xmas.

Ranging from their leather hip flask, fullmoon cufflinks and paisley silk scarf, there’s something here for everyone in a variety of price brackets. www.aspinaloflondon.com

Aspinal of London For Her And just so you lovely ladies don’t feel left out, Aspinal have also brought out a beautiful bunch of booty for women. Gorgeous gifts span the gamut from their gold-plated heart keyring bag charm, to their signature shield scarf. Start dropping hints now! www.aspinaloflondon.com

Miniature candles set Lilou et Loïc, a British brand possessing a Scandinavian sensibility embrace classic, contemporary interiors and fragrances inspired by moments, memories and emotions. The miniature gift-set is comprised of six 90g candles in a signature striped box. www.lilouetloic.com, £45

Designer Cases Uprosa are a unique British fashion brand. Everything is designed by scientists using real images taken from under a microscope. Designs feature extreme closeups of citric acid, aspirin and tartaric acid.

Their range has phone cases for all iPhone and Samsung models. www.uprosa.com

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GIFT GUIDE: extras

Buckle & Seam’s Cali Business Briefcase The newest bag in the Buckle & Seam range, the Cali briefcase, is made from high-quality, vegetable-tanned leather and has a padded laptop compartment which fits both 13- and 14-inch models – it also has adjusted pockets for phone, business cards and pens. It proved so popular that when it launched in Germany, orders crashed the website! www.buckleandseam.com, £170

Sven Cycles This highly adaptable and low-maintenance bike is perfect for town or country. Key features include TRP Tyre Brakes that are reliable in all weathers and conditions, and Dynamo hub lighting to give excellent visibility, both in the city and on unlit country lanes. Take to the streets in style with this luxury bespoke rider – the customised end result is wheelly beautiful. www.svencycles.com; from £4,000

Awair offers a beautifully designed device with a modern aesthetic that tracks toxins and chemicals in the air, while providing personalised recommendations to help users stay safe and healthy. Ideal for use in the home and nursery, Awair’s intelligent sensors boost wellness, sleep and productivity, as well as managing allergies by monitoring and providing tailored suggestions to improve your air quality. It connects with smart products to automatically optimise your air throughout the day.

From USD$159, www.getawair.co.uk

Up the style stakes this Christmas season, by giving someone the stunning single-grain Scotch whisky from the House of Haig. Haig Club is a flawlessly stylish Christmas gift for both whisky lovers and newcomers to the Scotch scene.

Crafted using a unique process that combines grain whisky from three cask types, Haig Club offers a fresh, clean flavour with sweet notes of butterscotch and toffee for a deliciously smooth taste. This versatile Scotch works wonderfully poured over ice, in long drinks, or cocktails. £45 for 70cl, available from all major grocers.

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The Chapel, Noctula Candle Hand poured in the UK, Noctula’s exquisite candles are encased in a uniquely finished ceramic. The super-cool, puckered-lip- and owl-emblazoned candle burns with a lingering scent of rich oudh, mandarin, violet and jasmine. www. shop.thechapel.co.uk, £65

THE RESTAURANT WE WISH WE HAD IN LONDON KATE WEIR gets extremely well fed at Glasgow’s Bilson Eleven restaurant on one of our out-of-town explorations...

BILSON ELEVEN 10 Annfield Pl, Glasgow, G31 2XQ Glasgow is a thrilling rabble of late-Victorian redbricks and Rennie Mackintosh-styled edifices, clubs and bars ringing with a cacophony of whitehot-band noise, and galleries of Grand Masters and fresh-out-of-art-school provocateurs. Its post-industrial rise to the status of Scotland’s coolest city (shh, don’t tell Edinburgh...) has also seen a spread of superlative restaurants. Bilson Eleven is perhaps our favourite; discreetly placed on a street in the Dennistoun district, the elegant 19th-century house was one of the first to be built in the area. Within is hidden treasure: a low-lit private dining room with Mackintosh-style glass, a successful attempt at making tartan carpeting look fresh, and painstaking restoration work allround (the work of chef Nick Rietz and his family).

The biggest shock –Londoners, prepare to Google house prices north of the Watford Gap – is the seven-course tasting menu for £49 a head.

There’s some ceremony to proceedings, which feels more friendly than fusty: ring the bell to be greeted by a tweed-waistcoat-clad host (more hipster than grouse-huntsman); then you’re led to a waiting room upstairs (all antique-globe drinks cabinets, leather sofas and snooker-table-green walls) for apéritifs. The wine list is affordable yet carefully chosen, with Slovenian red, a Chilean bio riesling, a Gerwurtztramminer... The menu is shy of big-revealing the full creative curiosity invoked in dishes –which has paid off in praise-singing punters. But, this ensures a few surprises as the meal unfolds in the dining room. Reitz’s pride in Scottish produce is wholly evident, and my dairy-(and other ingredients) allergic companion has her meal tailored to fit. To start, oven-warm bread of Orkney beremeal (homemade, naturally), fermented with apple juice, and spread with malted butter, then we merrily polish off a slate of

amuse-bouches (veggie soup, a shock of Scottish salmon and horseradish); a mop-uppable livarotcheese mousse dressed with figs and an edible flower; delicate sole with sorrel, the bitterness balanced with sweet mandarin; pliant lamb with ceps and creamy puréed aubergine; then a limoncello-based palate cleanser before dessert.

Or rather, desserts... Round one, caramelised apple and dulce de leche ice-cream; round two, an assemblage of passionfruit mousse with blobs of mallow, punched up with fruity coulis; and then with coffee, a surprise round three of bramble pâte de fruits, passionfruit truffles, chocolates laced with salted caramel. All for £49 (excluding drinks) –those praise-singers I mentioned earlier, I’ll happily join their chorus. So, second branch in South Ken? Please?

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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

MOTHER! DEAREST Edible Cinema controls the power of taste, smell and texture to create a complete immersion in 4D cinema for Darren Aronofsky’s controversial ‘Mother!’. HARRIET BEDDER fills us in on her experience.

As we move downstairs towards the private cinema in the Soho Hotel, we are ushered to one side to collect our trays. Ominous black boxes containing small, lidded polystyrene cups numbered 1-10 are handed over and we are told that these should remain on our laps throughout the film. The contents are to be consumed in accordance with the numbered lightboxes that will be held up in various scenes throughout the film.

Though I am intrigued by the premise of the immersive cinema experience, I can’t help feeling that it would be a much less daunting experience if it were not a Paramount Studios collaboration with Edible Cinema for the screening of Darren Aronofsky’s dark thriller ‘Mother!’.

At the time of the screening, the film had yet to be released in UK cinemas but had already received varyingly controversial reviews at the Venice Film festival the previous week. As for the rest of the marketing; a series of chilling trailers, set to the harrowing off-pitch of the violin, were being broadcast across social media and television and were all that I had viewed in the lead up – alongside the information that something chilling this way comes. We were all going in blind.

I follow Emma Freud into the screening and take my seat next to Jonathan Ross and Jane Goldman.

Cue two hours of ensuing chaos. I experience anxiety, intrigue, calm, edginess, shock and excitement simultaneously.

The film is shot close to Jennifer Lawrence throughout, giving the entire audience a sense of claustrophobia. We are consistently waiting to jump with a quick pan-around or a brief long-shot but it is rare that we are rewarded for our unfailing tension. The only way I could begin to describe the film itself – alongside many film critics since – is a long nightmare. Have you ever been asleep and tried to tell people in the dream that you are asleep so that you can wake up, but they won’t listen?

Well… welcome to ‘Mother!’ The first few scenes are reminiscent of Michael Haneke’s Austrian thriller ‘Funny Games’. Similarly, two strangers turn up to the house of the two protagonists and never leave. Also, interestingly, Aronofsky and Haneke both focus on the exploitation of the audiences’ senses via a discreet lack

‘... Edible Cinema feeds us tongue with Japanese barbecue sauce as Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer French kiss in the third scene and umami gazpacho as blood fills a lightbulb in the fifth.’ of music throughout the films to heighten tension. The film takes a very dark turn from the incomprehensible to the unbelievable around half-way through, and all means of comparing the darkly satirical horror-thrillers are lost.

Throughout, we continue to eat, watch, drink and smell.

We pour vodka tonic over effervescent orange-sherbet powder as Jennifer Lawrence takes her ‘tonic’. We eat mushroom pâté on melba toast as she skims the walls with plaster. Edible Cinema feeds us tongue with Japanese barbecue sauce as Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer French kiss in the third scene and umami gazpacho as blood fills a lightbulb in the fifth.

The lights are coming on and I glance at Jonathan and Jane, who are by this time, both looking as perplexed and harrowed as the rest of us. Whether you love the medium or hate the message, ‘Mother!’ is a film to jar the senses and leave you talking.

A multitude of other – less contentious – films that have received the multi-sensory treatment from Edible Cinema include; ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’, ‘Romeo + Juliet’, ‘Withnail & I’, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ and ‘Perfume’. Tickets are available throughout the year and Edible Cinema is also available for private hire. www.ediblecinema.co.uk

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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

Editor KATE WEIR learns that sharing is caring while reviewing Roka Mayfair’s seasonal meals, while Editor SARAH JACKSON ‘seafood and eat it’ at Bentley’s.

ROKA 30 N Audley St, Mayfair, London W1K 6HP WORDS: KATE WEIR I don’t share food; divvied-up group takeaway orders induce territorial snarling in me, and I dine watching side dishes of prized chips with one unblinking eye. Whether the result of growing up in a household of dinnertime-scavengers, or my belief that a food order made is a bed one must lie in, I’m an incurably selfish glutton.

However, throughout dinner at refined-as-ageisha’s-tea-pouring-skills robatayaki eatery, Roka Mayfair, I happily apportion sashimi slices, wodges of nashi pear-enlivened greens and hunks of chilli- and ginger-piqued beef fillet, when faced with a democratic succession of sharing platters.

This, the first in a series of seasonal meals (Aldwych’s focused on Nikka whisky, Canary Wharf’s delved into the burgeoning Japanese wine scene), is held in a private room by the bustle of robata-tending chefs and jovial punters in the main dining space. Decorated in red and burnt orange, it’s evocative of momiji – Japanese maples that turn brilliant shades come autumn. This meal celebrated summer

BENTLEYS 11-15 Swallow Street, London, W1B 4DG WORDS: SARAH JACKSON Bentley’s has long been considered one of the best places for British seafood in London – a well-deserved reputation. This year marks the restaurant’s centennial and 100 years after first opening of their doors to the publictheir dedication to top-quality produce remains unchanged. It is described as ‘a haven for fresh oysters’, to which I can happily attest, since they stock flavourful, fat shuckers from the Jersey coast to West Mersea (priced at £8.75–£17 for 3–6). I personally have a weakness for the Peruvian dish ceviche and so enjoyed Bentley’s seafood variety with avocado, lime and scallions (£13.50), which was as fresh as the bright blue sea (as the song doesn’t quite go…) Classic and more imaginative starters demonstrate the chef’s taste for fruits de mer; for example, a carpaccio of sea bass and langoustine with lime (£18.00) and a ridiculously lavish English

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sake pressings, and liberally poured drinks – which doubtless explain my rare display of dining sportsmanship – start with a lightlysozzling Ume spritzer, a fruity muddle of plum wine, prosecco and lemon.

Just prior to the meal, I visited Japan, where I revelled in sake rituals and genres: from glasses served in little boxes, overflowing to show generosity, to comparing grainy unpasteurised (nama) country sakes with smooth sippers proffered in city bars. Our host gives a by-prefecture lesson in rice wines between courses; it’s muddied as glasses pile up, but enlightening nonetheless.

Award-garnering Tatenokawa 50 Stream – a premier cru from a heritage brewery in Yamagata – is a crisp starter sake, similar to white wine; it’s not too overpowering of tuna tartare, and smoked-soy-lacquered sea bass. Kozaemon Sakura (only available come spring) is brusque, robust enough to pair with cod, crab and crayfish dumplings and a petrified forest of tempura vegetables.

With miso-glazed sea bream, is junmai sake (pure rice wine with no added alcohol) Shirakabegura. It’s unpronounceable by this

point, but also aromatic, melon-y and smooth, enhancing the delicate fish. For steak and mirinsplashed aubergine, our glasses are topped-up with two-year-aged Kamoizumi Red Maple, a honeyed, goblet-slinger of a mead-style drink.

To finish, Roka’s cornucopia of a dessert platter: a splodgy, chocolatey, fruity, Carmen Miranda – by way of the Pacific Rim – headpiece of a dish, with dragonfruit and lychee; spiced pineapple; banana-and-greentea cream; matcha-and-chocolate mousse; fried balls of sesame and cashew. In lieu of a cloying dessert wine that could cause somnolent journos to snooze where they sit till doors open tomorrow, yuzu-infused sake from the Ume No Yado brewery arrives.

The sharp-sweet citrus kicks the sake’s backside with fruity verve; I nudge fellow diners and insist they try it. More of that uncharacteristic team spirit… In the postdinner ebb, whether it’s from OD’ing on rice wine or conviviality, I’m flush as an autumnal maple; but despite robatayaki’s sociable mien, with my new sake savvy, I’m resolute in a selfish solo return to Roka in the near future.

shellfish cocktail (£22), a dish so stunning, I live tweeted pictures of it as I ate and more googly eyes were made over sea creatures than in the aquarium scene of Baz Luhrman’s Romeo and Juliet. Stacked with plump prawns and succulent chunks of fish, this entrée is to die for.

Mains are suited to every appetite.

To continue down a lighter path, order the sushi salad bowl (£25) which comes with salmon, tuna, prawns, sea bass and oysters, all served withsticky rice and the usual accoutrements of pickled ginger and wasabi. This immaculately presented dish is so delicate it almost floats off the plate to melt on your tongue. Go for the lobster spaghetti (£24.50) for a robust, exquisitely cooked and seasoned plate of yumminess, dotted with juicy cherry tomatoes, bursting with flavoursome sweetness and perfectly complementing the delicacy of the lobster.

Bentley’s sommelier is another of the restaurant’s lures. She is something else. She

spent half an hour talking me through the wine list; she’s seriously passionate and really knows her stuff. Whether you’re a novice oenophile or looking to explore something new, you will certainly be in safe hands here. Highlights of Bentley’s special sommelier selection include the decadently monikered Cote de Beaune Les Pierres Blanches Emmanuel Giboulot (£95), described as ‘a crystalline pure wine; full bodied and, opulent, with zesty citrus and hazelnuts notes and a long saline finish’. Its lofty price tag is justified in one sip.

Other bottles fit a more modest wallet, for example the Picpoul de Pinet Grange des Rocs from Languedoc (£29.95), which is ideal with lighter dishes like the sushi and ceviche, or the Falanghina Del Sannio Janare Senete Guardia Sanframondi (£39), hailing from the Amalfi coast in Italy and possessing stronger textures and flavours.

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CAXTON BAR AND GRILL KATE WEIR enjoyed josper-grilled meats and classic fine dining when she reviewed the Caxton Grill restaurant.

CAXTON BAR AND GRILL 2 Caxton St, Westminster, London SW1H 0QW From outside, the Caxton Grill – the eatery for St Ermin’s Hotel in Westminster – looks an old-school, brass-and-polish joint; I’m expecting leather, besuited groups, even white-gloved servers. Within, it’s altogether more modern, with banquettes to flump down on and splashes of dovegrey and orange on wingbacks and jaali-style screens. Servers are not sniffily dusting off the silverware; a succession eagerly greets us to run through their favourites on the menu; the organic Scottish salmon and fillet steak – both expertly grilled on a Josper (the method of cooking du jour). The wine list is annotated and praises of the hotel’s rooftop garden sung – it includes an apiary of Buckfast bees (the strain, not those pished on tonic wine).

Chef Alexander Boyd replaced Adam Handling here last year. He may be ‘new’, but he’s no stranger to high-end cookery, he’s formerly rustled up meals for the mayor and royal family, and tonight, yours truly – a highlight, surely.

We kick off with warm-to-touch, salt-crystal-pocked sourdough and citrusy whipped butter. Then we must decide from a menu of two halves: the carnivorous left-hand side of steaks and fish and laden grills; or, to the right, a democratic selection of dishes made using kitchengarden picks: pumpkin soup with chestnuts, venison with parsnips and red chard.

I choose cantaloupe with parma ham – a dish that excels in simplicity.

It arrives arranged into an elaborate coronet shape, but the pork is well-aged, rich and pungent; the cantaloupe sweet and juicy. My dining partner’s squid arrives with tendrils reaching from a hollowedout cucumber Kraken-style – garlanded with edible flowers and piqued with cucumber and onion, I’m told it’s very good. While excellent whisky

flights (a role call of Macallans, Obans and Juras) catch my eye, a meaty Catena Malbec is uncorked to pair with our steaks (fillet for me, sirloin for my friend, both pliant and pink), and the half lobster we’ve added on for good measure. The decadence pays off as we wrest flavoursome chunks from its claws.

Desserts are a form of high art: apple-crumble tart arrives with an icicle of sugar, sliver of crisp apple and dollop of brown-bread ice-cream; yuzu cheesecake is encased in a gilded, white-chocolate bowling ball topped with a daisy. Boyd seems to be torn between down-to-earth, hunger-sating brasserie dishes and nouvelle niceties, but his eyecatching surprises and an excitement about seasonal experimentation holds the menu together and polished-off plates all-round show he’s handling matters very well indeed.

‘My dining partner’s squid arrives with tendrils reaching from a hollowed-out cucumber Kraken-style...’

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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

IS EAST, WEST OR CENTRAL BEST? HARRIET BEDDER visits new offerings at both Broadway and Exmouth Market, the latest Frenchie opening in Covent Garden and continues to dispel the anti-chain mindest after discovering Kensington’s own bestloved Lupita MACELLAIO RC 38-40 Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 4QE At first glance, the frontage of Macellaio RC could be mistaken for a London butcher’s. Cow carcasses hang ageing in the window alongside tuna suspended on chains. The butcher who works at the front of the establishment spends the evening cleaving the cuts that are ordered from diners, which are then prepared and brought to the table. Macellaio (a direct translation of ‘butcher’) markets itself as both a hymn to Italian excellence and ‘a butcher’s with tables’.

‘Tuna… and beef?’ I hear you ask. The steak of the sea and land come together harmoniously in Maccellaio’s dining space – unsurprising, really, when considered. Both fish and meat run red with blood and are hung and quartered.

Specialising in Fassone beef from Piedmont, a cattle breed low in both fat and cholesterol due to the ‘double-muscling’ of the herds, Macellaio RC prides itself in serving only the finest steaks.

Each serving is as delicious as it is value for money. The tuna is caught by fishermen in Sicily and Sardinia who are personally known

by Roberto Costa, the brainchild of the Farringdon eatery.

Our hostess explains that the menu works to symmetry; the tuna and beef dishes are mirrored. There’s tuna/beef tartare and tuna/ beef carpaccio to start, followed by the tuna/ rump fillet steak for main; this establishment is the high-end, surf-and-turf seeker’s dream. We are advised to take tapas, and leave it to our hostess to suggest the restaurant’s classics.

Minimalism is key in Macellaio, with the grand spectacle being the ‘stage’ of the restaurant, an altar and ode to the cuisine it serves. When the meat itself arrives, it’s worthy of a hallelujah; excellent in its simplicity, seasoned with just salt, pepper and olive oil. Both are so tender and succulent – the beef dry-aged for seven weeks, the tuna for up to two – that there’s no need for disturbance of additional flavouring.

Even the balsamic vinegar is hesitantly put on the table for the warm, buttery, salted focaccia brought to begin the meal.

We pair our raw selection of gorgonzolatopped battuta (steak tartare), which is expertly torched at the table until bubbling. To follow, burrata with rocket, and tuna tartare with a delicious Franciacorta sparkling wine suggested by our waitress, a match made in antipasti heaven. Steak knives are stabbed dramatically into wooden chopping boards as the waitress delivers our main course; a 700g rump steak to share. We team it with a deep, fruity pelaverga selected from the repertoire of 56 wines the restaurant holds.

To finish, Macellaio’s famous basil-infused bianco al basilico; a dish similar in consistency to pannacotta, and Italian classic tiramisu is served alongside port de Santo to finish.

Macellaio Roberto Costa is a name in praise of the animal but also an ode to the ‘artisan’

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farmers whose passion it is to rear them. ‘There is no passion without blood’ he explains; and after that meal, we definitely agree.

TUYO 129A Pritchard’s Road, London E2 9AP It is common knowledge that to visit Broadway Market on a sunny Saturday afternoon is a time well spent. Slowly drifting through stalls of fudge and homemade Scotch eggs, muffins, cookies and Korean dumplings, falling for the expertly arranged bouquets of seasonal flowers and foliage; the natural place to come to a standstill is at Tuyo; which has plenty of space outside inviting you to sit and people watch and, well, just be there, soaking up the last of the autumnal sunshine.

The breakfast menu (think Levantine shakshouka and huevos Turcos) switches at midday to the ‘Nibbles & Charcuterie’ lunch menu, which the waitress brings to the table along with a list of the chef’s personal recommendations. Here you discover that although the set-up is ‘tapas’ the cuisine is a blend of European and Middle Eastern delicacies. ‘How?’ you ask. Small plates of prawn and pimientos del Padrón skewers are accented with vibrant dishes of grilled octopus with olive oil, hummus and cumin yoghurt. Sea bream with lightly spiced puy lentils and avocado purée are served alongside the taste sensation of miniature Bellota burgers. It’s a strange blend, but with a glass of Malbec in one hand and a plate of oxtail croquetas with cumin aioli and roasted walnuts in another, I am sold.

Deconstructed baklava is the dessert of the day and after an extraordinary selection of tapas, we do not need to be convinced to try it. Layers of almond pastry are sandwiched between caramelised nuts, topped with fresh mango and served with a scoop of whipped mint yoghurt.

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Tuyo, which translates as ‘yours’ in Spanish, is a truly delightful restaurant in which to pass an afternoon; and once the wind begins to pick up next to the canal, be sure to move inside for an espresso or digestif under the vast canopy of hanging baskets throughout.

FRENCHIE

16 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8QH Right, let’s get this out of the way first; if you are starving before you go to Frenchie, have a snack first. Frenchie is not a restaurant for wanton, allyou-can-eat scoffing, but one for your senses; to date, many of the reviews I have read criticise the self-proclaimed ‘bright cousin of the Parisian original’ for this reason.

Firstly, the service is wonderful, which is a rarity in London restaurants these days.

Secondly, the tasting menu – which we had along with numerous other tables around us – comes with its own sommelier, who takes care to explain the wines carefully paired with each course.

Need I say more? Oh, yes, the food… there are five courses. Again, let me emphasise the small portion sizes, but at least you will leave tipsy.

The meal is one of the best I have had in London for a long time. Good mostly because of its contrast to other ‘French’ restaurants in the capital, Frenchie is the brainchild of Gregory

LUPITA 7 Kensington High St, Kensington, London, W8 5NP Having lived in Mexico and tested many tacos over the last few years, I can confirm that Lupita is in great stead compared with its true competitors across the Pacific.

With a great selection on offer, from the traditional pork al pastor taco (pork marinated with chilies, herbs and fruits) and campechano (grilled steak, chorizo and chicharones) to the more adventurous pescado al pastor taco (grilled white fish seen more on offer in seaside towns throughout the country); there is something on the menu for everyone. A highlight for our table was the crunchy, crispy corn tacos topped with tuna tartare, caramelised onions and crispy fried leeks – the flavours complementing each

Marchand and brings its name (and critically acclaimed, hot maple-bacon scones) from Frenchie, Frenchie Wine Bar, Frenchie To Go and Frenchie Wine Shop all hailing from the same Rue du Nil in Paris’ 2nd arrondissement.

Each mouthful leaves you wanting more, but also appreciating every morsel. The first, an amuse-bouche of crackling swirls topped with apple jelly, is wolfed down along with a glass of sparkling wine. Then comes sea-bream tartare, with yuzu, pear and chestnut – flavours that complement each other in revelatory ways. The pièce de résistance for both of us was the seared tuna, aubergine, red pepper and lamb merguez.

We eat in complete silence and very, very slowly, savouring each bite and only stopping to look wide eyed from each other, to the merguez, to each other’s plate. We could have stopped here and left very happy on our third glass of (now red) wine, but yet to come was my first experience

of perfectly cooked guinea fowl (duck for my companion) with aubergine, pickled mustard, hazelnuts and plums. After the previous course, I was anticipating greatness.

We were so impressed by these savoury courses that by the time our fun-size palatecleanser – a black fig, meringue, white-balsamic caramel, rosemary-and honey yoghurt concoction – arrived we were on the moon; not to mention the delight we felt when faced with the final dish: chocolate ganache with coconut and lime. The pictures of the meal are some of my fondest memories of 2017. Despite its Parisian counterpart – infamous for leaving you in a sixmonth queue – Frenchie in Covent Garden has a much more lenient waiting list and is available for bookings online and via their website.

If you haven’t already booked your table by the time you finish reading this (I have already, for a pre-Christmas treat), qu’attendez-vous?

other perfectly, and which went down very well alongside a couple of classic margaritas.

For a dessert to share, choose either the Choco Suave - a chocolate pot with cajeta sauce and a blend of sugar and cinnamon coated tortilla chips with which to indulgently dip – or the Tres Leches – a sponge cake drenched with milks and spices – a clear nod to Lupita’s true heritage in Colonia Condesa, Mexico City.

Whether you need a quick stop off for an easy, fuss-free meal guaranteed to go down well with the whole family before starting the impending Christmas shopping, or you just fancy a low-key date-night, Lupita won’t disappoint. Easily affordable, definitely delicious.

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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

MINI REVIEWERS The restaurant-reviewing lark is a funny old thing – before you know it a younger, hungrier critic is snapping at your heels… In some instances, they’re quite a bit more juvenile than we are (a true accomplishment…)

– to seek out West London’s most family-friendly restaurants, we sent a few mini-reviewers to grill the staff, cast an eye over the kids’ menus and pass judgement…

‘Stand-out favourites were the bubblegum marshmallow and the pipe your own choux pastry – a nice touch that my daughter had great fun with.’

SKETCH 9 Conduit St, Mayfair, London W1S 2XG www.sketch.london The London restaurant where the toilets are as famous as its food – well, they do look like a spaceship’s sleeper pods. We love David Shrigley’s drawings and India Mahdavi’s blush-pink Gallery interiors, but did it impress contributing writers, seven-year-old Eleanor and her mum, Tracy.

ELEANOR What did you order?

The kids afternoon tea, which had sandwiches, cakes, orange juice and ‘champagne’!

My favourites were the specially made cheese sandwich and the bubblegum marshmallow.

Were the staff friendly?

Yes, very friendly – especially the wine waiter, who was really kind.

Did you find the restaurant fun?And what part of the meal did you enjoy most?

Yes! I loved the toilets best. I also loved the waiter’s wine trick; I could be grown up and drink ‘champagne’. And I liked the cups and bowls because they had little messages written on them. The hopscotch on entry was cool too.

I also got a lovely Sketch teddy bear. He’s so cuddly and I love his jumper.

Anything you would improve on?

They didn’t have kids’ colouring, so I got a bit bored while waiting for our food.

Would you go back?

Yes! I asked Mummy if we could go back the next day. (ed. – sorry, Mummy…)

Can you score the restaurant out of 10?

100! OK, if we have to stick to the question, then 10.

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TRACY What did you order?

I had the classic afternoon tea, which comprised a delectable array of treats: a posh version of egg and soldiers (with caviar), a variety of sandwiches, then the most amazing cakes and pastries. I had Earl Grey, then was persuaded to try the vanilla-chai champagne. It was delicious and dangerously addictive!

Three highlights of your visit?

1) The design of the restaurant was funky, fun and generally stunning 2) Staff were friendly and welcoming, and definitely went the extra mile – we got the best table in the house. The wine waiter in particular was lovely.

3) The food was absolutely divine.

Is this the kind of place you would feel comfortable bringing your kids to?

I would consider it for a special treat. It was known as London’s most expensive restaurant, but the kids’ afternoon tea is good value. My daughter’s pretty well house-trained so I felt comfortable there, but noisy kids might spoil it for other diners. The staff were lovely to my daughter and made her feel welcome. They treated her ‘like a grown up’ (her words) – for example, bringing her own ‘champagne’ (sparkling grape juice).

She absolutely loved that. The toilets were a real highlight for her, though. She’s nagged me every

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day since because she’s desperate to go back!

It’s primarily a treat for adults, but if you’re taking kids I would recommend age seven and up.

Were there any stand-out facilities or services for kids?

The hopscotch board on the entrance hall floor gave a good first impression and conveyed the sense of fun that pervades the restaurant.

Can I mention the loos again? My daughter has told just about everyone she’s met about them.

Did you think the kids menu was imaginative?

Definitely. Stand-out favourites were the bubblegum marshmallow and the pipe your own choux pastry – a nice touch that my daughter had great fun with. Not a chicken nugget in sight!

The quality was beyond compare. Everything we ate was beautifully prepared and presented, and tasted amazing.

Was there anything your child ate that they’d been fussy about eating previously?

Because it was all so beautifully presented, my daughter happily tucked into a ham sandwich – something she usually wouldn’t touch with a barge-pole.

Anything you would improve on?

No - how do you improve on perfection? It was simply spectacular. One of the most memorable dining experiences I have ever had.

MAZE GRILL 10–13 Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, London W1K 6JP www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/maze-grillmayfair Clearly inheriting some of her dad’s less sweary traits, Gordon’s daughter Tilly Ramsay has dreamt up the imaginative kids-eat-free menu at the Maze Grill (and launched her own cookbook, Tilly’s Kitchen Takeovers as well as a range of cooking experiences for little ‘uns at different venues). But, was there a kitchen nightmare when Leo (aged six) and Lois (aged three) arrived with their dad, Simon, to try Tilly’s treats?

LEO AND LOIS What did you order?

Leo: I had the fillet steak and chips.

Lois: I had chicken strips.

What was your favourite dish?

Leo: The fillet steak! The bread they make is good too, amazing good! It was the best meal I’ve had.

Lois: The bread!

Were the staff friendly?

The waitress was very good and very kind.

The restaurant is so polite.

Did you find the restaurant fun? What part of the meal did you enjoy most?

L + L: Yes, it was really fun, and meeting the chef and seeing the kitchen was the best. We were given a box with stickers and stuff, too!

Would you go back?

L+L: Yes!!

Anything you could improve on?

Leo: I would add a toy to the box too, but otherwise I liked it all.

Can you score the restaurant out of 10?

L + L: 11!

‘It was better than run-of-the-mill offerings because adult dishes were made child-friendly; my son had a mini fillet steak, which isn’t normally offered to kids.‘ SIMON What did you order?

We had a selection of all the different steaks.

The wagyu beef was amazing – it was the best steak I have ever eaten.

Is this the kind of place you would usually consider for a special family outing?

Yes, the staff were extremely attentive to our needs and helped with everything. They were great at communicating with kids. The restaurant was laid back but sophisticated, other families were dining in there and there was a great, welcoming ambience. The decor was just right, the venue was well-sized, the seating was comfortable and the lighting was warm. I think it is the perfect place for families who want a special meal.

What were the highlights?

Going to meet the chef and getting a tour of the kitchen with the kids was great. And the steak.

Would you consider going back?

Yes we are planning a return trip in the run up to Christmas as a treat!

Did the restaurant feel welcoming and accepting of children?

Absolutely. The staff went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and the place felt calm and family-orientated.

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Were there any stand-out facilities for kids?

The box of Tilly’s treats was a hit with my kids – it had crayons, stickers, a menu and colouring, so they loved it!

Did you think the kids menu was imaginative?

Yes I do. It was varied enough that it offered choice without being overwhelming and the dishes definitely appealed to my children.

They had trouble deciding what they wanted! It was better than run-of-the-mill offerings because it took adult dishes and made them childfriendly; my son had a mini fillet steak, which isn’t normally offered to kids. The quality of the food was amazing; the steaks were the best I’ve had.

We had a side-salad, but there was sushi on the menu too, so healthier options available if you wanted them.

Were parents well looked after, too?

The service was great, our waitress selected a fantastic wine for us and talked us through each aspect of the menu – she suggested the steak sampler board which was a hit! She came back to check on us regularly and took me and the kids to meet the chef; she also made babyccinos at the bar after the meal for Lois and Leo. What were your expectations of the restaurant before? And did it meet them or even exceed them?

I expected an elegant meal with great service and Maze Grill delivered! if anything, it exceeded my expectations.

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

A JOURNEY INTO ITALY’S BREADBASKET Ask an Italian about their region’s cuisine, and they’ll probably boast about it being the best in the world. But only one region is home to some of Italy’s most ubiquitous products. COCO KHAN travels to Emilia-Romagna to investigate the foodie heritage of Parma, Modena and Bologna.

‘In Parma, there are more pigs than people’ Tucked between the rolling vineyards of Tuscany and the mountainous industry of Lombardy, stretching across the buckle of Italy’s boot, you have Emilia-Romagna, one of Italy’s most historic regions.

Emilia-Romagna’s gastronomic leanings are unsurprising, given the region’s diverse geography. The Po river valley in the region’s north is home to fertile farmlands, which have been cultivated ever since Roman times. Much of Italy’s exports come from the area, meaning it’s always been economically prosperous – a byproduct of this prosperity was the flourishing automobile industry. Ducati, Lamborghini, Maserati, Ferrari – all of them began here, zipping round hairpins and barrelling towards Italian horizons at breakneck speed.

The city of Parma is one that immediately calls to mind Prosciutto di Parma – there are more pigs than people in the city, so it’s no surprise that pork reigns supreme. The production is all about balance: producers will use only enough pure sea salt to preserve the meat, while still keeping the flavour sweet and tender. The caves and mountains in the area would have been used to preserve the haunches, but now this is

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

done in strictly temperature- and humiditycontrolled rooms.

One thing the parmesan pigs feed on is the whey from Parmigiano Reggiano production. Like Prosciutto, Parmigiano Reggiano is also a product of painstaking care and craft; after the wheels of cheese are brined, they are matured for a minimum of 12 months, and regularly flipped in their warehouse to allow the brine to evenly penetrate the cheese. To try the best of Parma’s produce, restaurant Il Trovatore has been a popular spot for nearly two decades, while La Greppia is a culinary institution with a formidable wine cellar.

While Parmigiano Reggiano may originate from Parma, it’s in another of the region’s cities where it is afforded its star turn. At the three-Michelin-starholding Osteria Francescana in Modena, chef Massimo Bottura illustrates the remarkable diversity in flavour of the cheese as it matures in one incredible dish – Five Ages of Parmigiano Reggiano.

In 2011, it was voted the Italian dish of the decade. In the event you can’t book a table at Osteria Francescana, worry not.

Your fine-dining needs are also catered to

by Chef Luca Marchini’s L’Erba Del Re, while Ristorante Da Danilo does some of

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the best traditional Italian food in town.

Modena’s other great contribution to the food canon is Balsamic Vinegar.

Like many of the region’s delicacies, Balsamic Vinegar is afforded DOP status, but that labelling only refers to a certain method of production.

Must from late-harvested grapes is cooked until concentrated by half, left to ferment for around three weeks, and then matured in successively smaller barrels over a minimum of 12 years.

Once a year, vinegar is bottled from the smallest cask in the sequence, and each barrel topped up with vinegar from the preceding barrel. However, there is another way, devised by enterprising, less aristocratic Italians, which still produces a delicious product: grape must is blended with superior quality wine vinegar.

This variety is given IGP certification, rather than DOP, which states that only part, rather than all, of the production process take place in a specific geographic region - in this case, Emilia-Romagna.

For further information and to book visit www.emiliaromagnaturismo.it/en

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SUSAN SAUNDERS finds a new local in the Elgin pub – a beautiful, reputable boozer with a past in Ladbroke Grove.

THE ELGIN 96 Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill, London, W11 1PY ‘A solitary pub, the Elgin Arms, stood alone among the naked carcasses, crumbling decorations, fractured walls – a graveyard of buried hopes, a dreary waste of mud and stunted trees, with the wind howling and vagrants prowling in the speculative warnings around them…’ So said The Building News of 1861; but, it’s a lot more cheerful these days around Ladbroke Grove. The venerable watering-hole not only survived the midvictorian mass-demolition and rebuilding spate that gave the grove the somewhat classical character it still retains today – in fact, the Elgin positively thrived. Its ever-changing clientele, decade after decade, through the roaring Twenties and bohemian Fifties, to the colourful counter-cultures of the Sixties and Seventies and beyond, all flocked to feel the uplifting atmosphere of conviviality which this genuine gin palace so readily envelops you in.

The glittering mirrors and jewel-coloured glass screens are a joy to behold, and all the more miraculous for surviving two world wars.

All this sparkle rubs off on the happy customer, and being surrounded by so much gaiety and beauty can’t help but make you feel gay and beautiful yourself… especially after sampling some of their vast array of superior and unusual gins. Of course, you can drink anything you like here, but especially in the El-Gin bar – see what they did there? – it is as clear as a tumbler of Martin Miller’s that they have embraced the gin renaissance with open arms – and what better setting to do it in?

The key to the appeal of this magnetic meeting place, only a stone’s throw from Portobello Market (but please don’t throw any stones – think of the antique glass!) – is the splendid sense of spaciousness that it affords.

There is nothing static or confined about the space, because there are so many different but interlinked areas for different groups to congregate, each with a particular atmosphere and flavour. There are bars serving on three sides of the central hub, with the dining room and music venue to the rear, and the punter is welcome to circulate as freely as a one-finned shark around Alcatraz, should they so desire.

There is also a spacious outdoor area where the nosey and the trendy congregate to see and be seen, on the corner of the main thoroughfare, where people-gazing can be combined with a naughty ciggie, should you so desire.

Back inside, all is opulent; but not in the least forbidding, with welcoming velvet

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and gleaming wood, the perfect backdrop for special occasions with work-mates, lovers, fathers and mothers – just maybe not all at once. Although there is certainly space if you felt like killing several sociable birds with one stone. (Stones again! Sorry!)

And, upstairs on the first floor there are further spaces, each feeling very special and secluded, which I only recently discovered, so gloriously ample is the ground floor.

As I write, the festive season is more than a mere twinkle in the eye of most landlords and ladies, it has been gestating for some time now, and planned for accordingly. Here, at this merry time of year, is where our warm-hearted gem of a hostelry truly comes into its own. Fairly festive even on a drizzly, February Tuesday afternoon, it has been waiting as eagerly for your arrival as Lumière and Mrs Potts et al in the castle of the Beast. The arrival of your good self and your Christmas party is all that is required to bring this magical venue to life. Up the rather secret staircase you will find hidden treasures.

You have the Long Room, with its stately table, where any event – from birthdays and banquets to breakfast business meetings – can be beautifully catered for. There are all mod-cons ready for meetings – an HDMI-ready projector, a sound system, free WiFi and an easel-board – not to mention a hassle-free selection of food and drink options, so you can concentrate on the business in hand.

But, the sweetest space of all, spherical sibling to the Long Room, and the comfiest little spot in the whole building, is the Round PAGE 56

Room. For an intimate gathering it really is the perfect choice. Between them you will find the exclusive upstairs bar, so your function can be truly private and self-contained. The staff all seem universally cheerful, intelligent and accommodating – a rarer combination than one might suppose. They even seem enthusiastic about working over the holiday period; when I dined there in late summer they told me they already had a family booking for Christmas Day itself! If the food I enjoyed there was anything to go by, it is a lot better than anything mother used to make… just don’t tell mine I said that.

Well-chosen seasonal fare, impeccably British, superbly cooked and lovingly presented, comes à la carte or on a set menu, or miniaturised as canapés for sharing, both the classic and the quirky rubbing shoulders most deliciously. Trust me, it is all appetising in the extreme, and I recommend browsing their mouthwatering website. Summing up the priceless old-fashioned hospitality of the place, something that sticks pleasantly in my mind is the little scene I witnessed when I popped in late this morning – a solitary old gentleman, at that hour their only customer, nursing his pint of Guinness, with a charming waitress obviously making him feel like a king. Perhaps he was a king! At any rate, when he thanked her for his heaped and steaming plate of sausage and mash, and she replied ‘a pleasure’, there was no doubting her sincerity. Don’t just take my word for it – get yourself down to the grove and try for yourself – the Elgin experience is a pleasure all round.

Wright Here, Wright Now SARAH JACKSON enjoys an evening at the restaurant who have perfected preparing poisson, and brought a slice of Paris to London.

WRIGHT BROTHERS 56 Old Brompton Rd, Kensington, London, SW7 3DY Wright Brothers describe their venue on Old Brompton road as a ‘nook’ and I must say, that is exactly the right word for it. It’s teeny and snug; friendly too, which is good, because you can’t help but frot half the other customers on the way to your seat. The staff are utterly charming and attentive, and the food bolsters the Wright Brother’s already stellar reputation.

Oysters are a speciality here; the selection is sourced from Lindisfarne, Jersey and Carlingford Lough. Stand-out items include meaty Spéciales de Claire (oysters harvested after a month to ensure sweetness) and a daily provision of rock oysters. However, my top pick are definitely the molluscs of Morecambe Bay (£17.50 for 6, £35 for 12), because unlike their salty counterparts, these are cultivated in brackish water and have a beautifully balanced taste.

For you carnivores out there, Wright Brothers have a meaty offering on the menu too (pork is currently in season), but to go to Wright Brothers in search of mammals is to swim against the stream. The best selections are on the fish menu: classic small plates such as Severn and Wye smoked salmon with shallots, capers and crème fraîche (£8.50); moules marinière with white wine, shallots, butter and parsley (£9.95 to £15.90); and grilled prawns with a Mediterranean twist of added fregula (Sardinian-style pasta), courgettes and harissa (£7.90 to £12.90).

The big fish signature dish is the whole baked sea bream (£21), but swimming into second place is the gratin à la Dieppoise (£16.50), a sublime mess of hake, mussels, gruyère, spinach and bechamel, which begs you to dip a spoon in – it’s absolutely superb.

For dessert, cast a line to catch the baked rhubarb, puff pastry, burnt orange and Chantilly cream (£6.50) or the chocolate mousse, pistachio and caramel (£5). Waiters are more than happy to pair any of your courses with something sluggable from the wine list, so don’t hesitate to ask for advice.

Top pick off the cocktails menu is the WB’s take on a Bloody Mary (£10), topped with a smoked oyster and muddled with a special spice blend. The Bloody Mary is one of my favourite cocktails and this one didn’t disappoint.

The emphasis here is on flavour rather than a Tabasco kick up the whatsit. The Not Tonight, a blend of Stolichnaya vanilla vodka, lychee juice, yuzu-tea jam, mango, lemon juice and sugar (£9) provides a refreshing taste of summer.

To sum up, the Wright Brothers offer classic English seafood with sole (sorry), and a unique French-Asian twist, in a warm and cosy atmosphere where you’re encouraged to drink like the proverbial. This truly is ‘a corner of Paris in London’ as the maître d’ described it, so we say with great poisson (sorry, again), bon appetit.

THE CAVENDISH 35 New Cavendish Street, Marylebone, London, W1G 9TR WORDS: SARAH JACKSON Visiting The Cavendish a few weeks ago was a bit of a blast from the past for me, as their newly appointed chef Douglas Santi was one of the first chefs whose dishes I reviewed for the KCR. Back in 2010, I enjoyed a fabulous and multi-course repast at Babbo and I am happy to say that his skills have certainly not diminished since then.

However, the big difference between Babbo and The Cavendish is fairly obvious just from the names. Babbo is Italian for ‘daddy’, and the restaurant was quintessentially of that nation, with the onus on classic fare but in an upmarket Mayfair setting. Conversely, The Cavendish has ‘English’ stamped all over it with a Chelsea boot. This is in part because of its association with the Duke of Devonshire thereof, but it’s also apparent in the decor by Concorde Interior Design (also responsible for typically English venues Tom’s Kitchen and The Botanist.) The Cavendish’s dining room is an amalgamation of old-world plushness and on-trend utilitarianism; exposed brick and wood accents are paired with navy button-back furnishings. It’s a visual testament to London itself.

The truly exciting thing about The Cavendish is the new menu – masterminded by Santi which pulls together English staples and beloved Italian favourites, throwing in other Mediterranean and even Middle Eastern influences along the way. Rather than feeling over muddied though, the waters here run fresh: the food is colourful, intriguing and above all delicious. Santi has long been feted as ‘the papà of Italian cooking’. Perhaps it’s time to adopt him as a favourite uncle over here.

Must-try dishes: Sweet potatoes with goji berries and pomegranate molasses (£8), The ‘100-layer lasagne’ (£12), The rib-eye for two (£39), Josper-baked artichokes (£14), Lobster and avocado brioche (£16).

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TOP RESTAURANT PICKS FOR CHRISTMAS, WHATEVER YOU’RE LOOKING FOR

LE BALCON 8 Pall Mall, St. James’s, London, SW1Y 5NG If you’re looking for suave sophistication…

Whether you’re looking to impressive your clients with a sophisticated supper, or dazzle your date with a dinner to die for, Le Balcon has it all.

Art Deco glamour, fantastic staff, a prime location and a mouth-watering menu. They cater to almost every taste, including pescetarian and vegetarian and never skimp on flavour or presentation.

If you’re only in the mood for a snack, they have small plates ranging from £6-10 that include delights such as chilled wild garlic and potato soup with truffled crème fraiche, white crab salad with brown crab meat toasts and Sturia caviar or, my personal favourite, beef tartare, truffled egg yolk, artichoke crisps. However, if like us, you’re interested in the full three-course shebang, I can fully recommend several dishes from the

main menu, kicking off with the starters which range from £8-£15. You simply must try the sautéed snails, chorizo, sweet potato puree, ollo rosso jus. Even if you think you don’t like snails, you’ll change your mind after you try these. The sweet potato adds a wonderful contrast to the dense snail, whilst the fatty chorizo adds a salty slap around the chops. If you can’t quite bring yourself to eat escargot, then wrap your mouth around the seared Scottish scallops, lardons, pea tortellini, apple sabayon. The silky scallops and flavoursome lardons are masterfully paired with the mellow tang of the pea and apple. For the mains, I am on a huge fish kick at the moment so really enjoyed trying the lobster and mussels gratin (£21) and the crispy sea bream (£24). Both were accompanied by heavenly dairy treats; the

gratin with a brioche and emmental crust, and the sea bream with a chive beurre blanc, lightened by samphire and fricassee of salsify.

And how better to polish off this sinfully sumptuous supper than with a Cointreau and chocolate soufflé with blood orange sorbet (£8) – a punch with a velvet glove. Chocolate and orange; could there be more perfect soul mates?

Terry didn’t think so. But you could, if you wished to try one of my other recommendations, i.e., the fruitier apple and frangipane tart with crème fraiche sorbet and port wine syrup (£7) – a twist on the English classic; or the passion fruit and Sauternes crème brûlée with mango sorbet (£7) which adds zesty spark to an already classic dessert.

Devonshire crab cake with cucumber and chilli relish (£11) and the English favourite, steak tartare with egg, followed by simple and sophisicated mains like the seven hour confit Herdwick lamb with mashed potato, balsamic onions (£50 to share) and the roast fillet of sea bream with braised chicory and heritage tomato salad, olives (£24).

I also particularly like the vegetarian menu here, as so often I feel this can be a neglected area.

They have some wonderful choices here like the Norfolk asparagus landcress salad, summer truffles, Cacklebean egg yolk, spelt granola (£9) and the courgette dukkah with fennel and turmeric salad with turmeric and saffron dressing (£15).

However, the real triumph at Tom’s is the dessert menu - a goldmine of goodies, each paired with its own perfectly matched desert wine. To name but a few, we have the raspberry

millefeuille with raspberry sorbet (£8), coupled with a gorgeous 2014 Coteaux du Layon ‘Les 4 Vents’, Domaine Pithon-Paillé, Loire Valley, France (£6.5), the rum baba with chantilly cream and strawberry sorbet (£8), accompanied by a mouth-watering 2014 Tokaji, Oremus ‘Noble Late Harvest’, Hungary (£8) and my personal favourite, the chocolate and peanut-butter marquise with salted-caramel ice cream and peanut brittle (£8), combined with a refreshing 2014 Rasteau Vin Doux Naturel, Domaine du Beaurenard, Rhône Valley, France (£7).

With locations in Birmingham, Chelsea, Canary Wharf, St Katherine’s Docks, Somerset House and (randomly) Istanbul, there is no excuse not to go and break off a hunk of this rustic restaurant yourself and enjoy its sumptuous menu, delightful atmosphere and a much needed slice of village life.

TOM’S KITCHEN 27 Cale Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 3QP If you’re looking for: a village in the big city Visiting the Tom’s Kitchen in Chelsea for the first time is an almost surreal experience.

One minute you’re on the busy, bustling boulevard that is the Kings Road, and then, as if by Bedknobs and Broomsticks magic, you’re transported into a country village. Ok, so maybe I am exaggerating slightly, but not much! As you swerve off the main drag and find yourself traipsing down first Elysian Place, and then Cale Street, there is an undeniably provincial feel to the setting.

And this bucolic ideal is reflected perfectly inside Tom’s, where the atmosphere is relaxed, family-oriented and friendly, the menu is full of fresh and well-executed ideas, and the decor is more wooden benches and blackboards than plush button-back leather and cigar smoke.

The pleasant rustic charm is also mirrored on the menu with classic starters like the spicy

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REDEMPTION 6 Chepstow Road, Notting Hill, London,W2 5BH If you’re looking for: purity and paradise

Redemption is an extraordinary venue, probably one of the most interesting I’ve been to in my seven years of reviewing. Created by two impressive female entrepreneurs, Catherine Salway and Andrea Waters, the ethos of Redemption is to give you a night out, but also a night off, as it says on the website. The restaurant and bar is vegan, sugar-free, wheat-free and alcohol-free and yet... bear with me... its food and drinks are absolutely gorgeous. The menus are exciting, the cocktails mouthwatering and the atmosphere is idyllic, probably because there aren’t any drunkards causing a ruckus.

Dishes cost around £6-£15, and some examples are the Tokyo salad, a brown rice and avocado salad with cucumber, radish, chilli, hijiki seaweed, a citrus-miso dressing and a sprinkling of sesame seeds; the brown rice penne pasta with a rich tomato, red pepper and garlic sauce, served with black olives, rocket, and roasted pecan ‘parmesan’ and Redemption’s renowned pulled barbecued ‘pork’: jackfruit and summer slaw with slow-cooked jackfruit in a sweet-andsmoky barbecue sauce, in a gluten-free bun, served with red cabbage slaw and roasted sweet-potato wedges. All these dishes are simply exploding with flavour and textures, with the jackfruit being so reminiscent to pork that vegans have actually questioned whether it’s really a fruit.

Co-creator Andrea Waters, the genius behind this masterful menu, clearly puts a lot of time and thought into each plate, and it shows. You never finish a meal at Redemption and feel like you’ve missed out - quite the contrary in fact.

And have I even mentioned the unbelievable

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and apparently healthy desserts? I cannot believe they can be good for you, as they taste so sinfully decadent, but that’s the claim and I’m happy to go with it! All desert are £5 and let me just start you off with my number one favourite, the bliss balls; four raw dark chocolate and date truffles rolled in coconut. Heaven. They have a delectable lime cheesecake made from cashew nut cream, vanilla and coconut oil and drizzled with raspberry coulis, and a luxuriant banoffe pie with a nutty chocolate base and medjool date salted caramel, bananas and coconut cream. Seriously people, just reading those descriptions is making my mouth water all over again, and they taste even better than they sound.

I can’t possibly finish a review of Redemption without mentioning their amazing cocktails selection, (all between £4-£6) but due to word count constraints, I will just pick my top two, which are the apple mock-jito, Muddled apple presse, fresh mint and lime, served over ice and topped with soda - fresh as a daisy on a dew drenched morning, and the espresso remolacha, a Redemption twist on an ‘espresso martini’ consisting of an espresso shot with beetroot juice and date syrup shaken over ice - rich as the love child of King Midas and Bill Gates, and gorgeous as Helen of Troy.

The final thing to say about Redemption is that they hold “gastrolabs” around once a month where they try out all kinds of new dishes and drinks, so I highly recommend you go and try one of those out as well. They also have a branch in Shoreditch should be hanging with the hipsters in the East.

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FOUR ESSENTIAL BEAUTY MUSTS FOR CHRISTMAS SARAH JACKSON takes to London’s streets to find out how to best beautify yourself for that Christmas bash.

MARGARET DABBS’ MEDICAL PEDICURE www.margaretdabbs.co.uk @ Liberties, Regent Street, London W1B 5AH 45 mins | £85/£130 With Director/Principal Podiatrist

STRIP WAX BAR SPRAY TAN www.stripwaxbar.com @Soho branch, 69 Berwick Street, London, W1F 8SZ 15 mins | £30

If you’re going to be getting those tootsies out in open-toed shoes at the Xmas party, you definitely need to indulge in the best pedicure in town, the famous Margaret Dabbs ‘medi-pedi’. This pedicure doesn’t simply leave you with prettily painted toe nails, but actually gives your whole foot a total overhaul, removing all dead and dry skin and leaving them as soft as a kitten made of marshmallows.

During the treatment my nails were totally reshaped, buffed and rehydrated by the lovely French podiatrist, who doled interesting advice about the trainers I should wear when running, then sloughed off a fair chunk of my horrible horny foot, revealing a gorgeous one underneath. The treatment lasted 45 minutes and – interestingly – was performed on totally dry feet (a first for me) as apparently that helps extend the results of the treatment.

I must say, I noticed the results for weeks afterwards, not to mention that the polish was amazing and lasted for a least a month with barely a chip; it was as good as a gel but without all the adverse effects.

During the grey winter months, there is nothing more heartening than giving yourself a healthy splash of colour; I recommend popping over to Strip Wax Bar on Berwick Street (or to one of their other five London locations) and spending a mere £30 on a eight-hour Developing tan. Strip Wax Bar is more famous for its incredibly popular ‘pain-free’ waxing than for its fake tan, but on a reliable recommendation I decided to try it out. I’m going to go out on a limb here, but I must say that they do one of the best tans you can get in London for that price tag! The venue is cool and quirky, the staff are gregarious and professional and best of all, the tan was absolutely flawless. I am a natural redhead, which means my skin is whiter than paper and I have no hope of tanning naturally, nor can I be bothered to continually slap on that gradually tanning moisturiser every night, so what I was looking for was a subtle golden glow that lasted throughout my holiday and didn’t stain my clothes or bedspread. And Strip Wax Bar delivered my entire wish list. I have already been back for a second go!

Verdict It certainly lived up to it’s fame and name. I definitely recommend you getting one of these whenever you’re planning to get your feet out on show!

NB I did make it very clear that I wanted a lighter tan though, so do say so if you feel the same way, as it affects how many coats they do.

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‘Before I know it, he’s trimmed my errant mop into a soft swing of velvety waves.’

PHILIP KINGSLEY COCONUT BREEZE HAIR SPA TREATMENT www.philipkingsley.co.uk @The Philip Kingsley Trichological Clinic, 54 Green Street, London W1K 6RU 60mins | £80

HARI’S HAIRDRESSER www.harissalon.com @233 Kings Road, London SW3 5EJ 60mins | £115 Hari’s is a bit of a West London staple, with four salons based in Knightsbridge, Chelsea, Parsons Green and Notting Hill; it’s easy to see why it’s so popular, because Hari’s doesn’t just pride itself on its amazing haircuts, but also on its sense of community and family, which means a lot of Hari’s staff stay for years. And that gorgeous warmth and friendly atmosphere is almost tangible when I walk into the Kings Road branch, and see the lovely Jake, ready to tame my tired, tangled tresses. Jake is even considered to be one of Hari’s ‘disciples’ and indeed was trained by the great man himself. Jake grew up in a hair-and-beauty environment with a parent as a hair-stylist, so he is passionate about his craft, but with a twinkle in the eye that shows he doesn’t take himself too seriously.

The hour rushes past as we discuss everything from partners, flats and neighbourhoods to the pros and cons of my current teetotal state, and before I know it, he’s trimmed my errant mop into a soft swing of velvety waves. The weird thing is I did ask him to cut off quite a lot because of all the split ends and yet for some reason it doesn’t look frighteningly short, like I was concerned it would - in fact it barely looks like he’s cut off much at all, even though the hair is clearly in much better condition. There’s only one explanation – the guy is a hair magician. So it’s official.

You’re a wizard Hari’s!

The Philip Kingsley Coconut Breeze Hair Spa Treatment claims to be ‘an intensive, bespoke hair ritual that treats and prevents dry, stressed or damaged hair from the inside out.’ And, my goodness me, does it! Look ladies, how many of you want to have long hair? And I mean long, down to your bum hair, reminiscent of the 1960’s hippy babe? And how many of you conveniently ‘forget’ to go to the hairdresser every eight weeks as advised because you don’t want said hairdresser to cut off too much of your hard-won length? Ok, so at least 80 per cent of the people reading this article have either been that person in the past, or still are now (like me!). Unfortunately, as we all know, that hard-won length equals hard-worn locks; but thankfully, if you’ve got £80 spare, there is a miracle cure in the form of Philip Kingsley’s coconut breeze hair spa treatment.

The treatment starts with a full diagnosis of your hair by a trichotherapist – in my case, a lovely blonde lady who gives me lots of helpful hair-maintenance tips. She then massages a healthy dose of their Coconut Breeze Elasticizer pre-conditioning treatment into my hair and plonks one of those old-lady heaters on my head for 10 minutes. Once this is washed out, my trichotherapist, while giving me a delightful head massage, tells me that I’m shedding the normal amount of hairs, which is apparently approx 100 a day. I always thought I shed a lot but she explains that’s just an illusion if you have long hair, as each strand you shed looks like a lot. Finally I’m given a luxurious shampoo and condition and a blow-dry using one of those whizzy Dyson hairdryers (which is kind of great, because I really want to see how good they are and decide whether they’re worth the £300 price tag; annoyingly, I now think they are!)

The result of this treatment was that my hair, dry as a bone before, was transformed into a lush waterfall of silky smooth locks; I honestly could not have been more pleased. I will definitely be investing in another one of these treatments in six months time.

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CLINICBE - BE BEAUTIFUL SARAH RODRIGUES gets a little lift at Knightsbridge’s Clinicbe before Christmas-party season kicks off…

As much as we may love the festive season, its approach tends to put many of us in something of a panic – not only about everything that we need to do but also about how we’ll look and feel: why else would so many articles dispense advice on how to fit into your party dress, survive the season without massive weight gain and combat hangovers, all while whipping up a little homemade cranberry sauce and a Christmas pudding?

I’m no different and the change in season is already having an impact on my complexion and mood. As the last vestiges of warm weather and my summer glow disappear in a haze of autumn fog that sees me rushing for comfort food and oversized (read: forgiving) sweaters, it’s hard to stay focussed on the fact that in just a few weeks, I’m going to be kicking myself if I don’t look party-ready.

Arriving at Clinicbe for a consultation, I’m offered a glass of cucumber-infused water, which serves as a timely reminder of the first rule of great skin: hydration is key. My smiling therapist, Viktoria, asks me about my skincare and what my key areas of concern, while gently pointing out a few things that she thinks need addressing; she suspects that my current moisturiser may be too oily for my skin, for starters.

The facial she recommends uses products by French clinical brand Universkin, which is only available in a handful of clinics throughout the UK. Their approach to skincare is not only that it should be based on strictly scientific criteria, but also that it should be tailored to the individual. To this end, the range uses 20 active ingredients - such a retinol, salicylic acid, aloe vera and arbutin - from which two or three relevant to your skin’s needs are selected and mixed with a light, non-oily base, containing skin-plumping hyaluronic acid and peptides. The ingredients contain absolutely no preservatives, so the serum you take away with you needs to be used within six weeks and, ideally, kept in the fridge. For me, Viktoria selects DMAE and Vitamin C – the latter to combat the oxidative stress that comes with living in a big city and the former to lift and firm my 40-plus skin, as well as improving sun damage. The combination, I’m told, can be adjusted at later appointments but, due to the strength of the active ingredients, they’re introduced slowly to prevent my skin reacting.

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Upping the ante where the efficacy of my treatment is concerned, Viktoria shows me the Dermastamp she’ll be using: it looks innocuous enough – almost like a thick marker pen – but this electric gadget is a micro-needling device which is going to increase my skin’s ability to absorb the product, as well as stimulating collagen production. “It sort of harms in order to heal,” explains Viktoria. ‘By putting the skin under mild stress, it stimulates the skin to rejuvenate and repair itself.’ She warns me that the needling, while not painful, may be mildly uncomfortable, but it’s not – in fact, that tingly, pulsating sensation is really quite relaxing. Combined with the thick white cover under which I’m cosily supine, I could probably just about doze off.

The bespoke serum with which I’m presented after the facial seems unfeasibly tiny to last for six weeks, but I’m assured that I’ll only need a few drops of it morning and night and, if I’m anything like the other clients who have found it to make their skin brilliantly supple on its own, no moisturiser – just an SPF by day. My skin looks undeniably radiant and I like the fact that the bottle’s diminishing contents will spur me on to book in for another appointment to consolidate its effects in the lead-up to Christmas.

Then there’s the question of my eyes, which look dehydrated and tired, with the inevitable fine lines cobwebbing out from them in all directions. Clinicbe offers Plasma BT, which is the only nonsurgical solution for eye-tightening on the market, but which involves some red, puffy downtime. The alternative? A combination of Eye Peel and Plasma Shower, which is spread out over five separate, weekly appointments, gradually increasing the time and intensity of the treatment each time. As with my facial, the process involves micro-needling the area around my eyes, encouraging collagen production to fill in the wrinkles and firm up my skin.

There’s a mild stinging sensation and some pink patchiness around my eyes afterwards, but this goes down within the hour and, after just two sessions, the results are already discernible.

Given that I recently had my makeup done and was advised against a feline flick because it would just form a blob in the creases around my eyes (oh the shame!) I’m very much looking forward to younger, tighter looking eyes by the time I’m applying my party face this Christmas.

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ADVERTORIAL

CLINICBE Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 0EH www.clinicbe.com | info@clinicbe.com 0207 125 0521 Dr Barbara Kubicka is a medical Doctor with a degree in aesthetic medicine, whose Clinicbe has been established in Knightsbridge for almost 5 years. Situated in a quiet, discreet mews location, it’s become a popular destination for borough residents of all ages.

Dr Kubicka takes a ‘whole person’ approach to the question of aesthetics, which is reflected in the Clinic’s motto of “Be Healthy, Be Happy, Be Beautiful.” Initial consultations are always in-depth in order to give the Doctor a multi-faceted understanding of the individual, allowing her to create a plan that’s tailor made, and which incorporates lifestyle and nutrition advice.

“Aesthetic medicine is a useful tool in enhancing or preserving a patient’s outward appearance,” says Dr Kubicka, “but for best results, treatments administered from the outside need to be underpinned by health and wellbeing from the inside.”

To this end, the doctor tests for mineral deficiencies and works closely with a team of other industry experts - nutritionists, psychologists and so on - to provide referrals, where necessary, and to support the individual in a more ‘complete’ way.

Blended with these ideals is Clinicbe’s scientific approach to wellbeing, where procedures have a technical basis and truly measurable results. Dr Kubicka uses advanced medical technology specific to various skin and corporal concerns, with recently upgraded machines, including three from South Korea, which is widely recognised as the world leader in aesthetic medicine.

A recent addition to the clinic’s treatment menu has been ‘Plasma Showers’. ”Plasma is essentially energy,” explains the Doctor. “Its precision makes it useful in surgery, where it is used like a knife; here, however, the plasma is dispersed -

hence the term ‘shower’ - so that the impact is not as incisive.

What this does for the skin is to recharge it, which stimulates cells to rejuvenate and become more active – produce more collagen and elastin, regulate pigment and skin function.

The process is also anti-bacterial, making it highly effective for acned skin.

Since acne, unlike ageing, is something that tends to start young, Clinicbe is unique in that it has the capacity to treat teenagers for the condition and to prevent later scarring.

After an initial consultation with both child and parents, products and treatments are decided on, with other support and advice given as needed. With the understanding that a teenager’s time and patience for skin care may be limited, the treatments are quick, simple and painless, with ‘express’ treatments as swift as 15 minutes available.

Naturally, a number of procedures offered by Clinicbe involve injections - as well as muscle relaxing, fillers and mesotherapy, there’s Profhilo, an innovative product that acts as a skin booster, increasing its volume and plumpness - but there are also vitamin injections which, thanks to their intramuscular delivery, bypass the digestive system and guarantee maximum absorption to combat modern life symptoms such as fatigue and stress.

“Treatments can often be highly motivating in making other, beneficial lifestyle changes,” points out Dr Kubicka, “as well as enhancing a current, positive lifestyle. Ultimately, our aim is to promote the health and wellbeing of the individual, and to support them wherever they are on their journey.”

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ADVERTORIAL

THE TIME OF YOUR LATER LIFE Occupying a prime location on Dovehouse Green, just off the King’s Road in Chelsea, Auriens is a new development catering exclusively to those in their later life.

A series of conversations about their parents inspired Karen Mulville and Johnny Sandelson to found Auriens. Frustrated by the lack of suitable high-quality accommodation in Central London, which could provide care for their parents, they realised that perhaps they were not alone in this challenge and decided to create the perfect environment. The result: Auriens Chelsea. A development comprising 55 luxury one- and two-bedroom apartments with state-of-the-art hospitality and healthcare, as and when needed.

Setting Auriens apartments aside from other developments is the outstanding on-site amenities. Here, residents have access to a private members’ club with a spa, swimming pool, gym, private cinema, wine cellar, hair salon and a reading room designed by David Linley, the renowned furniture maker.

There is also world-class restaurant and bar headed up by Sebastian Fogg, who started at The Ivy before opening the Monkey Bar in New York and Soho House West Hollywood. The courtyard garden has fittingly been designed by seven-time Chelsea Flower Show gold medallist Andy Sturgeon. A framework of clipped hornbeam hedges and pleached trees creates a series of interlinked garden rooms, while elegant, stone water features add to the air of tranquillity. In addition Auriens’ in-house concierge will answer the needs of every resident. The team are happy to help with any ad-hoc requests, whether it be gift suggestions, the supervision of a tradesman at home, collecting shopping or securing tickets to major events.

The interiors of Auriens Chelsea have been crafted by Richmond International, designers of landmark London hotels such as The Langham and The Beaumont, using their signature approach of creating authentic, inspiring and, above all, comfortable spaces.

In collaboration with the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design (part of the Royal College of Art) as well as architects and healthcare professionals, Richmond has created living spaces of both form and function. Here, future-proofing is the order of the day and there

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will be a range of products that can be added discreetly to every apartment. These include the latest monitoring technology and options for a range of additional modifications, allowing residents to tailor each space to their own individual requirements. Residents with more acute needs are offered the reassurance that their own home, which can readily accommodate care equipment, staff and services. Depending on the preferred aspect, apartments have views over either the eclectic Chelsea streetscape or the private garden, with some benefitting from balconies or private courtyards.

Owning an apartment at Auriens is so much more than having a beautiful place to live. This is an opportunity to make the most of later life amid the surety of comprehensive healthcare, thanks to a unique partnership with Draycott Nursing & Care. First founded in Chelsea in 1996 by Angela Hamlin, former Deputy Matron at King Edward VII’s Hospital Officers, Draycott has a heritage of over two decades of caring excellence. From comforting residents with complex medical conditions, to providing assistance to those whose needs are less demanding or post-operative; at Auriens, everyone will be cared for with the utmost respect and professionalism. When a little extra support might be required, Draycott’s experience and expertise ensures that residents receive first-rate attention exactly where they need it, in the comfort of their own homes.

For anyone downsizing, help is also at hand. Downsizing presents several challenges, not least knowing what to do with accumulated possessions and the administrative duties involved with moving home. This is one of the many reasons why Auriens is providing an optional moving-in service for residents. A limited number of apartments have just been released for sale, starting from £3million, with prospective owners able to view the Auriens experience at their new studio. +44 (0) 203 911 8970 www.Auriens.com

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THE ADVANTAGES OF VINTAGE SARAH JACKSON talks to vintage hair and makeup expert, Issidora, from the exclusive beauty service, Nina’s Hair Parlour, to get the latest on the some ‘earlier in the 20th century’ looks.

I found out the other day that the term ‘vintage’ actually means anything over 20 years old, which means, by definition, I am seriously vintage. Despite the depressing realisation that I am deeply entrenched in my mid-30s, I can’t deny that my love of vintage looks, especially those from the 40s and 50s, is as abiding as Marilyn’s platinum locks. So needless to say, I jumped at the chance to chat to the incredible talent that is Issidora (@theissidora), who after a chance MySpace meeting in 2008 has teamed up with the woman who apparently coined the phrase ‘vintage’, Nina Butkovich-Budden. Together they have expanded the already widely successful and exclusive Nina’s Hair Parlour.

So Issi, what inspired you to get involved in vintage hair and make-up?

Make-up was my first love and is my major skill. When I was nine I watched Gone with the Wind and straight away I was a smitten kitten! Vivien Leigh is flawless and I wanted to learn everything I could about how her look was created. Kevyn Aucoin is a massive inspiration of mine. You have to understand spacial awareness and facial symmetry to be a proper make up artist. It’s not about making each side look exactly the same though – it’s about understanding how to balance things out.

When it comes to hair, I would say that Nina is my inspiration as she has taught me everything I know. She was lucky enough to be taught by a professional hairdresser who was an apprentice in the early 30s and really knew his craft, and thankfully she’s passed at least some of those skills on to me!

Do you have a favourite decade for hair and make-up and why?

For hair, I would say the 1920s as I adore Marcel Waves – it demands huge skill to create the perfect wave. For make-up, the 50s are a favourite decade, partly due to George Masters. George was Marilyn Monroe’s make-up and hair artist and he created the famous white-on-white look, i.e, really pale skin with platinumblonde hair. Marilyn is a style icon for me, along with Vivien Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren.

Who is your hair inspiration?

The guy who inspires Nina – and thus me too – is Mr Raymond Bessone AKA Mr Teasy-Weasy. He was the first celebrity hairdresser that had his own TV show and was famously flown from London to LA by Diana Dors for an updo.

What is your favourite thing about your job?

The change I see once the make-up and/or hair are done.

Sometimes making that change for people can be life-changing.

Do you have any favourite products?

My absolute favourite products are by Cometics á la Carte, based in Chelsea. They are a bespoke British brand, very popular with the Chelsea ladies, not to mention the one and only Princess Diana. Nars is my other favourite product to use – he really knows the history of make-up and understands skin types. But different products work for different people.

We have recently launched a new service called Concierge Make Up, which is where we advise people what make-up to buy and teach them how to use it. You might have 10 different lipsticks and not know the difference, but I will. For instance, ethically – do you want a lipstick that’s been tested on animals? Do you have any allergies? What’s your skin type? Do you have five hours to do your make-up in the morning, like the Insta girls, or do you need to be done in 10 minutes? This is where we can use our experience to help create a bespoke make-up palette for you. The majority of our clients are women and girls, but we do have some male clients as well. Mostly men who want subtle make-up that you wouldn’t notice. Men who work night shifts in the city and don’t want to look exhausted for example.

And finally, what do you credit your amazing success to?

Our knowledge. There are many out there who are very good at doing their own make-up, like the Instagram girls, but the real skill is knowing the history of make-up and hair, and understanding physiognomy, symmetry and skin tone. That comes with reading, watching films, studying pictures and, of course, a lot of experience.

In terms of Nina’s, we have mainly become a success due to word of mouth recommendations. Vivian Of Holloway has recommended us in the past, and we often work with Annabel Beeforth (number one wedding blogger for Lovemydress.com). We also count Sharleen Spiteri and Anna Chancellor among our client base. The thing is, when we do hair and make-up for repeat customers, we know their style and how to make them look the way they want; and, most importantly, their hair and make-up remains flawless all day. I believe that’s why people come back to us.

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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

OUTEN ABOUT KATE WEIR talks ships, survival and sperm whales with Sarah Outen MBE at Mr Fogg’s Residence’s Explorer Series A place of travel legend with leagues of fine cocktails, Mr Fogg’s Residence, Mayfair is the perfect setting for its Explorer Series, where those who’ve pushed themselves to the limits of travel regale a rabble of slightly tipsy guests with tales of courage and daring (Sir Ranulph Fiennes OBE, Michael Portillo and Kate Adie OBE have all spun a few yarns here).

We caught up with recent host Sarah Outen MBE (www. sarahouten.com), an accomplished sailor, biker and kayaker, who’s circumnavigated the globe, raised an enormous amount of money for charity in doing so, written several books about her adventures (A Dip in the Ocean, and Dare to Do) and met The Queen. We talked to her about long-distance dating, the media’s gender bias in sports, and decide not to challenge her to an armwrestling match, just in case…

What kind of mental and physical prep is required to undertake these adventures?

I think you need to be robust, adaptable, resourceful and have an unflinching sense of humour.

How do you plan your routes? Do you tick off a wishlist?

It depends on the journey I am making. The route might be safer, more feasible or speedier. Or, it might be cover places I would like to see on the way.

Do you have any special rituals that precede a journey? Are you superstitious at all?

I’m not at all superstitious, but I do like to have little charms or photos of people I love. I wear my wedding and engagement rings round my neck or in a pocket close to my heart. I also take a small bottle of perfume for ocean legs where my cabin might not smell the best! Otherwise my kit is purely for survival.

How do you cope with the psychological challenges of this kind of journey (the solitude, endurance, occasional failures)?

And how do you motivate yourself to get back to sea after a setback?

I meditate and try to put things in perspective. I let out my frustrations when I need to and, if needed, I do something different for a break. While pushing on through the exhausting hours of a journey, I call to mind my invisible peloton of supporters and those I love. I talk to myself and my bike, boat… I try to live in the moment, too.

I love the intimate moments you have with nature on your blog. What are some of the most magical moments you’ve experienced while travelling?

Sunsets, sunrises, seascapes and rainbows over snowy plains – so many magic moments. A favourite for me is hanging out with a small herd of sperm whales on the Atlantic in 2015.

Why do you think female sports stars and adventurers don’t get as much exposure as men? Do you think it’s an issue of ingrained sexism –a perceived disjoin between femininity and athleticism?

I think the media has a lot to answer for in their skewed coverage of adventure and sport. It should reflect the society we live in, which is more equal in terms of participation and excellence than the media suggests. Watching TV over the last few decades, you’d believe that only bearded blokes go off on adventures. It’s maddening. There needs to be greater parity across the board –not just concerning

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gender, but physical ability, ethnicity and economic background, too. There are inequalities across the spectrum. I’d love to see more and more progress made towards achieving 360-degree equality. Thankfully, brands (at least some) are waking up to the fact they have a broader audience and are starting to sponsor women.

What’s a key piece of advice you’d give aspiring female adventurers?

Be bold, brave and kind. Go out there and explore. Do it with integrity, authenticity and humility. That’s the same for everyone –regardless of gender.

You’re a proud LGBTQ+ rights activist. In recent years there have been some huge strides forward in achieving equality, and you were able to marry your partner Lucy. What further barriers would you like to see smashed in your lifetime?

There are still huge inequalities across the spectrum of gender, accessibility, sexuality, and economics –I’d love to see more and more progress towards 360-degree equality.

Your wife Lucy is incredibly supportive of your travels (and has accompanied you on a few). Do you have any longdistance-dating tips from the times you’ve been apart?

For myself and Lucy, my travels taught us to really listen to each other; often our only form of communication was a satellite phone, which has quite a patchy signal!

You’ve witnessed first-hand the marginalisation of communities in the Aleutian Islands and Alaska, and the onslaught of industrialism in China – with your unique perspective of these issues, what small changes do you think people can make in their day-to-day lives to make a difference?

Everyone can consume more consciously: food, fuel, resources.

Switch to a green energy provider – Bulb (www.bulb.co.uk) are awesome – reduce water use and wastage, reduce food wastage, reduce plastic packaging, switch off lights and heating if not in use. It’s easy with some forethought.

You experienced ‘the kindness of strangers’ along your route – did the journey give you a shift in priorities?

Definitely. The experience amplified my need for random acts of kindness, unconditional generosity and sharing with strangers.

Who are your heroes?

My Dad, my partner Lucy and my pals. Acclaimed sailor Ellen MacArthur has been an inspiration for me since I was a teenager, too.

After all you’ve been through, were you nervous when you met the Queen to receive your MBE? I was nervous about wearing heels – it turns out the Queen is way better at it than me!

After all that rowing, can you beat anyone at arm-wrestling now?

Ha! Not at all. But I’d be game to try.

You seem very partial to gin, what’s your poison?

My favourite gin is a very new one called St Ives Gin – it’s delicious.

My favourite cocktail is something we call a ‘Roo Corner’: it’s gin-

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based (naturally), with vermouth, ginger ale, prosecco, elderflower, fresh mint, lime and ginger. (ed. – we’ll take two, thanks…)

Stay up to date with Sarah’s adventures by following her blog: www.sarahouten.com/blog.

And to catch the next nattering explorer, visit Mr Fogg’s Residence, 15 Bruton Lane, Mayfair, London W1J 6JD, 020 7036 0608.

‘... Watching TV over the last few decades, you’d believe that only bearded blokes go off on adventures. It’s maddening..’

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

IMAGES: LUKE PENNEY

MOTORING

JAGUAR F-TYPE CONVERTIBLE Few sports cars under £100,000 are quite as striking as this two-seater convertible from Jaguar. Design Director Ian Callum has created an eye-pleasing, sexy masterpiece of sleek, sharp lines and muscular curves, encasing a cabin of sensory delights – from textured buttons, to warm, silk-smooth leathers and flashes of chrome.

It’s a car that seems to ask to be touched, as well as ardently admired. Features-wise, even as standard, the list is impressive, with everything from artfully-placed ambient lighting to heated and cooled seats. The convertible comes with satin-grey, rollover protection bars and protection system too.

When it comes to this type of car, looks are not of course enough. Thankfully the F-Type’s performance and handling prowess matches the eye-pleasing good looks; and, it’s a genuine driver’s delight to drive with on-point dynamics, pinsharp steering, plenty of feel and impressive acceleration. Out on the road, with the roof down – even at this frosty time of year – the low seating position, high flanks and raked screen keep you snug and cosseted from the elements. This way you can really relish this cat’s delicious throaty exhaust growl too. www.jaguar.co.uk

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, dynamic-enhancing tech makes for an engaging and responsive drive. It’s safe as houses, of course, too – as you’d naturally expect from Volvo.

Regarding features, the R-Design S90 sports a new frontend design with spoiler-integrated fog lights; a unique grille; piano black-trim front and rear; a new five-spoke, matte-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

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‘Sleek, rather glamourous and a delight to drive, this is one classy case of both style and substance.’

RANGE ROVER EVOQUE Since its launch, the Evoque has captured the public’s attention and global acclaim, notching up numerous awards worldwide. Sleek, rather glamourous and a delight to drive, this is one classy case of both style and substance – especially with 4-Wheel drive models capable of safely traversing pretty much any terrain. Eye-catching inside and out, it’s also a masterclass in the application of quality materials. It’s neat and functional, but with enough flair to please.

Trim levels even at entry are more comprehensive than you might expect, and should you grade up to the rangetopping models, you’ll find all manner of state-of-the-art safety features, and dynamic, comfort and infotainment gadgetry. Our model on test, an HSE Dynamic Lux, featured stylish 20-inch satin-black allows, a panoramic roof, 10.2-inch touchscreen, Traffic Sign Recognition, Park Assist and Blind Spot Monitor, a Meridian 825W sound system and much, much more. Perfect for short city-hops and weekends away, when out on the road the Evoque is hard to beat in its SUV class.

This is a super smooth, quiet ride, with butter-soft leather seats and a cabin that’s spacious, bright and airy – it’s a passenger’s dream. Drivers fare well too, with good visibility, decent seatadjustment scope, plenty of feel and slick auto-gearing. Ride-wise, Land Rover’s world-acclaimed Terrain-Response system does all the thinking for you; it enables you to safely tackle muddy sports fields and all the snow and ice our winters can bestow. www.landrover.co.uk

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C E L E B R AT I N G V I N TA G E V I TA L I T Y

DESIGNED FOR LONGEVITY – Visit our new studio by appointment and be one of the first to discover an extraordinary residential and lifestyle experience in the heart of Chelsea. From bespoke apartments to boutique healthcare provision and world-class concierge, Auriens is challenging the stereotypes of later life.

A limited number of apartments have now been released for sale from £3 million.

To receive an Auriens brochure register today.

– auriens.com +44 (0) 20 3870 7970