The Russia Edition (2014)

Volume two | Issue TWELVE | FREE

The Russia Edition A celebration of russian art and culture in london and beyond

Insight into the world of Soviet Design and expert opinion from the Russian Expats who are changing the cultural landscape of London

James Butterwick Russian and European Fine Art Oleg Tselkov (Born 1931)

‘Pair’ (1983) Oil on canvas, 81 x 65 cm

jamesbutterwick.com

Ed’s letter

Cover image: To the unknown Russian people that have died by the hand of their own people. A lucid requiem by Eugene Brimmerberg – featured page 11.

Publisher Talismanic Media Founder and Managing Director Sid Raghava

This issue has been in the pipeline for longer than any of our others. Our regular readers might remember our first Russian Issue from last year—a celebration of the unique relationship between the UK and Russia, epitomised by the cultural happenings in the Royal Borough. When Russian Art Week rolled around again at the start of June we were excited to rekindle the flame of this last issue—but with the escalating situation in Ukraine, it didn’t feel quite right.

Since we began on this journey however, we have been heartened to see quite how strong this relationship is—how fruitful, how nourishing, particularly within the realm of arts and culture. And so, whilst overseas the situation rolls on we hope you’ll take a moment to enjoy our musings on the inextricable bond between our two nations—and the diversity of the people each contains.

There’s insight into the world of Soviet Design, a round-up of the local Russian eateries, and expert opinion from the Russian expats who are changing the landscape of London. There’s been plenty going on outside of this realm and you’ll find the magazine jam-packed with our regular leisure pages.

As ever, we’re always happy to hear from our readers so do share your thoughts on Twitter @ KCReview –and happy reading!

Coco Khan Editor

Contents 4.

8.

Editor Coco Khan Art Director Max Wilson www.maxsendak.com Publishing Director Stephen Slocombe Office Manager Lee Marrero Contributors Tamlin Magee, Theodora Clarke, Sam Kinchin-Smith, Nancy Gryspeerdt, Sarah Jackson, Kate Weir, Ben Osborn, Adrian Foster, Rashid Meer, John Underwood, Maria Kivimaa, Karin Rus, Stefan Nicolaou

News

News curated from the worlds of art, culture and intrigue.

New Business Development Greg Holmes

Russia Special

Insight into the world of Soviet Design, a round-up of the local Russian eateries, and expert opinion from the Russian expats who are changing the landscape of London.

24. Arts

Remembering Rudi Patterson, a local artistic legend and word from Kensington’s finest theatre, The Gate.

32. Education

Back to school, for kids and grownups – but how to make the most of it?

41. Travel

Linz, Mallorca, The Hague, Vicenza, Sweden, Cumbria and Le Touquet.

51. Travel

Food and Drink.

62. Motoring

Driving the Nissan Navara Tekna.

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 publishers nor their agents accept liability for loss or damage however caused. The publishers can accept no liability whatsoever of 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 issue arising there from should be taken up directly with the contributor.

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NEWS

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.

World Renowned Local New York Artist Commissioned to Paint English Royalty World renowned New York based artist George H Lewis has been commissioned to create the highly anticipated future Queen of England’s sister, Pippa Middleton’s official portrait. Based in his studio in Chelsea, this may be Lewis’s most recent foray into the world of royals, but it is by no means his first.

George H Lewis has a keen interest in MENASA (art deriving from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia). It is because of this interest in exotic work that he has also recently teamed up with Princess Nauf Albendar of Saudi Arabia, who has been the owner of the Lahd Gallery since 2005.

The Lahd Gallery, specialising in MENASA art has just launched online and features Lewis’s work alongside a number of other talented artists.

For more information visit lahdgallery.com/george-h-lewis/

Quote of the Issue “All projects are designed with some fundamental ideas. They should be totally practical; the relationships between spaces must work and be elegant. Each project will have an idea or series of ideas related to the context” - Gregory Phillips

34 Restaurant in Mayfair Introduces the 34 Kate Moss Coupe To celebrate Kate Moss’s 40th birthday and her 25 years in the fashion business, 34 Restaurant in Mayfair has collaborated with the British fashion icon to develop the 34 Kate Moss Coupe.

Moulded to the breast of Kate Moss, the unique creation is the ultimate in chic glassware.

Gregory Phillips, award-winning architect known for his distinct minimal and acutely modern style. Phillips has worked on a range of projects, from apartments at Chelsea Harbour to listed buildings in the countryside. He is currently open to discussing future projects—particularly those by the sea! www.gregoryphillips.com

The invention of the Champagne coupe is said to date back to the court of former French Queen Marie Antoinette at Versailles; legend has it that the first ‘Bol Sein’ (as it was formally known) was shaped around Marie Antoinette’s left breast.

Inspired by this story, one of the most exclusive restaurants in London and the queen of the catwalk collaborated to

create a modern interpretation of the first Champagne coupe. Working alongside 34, British artist Jane McAdam Freud created a mould from Kate’s left breast; the result is a beautiful glass that playfully pays homage to Kate, her beauty, her femininity and her seminal status. www.34-restaurant.co.uk

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Pill popping' culture examined in Damien Hirst's new exhibition on the aesthetics of medicine “Pills are a brilliant little form, better than any minimalist art. They're all designed to make you buy them... they come out of flowers, plants, things from the ground, and they make you feel good, you know, to have a pill, to feel beauty” Damien Hirst.

Conceived as an Alice in Wonderland playground, the unsettling manipulation of scale is just one of the techniques employed by the artist to analyse the confident aesthetic of the pharmaceutical industry. Sculptural works fill the space; fourteen hugely enlarged resin pills, each measuring thirty centimetres long, as well as ten smaller pills, rendered in an array of seductive, immaculate colours.

Sculptures of medicine bottles, pharmaceutical boxes, ampoules, syringes, a scalpel, and drug packaging, all play with concepts of scale – the tallest measuring nearly one and a half metres all combine to further Hirst’s enduring exploration of contemporary belief systems; religion, love, art and medicine.

Schizophrenogenesis by Damien Hirst runs 9 October - 15 November 2014 at Paul Stolper Gallery http:// www.paulstolper.com

Not just This Morning... but every morning.

news Mandarin Oriental to open a Luxury Urban Resort in Dubai

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced that it will manage a luxurious urban resort in Dubai, due to open in 2017.

Mandarin Oriental, Dubai will be located on Jumeirah Beach Road, with direct access to the golden sands of Jumeirah Beach – one of the most sought-after waterfront locations in the city.

The resort’s 200 luxurious rooms and suites will include 12 spacious and exclusive over-the-water villas, accessible via a private bridge. Each villa will have its own infinity edge pool and a private swim platform, allowing for direct access into the calm waters of the Arabian Gulf.

All accommodation will be imaginatively and stylishly designed, taking full advantage

Frescobaldi Restaurant to open in Mayfair The Frescobaldi family, one of Italy’s oldest and most respected wine dynasties, is to open its first standalone restaurant and wine bar in the UK. The project will also be the first joint venture between the Frescobaldis and Good Food Society, a new hospitality venture promoted by Levent Büyükuğur, founder of Istanbul Doors, an international restaurant group with over 40 venues in Turkey, the UK, Russia and Azerbaijan.

Set to launch this autumn in Mayfair, it follows in the successful footsteps of Dei Frescobaldi restaurants and wine bars in Florence, at Rome’s Fiumicino airport.

Dei Frescobaldi restaurants are

Further Names Revealed for Cheltenham Literature Festival

For lovers of fiction, there’s really only one place to be this autumn, and that’s The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival. Running from Friday till Sunday, October 3- 12 in the beautiful Georgian spa town on the edge of the Cotswolds, the Festival boasts one of the most remarkable line-ups of fictional greats you are likely to see.

This year’s Guest Directors bring with them a wide breadth of expertise in different fields. They are: human rights lawyer and Director of Liberty, Shami Chakrabarti; award-winning actor and comedian Omid Djallili; leading writer and academic, Amit Chaudhuri and crime writer and the first Agatha Christie-continuation author, Sophie Hannah. Former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen will lead the festival’s Book It! programme for children.

Salman Rushdie, will give his first public interview after receiving the 2014

of the resort’s outstanding vistas of the Arabian Gulf. Design elements will be influenced by the local area’s culture and the Group’s oriental heritage, with Mandarin Oriental’s exacting attention to detail. All rooms, villas and suites will also incorporate the Group’s guest-centred technology and entertainment systems. www.mandarinoriental.com

acclaimed for their exquisite food and wine pairings and exceptional atmosphere, and the new opening is no exception.

The restaurant will specialise in classic dishes that celebrate Tuscany’s rich gastronomic tradition, but with their own contemporary twist. www.frescobaldi.it

PEN/Pinter prize from English PEN. Kazuo Ishiguro will also be at Cheltenham to accept the prestigious Sunday Times Award for Literary Excellence. Double Man Booker winner and Hilary Mantel joins an epic line-up of fiction writers including Ian McEwan, Margaret Atwood, Howard Jacobson, Richard Ford, Nathan Filer, David Nicholls, Rose Tremain, Edward St Aubyn, Colm Toíbín and David Mitchell.

In literary one-offs, Martin Amis will be making a special trip from New York to talk about his novel The Zone of Interest and to celebrate the life and works of his stepmother and former Literature Festival Artistic Director, the unforgettable Elizabeth Jane Howard. Mark Haddon (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time) will speak about his seminal book’s influence as the stage adaptation opens in Broadway. Caitlin Moran will also introduce her first novel, as will Andrew Marr.

For more information visit: www.cheltenhamfestivals.com

NEW: Stowe Family Law’s wills and probate service is now available at our Central London office.

Marilyn Stowe is the senior partner at Stowe Family Law and is also known for her ‘Divorce Clinic’ on ITV’s This Morning.

Leading her handpicked team of talented lawyers at the UK’s largest specialist family law firm, Marilyn has handled more than 12,000 divorce cases over her 30-year career.

“Regarded as one of the most formidable and sought-after divorce lawyers in the UK” The Times

“A friend gave me the firm’s telephone number and said Marilyn was brilliant.

What an understatement!”

Former client If you need family law advice, early support can be essential.

Stowe Family Law can help.

For more information contact enquiries@stowefamilylaw.co.uk or call 020 7421 3300 Central London Office 8 Fulwood Place, Gray’s Inn, London WC1V 6HG www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk www.marilynstowe.co.uk

NE w s | pro d u c t co r n e r

Working Out

Yurbuds sports earphones are designed with Twistlock technology to ensure they lock into place and never hurt and never fall out whilst running or training in the gym. No pushy commuter is going to ruin your tunes.

Available: Wiggle, Sweatshop, Runners Need, Apple, John Lewis RRP: from £25 (model featured below £50)

Stealing the Show

Suntori Hibiki Whisky (where “Hibiki” meaning harmony) symbolises a unique harmony of over 30 malts, the youngest being 17 years old. Presented in its own case this decanted exudes quality, right down to the traditional handcrafted Japanese paper used on the label. Light and gingery with a touch of orange peel and a lifted herbal edge.

Available: The Whisky Exchange www.whiskyexchange.com RRP: £75

Garden of Eden erotic art, antiques and collectables

Heavenly Bodies in Chelsea Where East meets West in the world of erotic art

“Erotica is not a dirty word”, says Olivia Eden, owner of aptly named erotica art gallery Garden of Eden based on the Kings Road in Chelsea. “Appreciating the human body is not something we should be ashamed about”, she continues, “it’s something that should be celebrated and adored, a prime reason behind my desire to open a gallery that does just that.”

Travelling Light Zap-It! Is a small but effective piezo device that generates a harmless and mild (no stronger than a gentle pinch) low electrical impulse created by crystals (this same technology is commonly used in clocks, lighters and guitar pickups) to deliver harmless little ‘zaps’ which take the itch and scratch out of mozzie bites.

Available: From selected health stores, pharmacies, garden centres, all Asda shops and Superdrug. It is also available online from Amazon or www.ecobrands.co.uk RRP: £5.95

Staying In Trivento Malbec Reserve is the on-trend choice for wine drinkers up and down the country. Trivento means "3 winds" in Spanish and is named after the 3 winds that blow across the sunny and arid vineyards in Mendoza, Argentina.

Perfect paired with any red meat dishes or simply savoured on its own, it is clear how it has come to be seen as one of Argentina's finest and most popular wines.

Available: Ocado, Waitrose and more.

RRP: A steal at £8.99

Artist One to Watch

Anan Al-Olayan, a Saudi Arabian artist who lives between London and AlKhobar who creates digital composite images using insertions of drawings and photographs. Her work is termed “digital fine art”. She also completes mixed media paintings and collages on both wood and canvas.

For more details, please visit www.lahdgallery.com

533 Kings Road, London SW10 0TZ +44(0)7502 225690

Too for the Bin?

Got items too big for the bin?

Book a bulky waste collection The Too Big for the Bin service will remove up to ten bulky items from domestic properties in the Royal Borough. There is a charge of £27.60 and it is free to residents in receipt of housing and/or council tax benefits.

The Council will not collect: • • • •

Garden waste Car parts Hazardous waste or Builders/tradesman waste.

Collection times Collections are between Monday to Saturday from 7am to 3pm.

To book online visit www.rbkc.gov.uk/toobigforthebin or contact Streetline on 020 7361 3001 or email Streetline@rbkc.gov.uk

Alternatively you can contact the London Re-Use Network which collects and sells unwanted household items, giving them new homes in the capital. See more at www.londonreuse.org or call 020 3142 8506.

Love the streets you live in

Installation Image. Work and Play Behind the Iron Curtain, GRAD, until 24 August 2014. Photo Sophia Schorr-Kon. Courtesy GRAD, Moscow Design Museum and AMO-ZIL

Work and Play Behind the Iron Curtain A new exhibition is challenging our conceptions of life in Soviet Russia, and revealing a thriving consumer design industry. Tamlin Magee visits GRAD Gallery to explore their new show, Work and Play Behind the Iron Curtain Food shortages, the Cold War, struggle - these images are usually conjured up when the USSR is referenced in contemporary culture. But for all the tales of hardship, the Soviet Union was populated by people, and where there’s people, there’s consumption, no matter the ideology. Now, an exhibition put on by London’s Gallery for Russian Art and Design [GRAD] aims to lift the lid on the day-to-day objects that could be found across the country, examining archive footage, quotidian items and the unique transformation of one megafactory; from mass production war-machine to the country’s pioneering producer of refrigerators.

Zil was the most famous of the USSR’s factories.

Although in existence before the revolutions and not named as such until the 50s, this industrial powerhouse was known for churning out line after line of military vehicles. But after Stalin’s death, the iron grip was loosened a little and war weariness eventually faded. Zil became the home of the USSR’s most popular fridge, marking the beginning of a new acceptance for the necessities of consumerism.

Curator Elena Sudakova says the exhibit aims to trace and reconstruct the history of Zil: how it worked, and the many challenges it faced during revolutions and World

War II, “and how they were driven by this maniac idea to outshine the American car industry”.

Post-World War II, life in America was one of apparent plenty, and despite many civic problems at home and abroad, its abundance of goods and permanently rolling production lines served as material to promote the ideological superiority of capitalism in providing for its people. After an intense war of words between US President Richard Nixon and the USSR’s Nikita Kruschev otherwise known as the “Kitchen Debates” - Kruschev made it his mission to catch up to, and overtake, the productive capacities of American capitalism.

Within this was a promise to offer each and every family their own home, reflecting the start of a seismic shift away from the rigid, party-sanctioned mentalities that were prevalent under Stalin. “In the 50s this new drive for consumer goods was very much about condemning the culture of excess and about returning to a very functional, minimalist aesthetic,” Sudakova explains. “People were advised to furnish their homes in a minimalist way, there were a lot of magazines and books telling people how to furnish their homes, and how to get rid of these bourgeois things like doilies.

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“There was always an element of consumption, or a knowledge or realisation that consumption does exist. But the way in which it worked fluctuated differently depending on who was leading the Soviet Union.”

The idea was that everyone would be happy moving into these new homes, and many were enthused about the prospects of a home of their own. But, like the sheen of America’s apparent abundance, the insistence that Kruschev was ushering in a world of opportunity was a little distanced from reality. Many of the houses were built very quickly, nor did they have a lot of space - they were small and pokey, explains co-curator Alexandra Chiriac. Most of the items that were supposed to allow people to furnish their homes were also hard to come by, and while many Soviet citizens were able to furnish these apartments with a Zil fridge in the later years, the reality was again detached.

“There are pictures of this fridge, filled with food, which were used in adverts or to publicise the item for commercial use,” explains Chiriac. “But there were lots of shortages - so even if you had that fridge it may not have been very full.”

Nonetheless, as the eventual settling into civilian life took hold, a slew of consumer items began production from Zil and beyond in the Soviet Union. From the kitsch, bright orange

Clockwise from top: “Chaika” (Seagull) Vacuum Cleaner. 1956. Photo Sophia Schorr-Kon. Courtesy GRAD, Moscow Design Museum and AMO-ZIL; Vending Machine. 1960s. Photo Sophia Schorr-Kon. Courtesy GRAD, Moscow Design Museum and AMO-ZIL; Nevalyashka Doll. 1950-1970s. Photo Sophia Schorr-Kon. Courtesy GRAD, Moscow Design Museum and AMO-ZIL.

Chaika vacuum cleaner to the Vertushka’ dial-less telephone their legacies now may be limited to aesthetic curios, but they serve as reminders about the day-to-day needs of ordinary people in the Soviet Union, a point of view that had perhaps not been given much of an airing in the West.

Take the Avoska string bag. It derives its name from the Russian word “avos” - meaning ‘maybe’ or ‘perhaps’, a mentality that leaves the everyday to chance and fate.

Developed at a time of intense shortages in the 1930s, Avoska was a must-have even for later periods too. Its appearance now holds a certain minimalistic charm, but its purpose was rooted in sheer functionality.

“The idea was that you had to have this with you just in case you bump into a shop that was selling anything, because it could happen at very short notice,” Chiriac

explains. “The bag was foldable and very easy to carry.

Even in the later years there was an element of not knowing when something would be available - so you’d be walking down the street, see a queue, and join it because you’d think something must be happening.”

The Avoska, then, became the standard for carrying all kinds of consumer goods, depending entirely on what was in stock: whether that was fruit or television sets. And it is these sorts of items that can tell stories of real, human life in the USSR. When the Soviet Union disbanded in the early 90s, its iconic approach to design became more of an echo than an influence. It still exists today, particularly in books and graphic design, and there is no shortage of fans to be found online. In Russia, there is a fondness for the positive

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memories these items can reflect. The economic shockausterity imposed on Russia post-1991 lead to its own myriad of problems that a well-stocked supermarket could not necessarily solve.

“The Soviet Union was supposed to be egalitarian but not everyone had these items - they were very hard to come by,” Alexandra Chiriac says. “People had the money, but they couldn’t buy anything because there was nothing to buy.”

Now, in a certain, morose irony, “perhaps the reverse is opposite,” Chiriac says. “A lot of things are available, but people cannot afford to buy them.”

Work and Play Behind the Iron Curtain runs until 24th August 2014 at GRAD: Gallery for Russian Arts and Design.

Little Portland St W1W 7JB www.grad-london.com

Bonhams, Selection of Imperial Glass, 1806s

R u s s ia E d i t i o n

Russian Art Week Attracting wealthy collectors from around the globe, Russian Art Week saw £64m change hands during a single week of auctions. Its founder, Theodora Clarke, recaps on the week and the developing legacy of Anglo-Russian cultural exchange.

Russian Art Week in June formed part of the official programme for the UK-Russia Year of Culture and clearly demonstrated it was unaffected by the Ukrainian crisis with a record breaking week of sales. Buyers were not deterred from attending the auctions at Bonhams, Christie’s, MacDougall’s and Sotheby’s. Over £64 million was spent at auction- the highest total for a series of Russian art sales since November 2007, and the second highest in history.

A major highlight of Russian Art Week was the collection of 11 works by early-20th-century Russian avant-garde artists offered by Sotheby’s. A 1911 work by Kazimir Malevich’s entitled Head of Peasant, Study for Peasant Funeral, went for several times its estimate. The stunning work was part of an exhibition at the Grosse Berliner Kunstausstellung in 1927 and was given by the artist to the German architect Hugo Häring.

The Russian avant-garde art market has been under scrutiny recently with a number of high profile forgeries.

The high values at the Russian sales correlated with the legitimacy of the pictures on offer. This astonishing private

collection was well documented by the auction house with Sotheby’s providing paperwork that traced ownership all the way back to the artist. At the sale preview black and white photographs were exhibited alongside the work to demonstrate its historical importance and authenticity.

Works of the Russian avant-garde of this quality rarely come to auction. The result was that the German collection, estimated at £3.4 million, sold for £11.6 million with seven of the works setting auction records. A 1912 painting by Aristarkh Lentulov, bought in 1974 for £180, sold for £2.1 million. Another major work by Varvara Stepanova, the wife of Alexander Rodchenko, sold for six times its estimate at £1.7 million. The painting was the first oil painting by her at auction since 1988. Sotheby’s also sold Vasily Ermilov’s Self-Portrait for twenty times its estimate at £986,500.

The auction house results quashed any pre-sale worries about the Russian art market being affected by the current political in Russia and Ukraine. Numerous world records were broken in the London salesrooms during the week. A total of £24m of artwork went under the hammer

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Christie’s, helped by a world record for the artist Vasily Vereshchagin whose exquisite The Pearl Mosque at Agra, sold for £3.67m. At Christie’s bidding was also intense for portraits of Russian aristocrats painted in the early 19th century by one of Catherine the Great’s favourite artists Vladimir Borovikovsky. The portraits had been purchased

by Prince Obolensky, and had been passed down through his family.

At MacDougall’s, the Russian art specialists, Pavel Kuznetsov’s Eastern City – Bukhara went for £2.37m, whilst Robert Falk’s Boy with a Cap sold for £1.04m.

Following a succession of successful sales of Roerich masterpieces over the past few years, Bonhams achieved an impressive £1.43m for Signal Fires of Peace, an early work long considered lost.

Russian Art Week has grown bigger each year and attracts not only wealthy art collectors but also the general public to a wide range of cultural events. From a retrospective of Soviet artist Viktor Popkov at Somerset House, to performances of Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev, the week brings a slice of Russia to London audiences with a varied and packed programme.

(clockwise from top): Bonhams, Ivan Aivazovsky French ships departing the Black Sea, 1871; Christie’s, Vasily Vereshchagin The Pearl Mosque at Agra inset: Chopin 2nd sonata

In addition to the art sales, visual art exhibitions displayed everything from contemporary art and photography, to Soviet design and painting.

Many exhibitions are still open extending well into the summer, such as St Petersburg Gallery’s Russian Revolution in Art: Russian Avant-Garde: 1910-1932 featuring works by major avant-garde artists. James Butterwick is displaying works by the Cubo-Futurist master Alexander Bogomazov th until 5 July, and at Calvert 22 Close and Far explores contemporary Russian photography. GRAD: Gallery for Russian Arts and Design is currently delving into Soviet design with the exhibition Work and Play Behind the Iron th Curtain, until 24 August. Outside London Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire is highlighting the objects th in their collection with Russian connections until 26 October, whilst John Hansard Gallery at the University of Southampton is presenting a show exploring the Moscow Conceptualism movement.

Russian Art Week was also accompanied by a vibrant programme of music, comedy, theatre, talks and ballet. Donkey Heart at the Old Red Lion Theatre, a tale

of three generations dealing with modern day issues in Moscow, went down a storm, as did Dmitry Krymov Lab’s groundbreaking Opus No. 7 at the Barbican. Theatre fans can still catch Turgenev’s classic Fathers and Sons at the Donmar Warehouse. There was no shortage of Russia’s famous great composers in the capital, as performances by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Alina Ibragimova, and Evgeny Kissin provided exquisite renditions of pieces by the likes of Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Glinka, Shostakovich and many more. At the end of June the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing a Tchaikovsky Gala, whilst Wigmore Hall will play host to Ekaterina Siurina and Rodion Pogossov performing Rachmaninov. Russian stand-up comedians graced the Royal Albert Hall, whilst Pushkin House hosted a film screening and talk on the famous ‘Russian soul’.

With the sales total exceeding expectations and a rich programme of cultural events delighting London audiences, Russian Art Week has cemented its position as the most significant week in London’s Russian cultural calendar. The next event will take place in late November 2014. www.russianartweek.co.uk

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Editor’s Pick: Eugene Brimmerberg It seems almost unfair that Eugene Brimmerberg’s first major solo show in London lasted only five days. Taking place as part of Russian Art Week, Brimmerberg’s distinctively vibrant and energetic painting utilises musical and philosophical composition in order to explore the culturally transnational, the universal; the swell and decline of light and pitch in life and death.

Brimmerberg’s exhibition career was born in the dramatic cultural shift away from official statesanctioned art in the early 1990s. But it was in an atmosphere of cultural isolation that the artist previously developed, by seeking to reinvestigate enlightened universal principals in painting and intellectual thought.

In Brimmerberg’s creativity we find a character that crosses cultural spheres, squaring the triangle of independent art forms. Finding in music a source of energy and sensitivity unattainable in life, the tone of the composition in turn informs the tone of his palette. Optically, these dynamics find a balance through the dropping and swelling pitch of the canvas, the artist’s precision in capturing light, whilst the analytical structure inherent in Brimmerberg’s work echoes his keen interest in the rational as posited by Hegel and Leibniz – with each element of his art defined in its own terms. www.eugene.brimmerberg.com

A D V E RTO R I A L

Bag O’ Nails Revives Musical Memories If you fancy a trip down a musical memory lane, but with twenty-first century comforts, London now has just the place for you.

The Bag O’ Nails Club was at the forefront of the UK music scene with swing in the 1930’s, jazz in the ‘50’s and pop in the 60’s. And now this legendary music venue has been re-opened as a modern members’ club, but has lost nothing of the intimate feel which made it the place for the stars of the music world not only to play but to be seen.

The Bag O’ Nails has had a veritable galaxy of stars walk through its doors and perform on its stage. The two blue heritage plaques by the door – London’s way of alerting locals and visitors alike to places connected with people and events of note – give a hint of the Club’s glittering past.

“The Jimi Hendrix Experience first played here on the 25th

November 1966”, says one. “Paul McCartney met Linda Eastman here on the 15th May 1967”, says the other.

Those who were at that performance by the legendary Jimi Hendrix – the first gig he played in the UK – say it was a never-to-be-forgotten experience. The Bag O’ Nails intimate atmosphere is such that they felt they could almost reach out and touch the great musician’s guitar. And whilst Paul McCartney met his beloved Linda in the Bag O’ Nails, visitors frequently saw all four members of The Beatles hanging out in the Club after a recording session.

The Bag O’ Nails first became popular in the social revolution which changed the face of Britain in the wake of the First World War. And as the country gradually

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picked itself up from the second great conflagration of the twentieth century, the Club was at the very heart of “the swinging ‘sixties”. Its location, in Kingly Street, is just off Carnaby Street, the place to be in ‘sixties London and still one of the most atmospheric streets in the British capital.

The Bag O’ Nails has re-opened as an exclusive members’ club, and is available for hire for those who wish to offer their guests something special: be it from the Club’s collection of vintage, 200-year old, cognac; mature singlemalt whiskies; or just the fusion of Britain’s rich musical history with modern style and panache. http://bag-o-nails.com/

Paul McCartney met Linda Eastman met at Bag O’ Nails Club in May 1967

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R u s s ia E d i t i o n

Expat Experts There’s no shortage of brilliant Russian expats in the borough; we meet some of the creative bright lights and pick their brains about Anglo-Russian cultural exchange, London living and all that’s in between.

Elena Schukina on Furniture Design “The story of Russian design is one that is as fascinating and varied as the history of Russia itself. In many ways the developments in trends, tastes and attitudes towards furniture and its design reflect the immense changes and events that Russia has undergone as a nation.

The traditional images that I am sure many in the UK recall when thinking about Russian design is that of Matryoshka dolls and handcrafted Khohloma ornaments.

While these designs remain a very important aspect of our collective heritage as Russians, they do not reflect the diverse and varied developments in design that our culture has undergone over the past decade and a half.

Russia’s communist history - as part of the Soviet Union - had indelible effects on every aspect of Russian culture during the 20th Century. Furniture design, and perhaps more specifically, the attitude of the typical Russian towards furniture was most definitely affected as well.

While the development of furniture in the UK saw creativity and innovation flourish in trends such as Art Deco and modernism, styles of design which I have incorporated into many of my exhibitions. Soviet furniture, on the other hand, was for much of the 20th Century dictated by practicality rather than a desire to innovate.

Variety was most definitely not the spice of life during the 1900s, where an overwhelming majority of furniture designed during this period was, aesthetically at least, incredibly monotonous. As a result, our attitudes to furniture changed towards having larger collections of furniture, rather than appreciating and admiring the design and craftsmanship behind individual pieces.

Russian design similarly was left in a state of severe decline soon after the collapse of the USSR, when the large state-funded manufacturing industry that had previously backed the work of designers died with the Soviet Union.

As a result. it seemed to many that Russian design might die a permanent death, both artistically and financially. But like many areas of Russian cultural life, as the country slowly recovered from the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russian art, culture and design slowly regained its strength. A new generation of Russian artists and designers, have now blossomed who are as inspired as much by Russia’s rich history as well as its bright future.

It is perhaps the fact that Russian design lay dormant for so long that many modern Russians, including myself, are so passionate about contemporary design, in a fashion similar to the energy towards design that has been present in the UK for so long. Coming from a country in which design was stagnant creatively and artistically has given me an appreciation for design that I feel is taken for granted by some in countries such as the UK, where design has always been able to flourish, unimpaired by politics, finance or the lack of it. Bringing this enthusiasm for design to the UK, was something that fueled my passion when opening my two galleries in Mayfair and Knightsbridge.

At each of the exhibitions at my galleries, instead of placing the art against blank spaces, I specifically curate the interior design so that furniture, lighting, sculptures

and textiles all combine to create a fully cohesive aesthetic experience and bring an appreciation of design to a sometimes restrictive art scene.” www.galleryelenashchukina.com

27 year old Daniel-Phillip Belevitch is the designer behind phenomenal fine jewellery line Crow’s Nest.

He was the exclusive jeweller for the film, Maleficent (starring Angelina Jolie) along with Louboutin for the shoes and Stella McCartney for the clothes.

Born and raised in Siberia, Elena Shchukina, studied law at Moscow’s State Law Academy before pursuing her passion for art and design at Moscow Design School, Milan’s Istituto Marangoni and Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London. With the aim to introduce art buyers and collectors to a new experience when purchasing art, she there, developed her skills and contacts that led her to the opening of her gallery.

Her inspiration to create a unique gallery experience stemmed from an art class at Milan’s Istituto Marangoni which encouraged her away from the cold “white cube” gallery format and instead, a vibrant space filled with furniture and colour.

“I want visitors to the gallery to feel almost as though they are stepping into a painting when they visit the space,” says Shchukina. She goes on to explain, “my aim is to challenge the traditional gallery format and create a revolutionary gallery experience”

Daniel Belevitch on Jewellery Design “Russia has inspired and influenced me quite a bit in the art of jewellery design. The history of Russia’s architecture and its art and antiques that have filled my home has always been a major inspiration to me when it comes to shape and structure.

My father always taught me about art and antiques as that is his passion. And he was also the one who introduced me to my biggest inspiration, and that is the distinctly Russian, Fabergé.

The things they create I find truly inspiring and I always wanted to be just as creative and innovative with design as them. It’s all about capturing an element and expanding it

page. 14

Spider ring

in gold and precious stones. That is what gives me joy and pleasure in the work that I do. That’s why the best part in my job is when I get to design a new collection. It’s the time when you gather all the ideas you have been thinking about since the previous collection and try to come up with a story and interesting look.

It’s very easy to dream away and create five collections instead of one, so the hard bit is to narrow it all down to one.

The biggest pleasure then is to see people’s reactions when they view the collections.

The main difference between Russia and the UK for me has always been that Russians tend to be more daring and flamboyant in their style of jewellery whilst people from the UK and Europe in general tend to be more safe and traditional in their choices. It hasn’t affected my individual style or craft as I more take it as a mission to spread the more advanced jewellery to the UK and hopefully inspire people to be a bit more daring. I personally believe that playing it safe is also playing it boring (in a way). I go by the motto that bigger is better and the more it stands out the more attention you will get and that’s what you want to achieve.

When it comes to fine jewellery and the UK, there are a lot of diamond tennis bracelets and diamond studs which is fine for everyday use but when night time comes then I personally feel it’s nice to take it to the next step. For example, a diamond spiders web with an 18k white gold and diamond spider holding a 18ct Kunzite in its web What I have encountered so far is that people love to look at advanced jewellery and try it on but there is still that little bit of fear kicking in about when to wear it and what will people think? That is the barrier that doesn’t exist in Russia, people have the mentality of joy kicking in and the excitement of when to wear it and forget about what people will think”. www.crowsnestjewels.com

Sabina was born in Riga, Latvia just before the fall of the Soviet regime. Her grandparents were of Russian nobility who emigrated from Saint Petersburg during the war and resided in Riga. Sabina came to London to study when she was nineteen and has been living in London ever since. She obtained a degree in History of Art from University of London. After experiencing the corporate culture at Sotheby’s for a couple of months, Sabina decided to pursue an entrepreneurial path and is currently a partner at Olympia Art Advisers. The company specialises in art consultancy and works with a number of private British and Russian collectors. The primary focus is on Impressionist and Modern art. Furthermore, Olympia Art Advisers has been introducing the emerging artists to the Russian and the UK art markets. Sabina lives in Marylebone and is planning to stay in London.

Stalin. Sardine & Tobleroni Sabina Maksimenko on Art Dealing “There has always been a deep interest in art in Russia.

However, Russia’s turbulent history of the 20th century, strict customs regulations and non-transparent local art market explains why London became a favorable destination for the Russian art buyers. Being a native Russian speaker and an art specialist living in London I would say that the ever-growing cultural links between Russia and Britain are proven to be truly beneficial. There is an advantage to be Russian when dealing with private Russian collectors. There is a feeling of trust and ease at communication that has a great importance to them. The distance between Moscow and London has never been a barrier and Russian art lovers often come to London in a pursuit of their art interests.

Russians in general, and Russian oligarchs in particular, even choose London as their second home. During the last 25 years a handful gathered an incredible wealth, which explicates why there is such a big demand for luxury products in Russia including art. Wealthy Russians, who can afford almost anything, tend to go for the truly great pieces, so called “trophy art”. It is clearly manifested in the record prices that the Russian collectors are ready to pay at the auctions and when buying privately. Buying great art is à la mode: it is reputable as a significant status indicator.

In the past 10 years there has been a growing demand for Russian art that represents Russian heritage. In a period of financial unrest Russian investors acquire anything that belongs to the transportable wealth. Whilst artworks purchased abroad can be easily travel in and out of Russia, it is much more difficult to export the local treasures from the country. There is a strong demand for the very best Russian art across the board, right from the 19th century to the present day. That comprises predominantly of symbolic artworks from the former Soviet territories, including Ukraine. Although Ukrainian collectors prefer to acquire art by Ukrainian artists, they do buy both. After the Russian buyers, Ukrainians are

page. 15

the second most predominant. If we look at the recent auction results, the Russian artworks have approached the record high. The reason for it is the desire amongst the Russian buyers to return the country’s heritage back to the homeland. It is important to mention the difference in demand coming from the Russian byers living in Russia versus those living abroad. Whilst the first ones most often buy Russian artworks, the acquisition of the European masterpieces has been popular by the Russians resided in the West. There has also been a turnover between the Russian and UK art markets. For example it is quite popular for the Moscow collectors to acquire the artworks from other Moscow collectors through the London art market. Unfortunately there is less demand for emerging European artists from the Russian collectors.

It is something of a particular interest as it creates a gap that hopefully can be filled with time. For now Russian art galleries and museums are hosting the exhibitions of the emerging contemporary European and British artists and Russian buyers are frequent visitors of annual London art fairs such as Frieze and Art 14. I believe that the emerging British artists could greatly benefit from the support from the Russian buyers. The Contemporary Russian Art has recently seen a slight stagnation, however, a new wave of interest towards it can be expected soon among Russian and international collectors. There are a growing number of contemporary Russian art galleries flourishing in London to meet the cultural needs of an ever-growing Russian population in the UK, as well as to introduce Russian art to the Western audience. Last year the British most prominent Contemporary Art trendsetter, Charles Saatchi, hosted an exhibition of Contemporary Russian artwork.

To conclude, it can be said that there are strong links between the Russian and British cultural sectors, Russian art collectors having a major impact on the London art market and their presence seem to be getting stronger”.

Ulan Bator, past, present and future

Trav e l

I Had A Dream (Adventure) The world renowned Trans-Siberian Express travels from Moscow to Beijing over the course of five days. Nancy Gryspeerdt and Sam Kinchin-Smith board the legendary line and find luxury in the Mongolian city stop, Ulan Bator.

Genghis Khan’s empire was the largest in history, stretching from the Danube to the South China Sea and swallowing up almost 30% of the earth’s total land area. And its beating heart was, of course, Mongolia. But since Chinggis (as the preferred transliteration goes) was fatally thrown from his horse in 1227, the second largest landlocked country in the world hasn’t had the best time of it. Neither Chinese nor Soviet rule were kind to Mongolia. Banknotes, street-names and a huge stainless steel statue, unveiled in 2008, all dedicated to their beloved Khan, reveal a population with a tendency to look back 800 years to locate an image of national pride and prosperity.

But not for much longer. While Mongolia currently remains best known for its horse-riding nomads, stomach-turning dairy products, and vast, breathtaking deserts and steppe, attentive observers will have noticed that Minegolia, as it has been dubbed, is the fastest growing economy in the world.

Massive copper and coal reserves under the Gobi, and a border with mineral-hungry China (not to mention one with Europe’s energy supplier, Russia, as well) are drawing international speculators, global corporations and enterprising

individuals to Ulan Bator – Mongolia’s capital, and home to just under half of its entire population. Conscious that this cocktail could transform this ancient land into a thoroughfare for the global elite, we decided to spend a long weekend exploring Luxury Mongolia: its present, its future, and a backdrop of timeless natural beauty which, we discovered, constitutes the kind of splendour money can’t buy.

Ulan Bator is a city under construction, and the building boom is producing a new wave of hotels. Looming over them all, prominently located in the centre of town, is the recently completed Blue Sky Hotel and Tower – a shimmering lemon slice of blue glass which cleaves the city smog in twain.

Our contact on the ground, luxury property expert Tamir Jargalsaikhan, recommended that we look beyond the Blue Sky, though – hinting that the hotel looks (and works) better from the outside than it does from within a suite. So we chose to assess instead whether the still-glowing reputation of an established gem, the Kempinski Hotel Khan Palace – renowned throughout the city for laying on the best breakfast in Mongolia – is justified.

page. 16

The inverse of the Blue Sky, the Kempinski looks a little grim from the outside, lacking the stunning aesthetics one associates with other Kempinski hotels (such as the Nikolskaya, a converted 19th-century palace in Moscow).

Step inside, though, and it’s light and spacious, functional and extremely comfortable. The building makes efficient use of its square-footage, squeezing in three restaurants (including two serving different Japanese cuisines) and a sauna and spa in the basement – the latter is excellent value.

Suites are dangerously comfortable, with enormous beds and heated toilet seats. The combined effect is something like an embassy with benefits: a home from home where the impeccable staff seem to genuinely wish you well while they’re making arrangements on your behalf, and where the bacon at breakfast is the best for miles around.

Indeed, breakfast is rightly famous, a panoramic array of high quality British and Continental staples, outlandish Mongolian diversions, sophisticated breads and pastries, made-to-order smoothies and super-food shots, fresh fruit and artisanal cheeses. We were also impressed by Sakura, one

Trav e l

View from the Dream Adventure camp

We spent our final 24 hours in Ulan Bator getting out of Ulan Bator. It’s an essential part of any trip. One only has to drive for half an hour out of the city – in pretty much any direction – to find places meriting an entireholiday in their own right.

of the Japanese restaurants, which serves up ultra-modern, ultra-fresh (for a landlocked country) sashimi, sushi, noodle and soup dishes – try the flame-touched tuna and salmon.

We dragged ourselves away from the Kempinski’s comforts and headed out into the city streets, to see what fun could be had after dark in Ulan Bator. Mongolia’s middleclass millenials are educated, savvy and fashionable, so we were confident we could find alternatives to the myriad ‘VIP Karaoke Irish Pubs’ lining the city’s outer streets. We soon found great steak and a brilliant little wine list at a restaurant called Veranda, where we hung out with Mongolia’s most important contemporary filmmaker, Byamba Sakhya, and eavesdropped on the conversations of the country’s business elite.

We watched the sunset from the Sky Lounge, a 17thfloor bar overlooking Sukhbataar Square, enjoying the imported European beers and ignoring the imported European songs sung by the in-house boyband. Then we moved on to a club, Velvet, notable for the kind of security that only a city’s hottest nightspot can afford. We chose something Icelandic from an excellent selection of vodkas and finished the night chatting to government employees, start-up entrepreneurs and Minegolia movers and shakers –

before conceding that we weren’t quite hedonistic enough for Ulan Bator’s nightlife, and returning to our emperorsized Kempinski bed.

We spent our final 24 hours in Ulan Bator getting out of Ulan Bator. It’s an essential part of any trip, however short: while the perimeter of most capital cities is defined by suburbs and ring-roads, one only has to drive for half an hour out of UB – in pretty much any direction – to find places meriting an entire holiday in their own right. The city is flanked by two wild, golden-valleyed national parks, and numerous companies offer variations on the same tour of one, or of both, or of further-flung destinations like Lake Khusvsgul and the Gobi – with a 4x4, a guide/translator and a taste of ger living included as standard.

But then there’s the rather sweetly-named Dream Adventure, who deserve the last word because they offer something genuinely different and spectacular. No 15-minute pony-trek on a tourist conveyor belt here: within 10 minutes of arriving at their beautiful camp, we were whooping along the ridge of a mountain on horseback, eagles circling overhead, as Pujee (our guide, a nomadic horseman who co-founded the company) sang us Mongolian folk songs while alternating between standing up on his saddle, hanging upside down,

page. 18

and helping us to fast-track master uphill galloping through a forest. Back at camp a few hours later, Pujee’s Norwegian wife Jeanett (the other co-founder – they make quite a team) had somehow managed to make something delicious out of Mongolian cuisine, and therefore deserves to go down in fusion folklore.

As we settled into our luxury ger for the night, handpainted with wooden floorboards and feather duvets, we concluded that while cultured, vibrant Ulan Bator surpassed our expectations, Mongolia’s greatest asset remains its magical, monumental countryside. The existence of Dream Adventure, a small but perfectly formed Asian-Scandinavian collaboration earning a lot of business from online wordof-mouth, but rooted in the Mongolian landscape and its traditions, hints at a glorious future in which Past and Future Mongolia might complement one another throughout the country. For the moment, though, stick to the places where it’s already happening: Jeanett and Pujee’s camp, and the Kempinski, an old favourite at the heart of a new Mongolia. http://www.kempinski.com/en/ulaanbaatar/hotel-khanpalace/welcome/ http://www.dreamadventuremongolia.com

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A D V E RTO R I A L

A Tiny Sip of the Elixir of Life Sustained health and beauty is a holistic endeavour. As Sid Raghava found out, this is the overbearing mantra of renowned dermatologist Nara Simonyan, founder of the eponymous Nara Health and Beauty.

Nestled in a capacious space on the corner of New Kings Road and Harwood Road in SW6, the salon uses state of the art technology and employs unique treatments that have emanated from Nara’s background in dermatology. Her belief in a comprehensive approach to wellbeing and beauty finished off with a sprinkling of beauty secrets that have made Nara extremely popular with her clientele all across London and quite a few other rather salubrious parts of the world. We spoke to her recently and came across a person who is a spritely businesswoman who knows her art well and seeks to expand her empire beyond the realms of west London and the indeed the Big Smoke altogether indeed.

Nara’s commendable journey began in Acton where she started off in 2009 all by herself along with a couple

of therapists that she’d personally trained in her exclusive high-end treatments. A single mother of ArmenianGeorgian ancestry, she quickly gained the trust and confidence of patrons who experienced a definite edge to following Nara’s holistic philosophy. The favourable results of Nara’s beauty regime kept them coming back. The little establishment moved to a huge space in Churchfield Road, W3, which was interestingly in an abandoned pub, and Nara has never looked back ever since. A salon in Monte Carlo is due to open next year in keeping with her growing clientele, a move that had been enthused upon her by a bevy of fans in Monaco who make regular trips to her salons in London.

State of the art treatments at the salon vary from Intraceuticals Oxygen Anti-Aging Facial Treatment, a

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firm favourite with Hollywood stars, to 3D Lipo and the more ubiquitous IPL Hair Removal and Electrolysis. Her intelligent, nursing level therapists are caring, passionate, knowledgeable and experienced. It is very important that Nara handpicks them in line with the high standards that she seeks to maintain. When asked about her holistic philosophy, she quips ‘you don’t just go the gym and expect results within a single week, let alone a day’. It is a constant process as she rightly points out and the raison d’etre of her art is to make sure that people keep healthy and beautiful through her simple therapeutic regime and avoid plastic surgery for as long as possible - if not forever.

Nara waves her magic beauty wand at: 3&4 New Kings Road, SW6 4AA Tel: 020 7371 8939

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R u s s ia n R e sta u ra n t s o f lo n d o n

Blinis to Borscht

Russia’s cuisine is still the underdog of London’s fine-dining scene. Perhaps it’s the fault of the country’s literary canon, filled with melancholic samovars and a paucity of prandial delights. Or perhaps it’s the stigma of austere cabbage-laden dishes with dumplings as leaden as the Iron Curtain that’s made the capital’s diners slow to embrace all but the vodka. Yet the ignominy is misguided. Kate Weir sought out some of the capital’s most intriguing Russian (and Caucasian) eateries and found hearty portions, a delicate touch and a dash of theatre…

Baltic 74 Blackfriars Rd, SE1 www.balticrestaurant.co.uk Just opposite Southwark tube station, this heir to popular Polish establishment Wodka's throne is set in a building that deftly binds rustic and urban: the gabled roof’s full-length skylight is supported by oak beams, and an aesthetically scarred brick feature wall and rose-husk-scattered art installation add character – the effect is akin to an upmarket barn, in the best possible fashion. We selected a robust Georgian white wine with ease; but the myriad of starters, dumplings and blinis – and their tongue-twisting, ‘z’filled monikers – flummoxed us. Our vigilant waiter mercifully intervened and meaty scallops with pumpkin purée and chilli, and a pillar of tender, yolk-drizzled steak tartare was ferried to our table – swiftly followed by golden, mashed­potato­stuffed pierogis and pillowy blinis topped with piquant beads of red Keta caviar. For mains we tore into a generous portion of guinea fowl with garlic and herbs, and pliable apple-glazed pork perched on a bed of sauerkraut. After a pit stop to sip judicious shots of ice-cold flavoured vodka (horseradish- and pear were presented to us, both happily downed), we miraculously found ourselves hungering for dessert; Hungarian chocolate cake, and vanilla cream with vodka-marinated cherries were washed down with a Tokaj nightcap and some heartfelt ‘na zdrowies’ to our newfound appreciation of Russian dining.

sign beckons you into the restaurant’s rabbit hole of excess, where a top-hat shaped table spins diners around as they eat, floors are rainbow-tiled, dining booths are stuffed with esoterica and the resident parrot catcalls from the corner. Among this riot of and colour and noise, the menu was surprisingly traditional, proffering huge portions of filling fare in the manner of a benevolent babushka. Our impeccably on­the-ball waiter not only talked us through each dish in detail, but selected those suitable for my lactose-intolerant friend (even offering her an allergy pill if that would make her experience more enjoyable). I tore into the cheese-laden khachapuri, while my friend partook in the buzhenina: cold pork marinated in pepper and garlic. The golubtsy (cabbage­wrapped parcels of minced meat) was dense but delicious and the chicken and lamb shashlik was tender and accompanied by an addictive home-made tomato sauce.

Our forays into the downstairs nightclub – where house and R&B is played – in between courses revealed a psychedelic men's room where urinals are crafted into gaping lipsticklacquered mouths; the women's had Alice in Wonderland wall murals and, ahem, phallic golden taps. Lovers of minimalism and those who think a lone callah lily makes an eyecatching home accoutrement should steer clear; I loved this restaurant in the same way I cherish John Water's films or the Evil Dead canon – for its coolly camp sense of fun, with a side of seriously good food and service. Those who’ll happily don leis at Mahiki just down the road, and those willing to buy in to its unique brand of avant-garde escapism will adore it.

Abracadabra

Ognisko

91 Jermyn St, SW1Y www.abracadabra-restaurant.co.uk Unlike the serene chic of Baltic, Abracadabra’s flamboyant style errs towards the spectacle of the Moscow State Circus and the kaleidoscopic Baroque of St Petersburg’s onion-domed churches with a hefty dose of neon-lit kitsch. Between the top­flight tailors and fine­art purveyors of Jermyn Street a pink

55 Exhibition Rd, SW7 www.ogniskorestaurant.co.uk/ So far my Russian-restaurant odyssey hadn’t turned my blood to borscht, so despite the rebuttal my arteries were issuing against the meat assault I had launched on them, charming Kensington restaurant Ognisko was love at first sight. Set on Exhibition Road, just beyond the Science Museum, one could

Abracadabra

easily mistake this discreet space for one of the borough’s specialist campuses – or an incredibly wealthy Londoner's home – a fact that added to the neoclassical venue’s exclusivity. A cream-hued colonnaded space with tables tucked into intimate corners and even a dainty green terrace, the former Polish Hearth Club has been handsomely reborn.

Polish, Caucasian and Russian flavours mingle on the menu, which is updated daily.

We stick to our Soviet theme and kick off the feast with a slab of herring and a bowl of vealand pork-filled pelmeni with sour cream; the bittersweet tang of the fish was elegantly offset by the tart crunch of apple gherkin and onion, the dumplings dangerously moreish. To follow, the choucroute of golonka platter – with sausage, ribs and

page. 22

slabs of succulent meat – was devoured with carnivorous glee, and delicately dill-dusted salmon flaked temptingly under our forks.

Our flirtations with the drinks menu proved equally successful, my Rhubarb Punch dodged diabetes-inducing sweetness with chunks of fresh fruit and a generous slug of Wyborowa, and my partner in crime’s Lemongrass Mule was fragrant and fiery, garnished with pepper and a kaffir lime leaf.

Iced shot glasses of unapologetically strong wheat­distilled and herb-and-mint-flavoured vodka were quickly downed and declared the perfect palate cleanser. A final shot of crisp cucumber-and-dill vodka and we whirled into the tourist-wandered streets of South Ken, full, happy and perhaps a wee bit too giddy for such a dignified establishment.

G e o rg ia n w i n e

Ancient Vines Fancy yourself a local wine? Russia’s southerly neighbour Georgia boasts the oldest cultivated grapevines in the world. Sarah Jackson gets to grip with the ancient flavours.

Georgian wine (as in wine from the country, not the state or the period) is fairly unheard of in this country; certainly nobody I spoke to, not even the wine boffins, knew much about it. However, this is all set to change with sales of Georgian wine rising exponentially and Georgian wineries being keen to up their profiles. So to this end, the Kensington and Chelsea Review, has got the top six Georgian wines to watch out for, so that you can pretend you heard about them first:

WHITES Name: Tsinandali Special Reserve Winery: Tbilvino Winery Grape: Tsinandali is made from a blend two grape Varieties: Rkatsiteli (for body and structure) and Mtsvane (for aromatics).

The blend in this particular wine is 80% Rkatsiteli and 20% Mtsvane.

Description: This is a special reserve, in other words, a premium wine in the Tbilvion Wineries portfolio, and you can certainly tell. Apparently they are produced in limited quantities (only a few thousand) and aged for a long time in oak barrels to give the wine is complexity and singular taste and aroma.

The first thing to notice about this wine is the colour; it has the classic straw coloured quality of a Tsinandali, with hints of gold. It has a subtle nose, with an aroma of caramel, vanilla and quince, leading into a medium body with a punch of fruitiness and a smooth finish and a touch of chilli on the aftertaste.

Food pairing: Light salads, grilled vegetables, chicken with citrus dressing and steamed fish.

Name: Mtsvane Winery: Marani Grape: 100% Mtsvane.

Description: Pale golden with greenish highlights, this wine has an intense floral and inviting nose with hints of apple blossom and acacia. The body is dry and has elements of citrus and pear, not unlike a Sauvingnon Blanc, with its characteristically sharp finish.

Food pairing: Roast Chicken or Pork, or creamy pasta dishes.

Wine Name: Rkatsiteli Winery: Tbilvino Winery Grape: 100% Rkatsiteli - one of the oldest

varieties in the world, and an indigenous grape to Georgia. Rkatsiteli is the most widely planted white grape in Georgia, and during the Soviet Union was one of the most widely planted white grapes in the world.

Description: Displays an aroma of pear and quince, with green apple and honey flavours.

Due to its excellent structure Rkatsiteli is often blended with other grape varieties to give more body and length. An easy drinking wine with a superb texture and mouth feel.

Food pairing: Definitely a wine to enjoy on its own, or with white meat and fish.

REDS Name: Khvanchkara Winery: Telavi Wine Cellar Grape: It is made from a blend of two local grapes, Alexandrouli and Mujuretuli, and grown in the controlled appellation zone of Khvanchkara, on the slopes of the Caucasus Mountains in the Racha-Lechkhumi region of Northern Georgia.

Description: Probably the most famous of Georgia’s unique gently sweet reds, which has been manufactured since 1907, and was reputedly the favourite wine of Stalin. Some semi sweet wines can be a bit sickly – this one is more complex. Aromas of smoky, wild strawberry are followed on the palate by a mellow blend of dried fruit, pomegranate and a touch of caramel, though there’s plenty of lively acidity and a light peppery taste helps balance out its sweetness.

Food pairing: Try it chilled as an aperitif, or at cool room temperature with chocolatey puddings, nuts and ripe fruit.

Winery: Tbilvino Winery Grape: Saperavi 100% Description: Another special reserve and again, you can definitely tell. Clear tones of smoke, blackberry, black currant, characterized with long-lingering aftertaste.

This wine is drinking well now, but will improve in the bottle for at least the next 3 years. It has a complex palate of oak, tannins, fruit and vanilla. The wine is produced from specially selected Saperavi grapes sourced from the Mukuzani micro- zone in the Kakheti region. Mukuzani is Georgia’s most

Wine Name: Kindzmarauli Winery: Marani Grape: 100% Saparavi.

Description: Inky black in colour with a strong blackberry damon nose with elements of jam, spice and floral aromas, the body packs a punch with fruity flavours like cherry, blackberry and prune. Clean, fresh and balance complexity with supple tannins last in a long lingering finish.

Food Pairing: Desserts, rich fruit cake, spicy and soft cheeses.

Wine Name: Mukuzani Special Reserve

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renowned controlled appellation for dry red wines.

Food Pairing: Smoked cheese, roasted rabbit, chicken cooked in red wine, fried pork and various meat salads. Mukuzani goes ideally with “Bozbashi” (spicy tomato soup with mutton or lamb meatballs), barbeque, lamb haunch, fried kidney and different patés.

Information provided by The Georgian Wine Society and Geo Wines Ltd georgianwinesociety.co.uk www.geowines.co.uk

Georgian Wine Fact Box • Wine-making first began in Georgia in Neolithic times.

• At the heart of Georgian hospitality is the Supra, a banquet that centres round wine toasts, which explains why wine is absolutely central to Georgian culture.

• Georgia has an unbroken history of over 7000 vintages.

• Georgia is the origin of Quevri wine-making, which has recently received considerable attention in the wine press.

• In 2013, the Quevri method received UNESCO protection, as part of the world’s cultural heritage.

• The Quervi is a uniquely Georgian creation: a huge underground clay pot, in which wines are fermented and matured to create wines of great complexity.

• Georgian wine was particularly popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, when they were popular and well known throughout Europe.

• Under the Soviet Union, wine-making suffered due to artisan techniques and grape varieties being sacrificed for quantity and consistency.

• The country has the highest number of indigenous grape varieties – over 520!

• Whilst Georgian wines are still hugely popular in countries which were part of the former Soviet Union, is rarely finds its way to the UK dining table, although Georgian wine-makers are increasing keen create new markets in the west.

British art at its very best

A D V E RTO R I A L

Portrait of the Artist: Natalie Toplass Natalie started painting professionally shortly after moving to Shropshire in 2003, following her earlier formal training in fine art and later, stage and set design.

She began working on a series of intricate flower and bird portraits, which she feels that Georgia O’Keefe, Karl Blossfeldt and early 17th century Dutch painters such as Ambrosius Bosschaert have heavily influenced. strength and power of the image; this is then highlighted She has had a number of well received exhibitions by the background to the image, where the most minimum throughout Great Britain, for example; the Judith distraction is sought.

Blacklock Gallery in Knightsbridge, several Cork Street The canvases range in size but start from 30x30 inches galleries in London, Birmingham City Art Gallery and the increasing to 50x70 inches for some of the later studies. The Royal Academy. medium is usually oil built up in layers over a number of The flower itself is just the starting point for an abstract . study of transparency, colour and form. The effects of Graham Sutherland OM (1903-1980) weeks to create a vivid and translucent finish.

Morphology, her exhibition at the Judith Blacklock sunlight and shadows have an increasing effect on the artist’s ‘Cave Entrance’, 1961, oil on canvas, 24 x 19 cm Flower School and Gallery is her second solo show and was work; the subtlety of colours becomes a unique moment From: Piano Nobile suggested by Judith herself who has shown an interest in in time. Each flower is so different, offering delicacy and www.piano-nobile.com Natalie’s work over several years after seeing a painting of detail but at the same time strong and powerful. It’s these her’s in another London gallery. differences that fascinate her and capture that essence in Morphology incorporates the use of symmetry in Natalie’s work. The viewer is invited to have an experience nature. This is an area she finds completely fascinating and that is beyond that of the image in nature; therefore the is currently developing a series of smaller works based on scale of the work is important. By enlarging the scale, the the principal of multiple reflection by creating six duplicate nature of the subject is intensified, and enables the viewer images of a section of a painting. The tumbling of the to become surrounded by the beauty of the subject. coloured objects presents vivid colours and patterns and Natalie often works from photographs translated onto arbitrary pattern shows up as a beautiful symmetrical image a large-scale canvas. The focus is then increased to enable created by the reflections. the viewer to be surrounded and drawn into what becomes Morphology runs from 29th September to 4th October an abstract concept of colour and shape. The subject is at Judith Blacklock Flower School and Gallery, 83 intensely studied to identify the form and movement Kinnerton Street, Knightsbridge. For more information derived from the use of colour. The involvement and visit www.natalietoplass.com feelings captured range from the delicacy of the petal to the

“By enlarging the scale, the nature of the subject is intensified, enables the 10 – 14 and September 2014 viewer to become Royal College of Art,surrounded Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU by the beauty of the subject” www.britishartfair.co.uk Proudly sponsored by

Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/britishartfair For complimentarypage. invitation, please email: 24 info@britishartfair.co.uk/Kensingtonand Chelsea Review

“The only fair I make an effort not to miss is the 20/21 British Art Fair…” (Andrew Lambirth, The Spectator) The 20/21 BRITISH ART FAIR is the only fair to specialise in British art. Held at the Royal College of Art, ‘ the spiritual home of British art’, its success over 27 years has spawned many rivals but none have the same exclusive focus.

The fair’s 57 exhibitors offer an inclusive collection of paintings, prints, drawings and sculpture from the Modern (1900-1945), Post War (1945-1970) and Contemporary (1970 onwards) eras.

It will appeal to the young, the first time buyer and the established, serious collector.

Anthony Caro RA (1924-2013) ‘Table Piece CCCCXXVI’, 1978, Rusted and varnished steel, 63 x 144 x 28 cm From Whitford Fine Art

Bernard Meninsky (1891-1950) ‘Thames Side Scene’, c. 1935/6, oil on canvas. From Boundary Gallery

Grayson Perry (b. 1960) ‘Hold Your Beliefs, Lightly’, 2011, embroidery, edition of 250, signed on reverse, 32.5 x 45 cm From Dominic Guerrini

La Tremebunda at the Port of Casabianca

The Queen of Hearts,a parade for the needy, 2014, Oil on Canvas, 183x152cm

A D V E RTO R I A L

Contini UK Rules of Engagement is Julio Larraz’s first major solo exhibition in London.

Possessing a fascinating oeuvre that includes paintings, sculptures and caricatures, the celebrated Larraz is now recognised as one of the most important contemporary Latin American artists of our time.

Born in Havana, Cuba in 1941, Larraz and his family found themselves politically exiled, and so fled to America. Here Larraz began his artistic career, drawing political caricatures that were featured in The New York Times and Vogue, amongst other prominent American publications. Only some years later did Larraz assume his place as a fulltime painter, and held a number of solo exhibitions across North America.

As an artistic connoisseur, Larraz has developed a style that is unique and instantly identifiable. Larraz utilises an inexhaustible colour palette and these vivid colours in each of his paintings have become Larraz’s signature style.

Much loved and celebrated in America, his works have been featured in a number of public collections, including the Herbert F. John Museum of Art in New York and his works have also taken place in Italy, Spain and France.

Larraz encourages his observers to decode the art that stands before their eyes, believing it is the artist whom should be “revealing that which reality conceals”. In fulfilling this responsibility, Larraz experiments with styles to create works that are incredibly postmodern. Deconstructed bodies and objects feature heavily throughout his body of work, and these fragmented pieces are further distorted by an exaggerated use of scale. Larraz also borrows references

from classical mythology, although this is by no means an attempt to imitate such models.

One only has to take a look at the human figures that Larraz depicts to realise he poses more questions than he provides answers to. Similar to American realist painter Edward Hopper, faces in Larraz’s paintings are often only revealed partially, and facial characteristics are secondary to the figure’s clothing, or lack thereof. This again contributes to Larraz’s emphasis on the metaphorical as well as the figurative, for his attention to detail concerning what the figures wear capitalises on clothing’s ability to act as a signifier for class, sexuality, or even religion.

The protagonists are also captured mid-conversation, and the angle of the perspective creates an almost peeringin effect, as if we are gaining insight into a private moment.

This may resonate with some spectators as reminiscent of a candid photograph, and it also gives the artworks an element of movement.

effortless, demonstrating true masterful artistic talent.

Larraz’s paintings appear in his mind as images and he captures them before they dissolve like dreams.

“I attempt to create a different reality where dreams serve as the foundations for a parallel universe” In such context, we must view Larraz’s art as suspended between reality and dream; using art to express his subconscious understanding of his own reality, Larraz’s body of work is philosophical and therefore surrealistic.

“Realism and surrealism are first cousins even though they don’t speak to each other, surrealism is what you see and appears normal.”

“I like to observe things, it is my opinion, my point of view that comes out and gets reflected in my work. As an artist, you can not live in a society, in which you have nothing to say.”

Larraz invokes feelings of mystery and intrigue, as well as unsettledness, melancholy and nostalgia. Whilst regular motifs do appear throughout the exhibited works, Larraz changes them, just as our responses to life alter with the passing of time and gained knowledge.

Larraz’s artistic methods are equally as fascinating as the work he produces. His brushstrokes are confident and

For more information, visit www.continiarte.com/en/artist/ julio-larraz/

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A RT

Local Hero: Rudi Patterson Self-taught artist, model and actor Rudi Patterson was a prominent face in the London art scene of the 60’s. A dedicated Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea resident, friend to Freddie Mercury and the stars, Patterson’s work exemplified the symbiotic harmony of Caribbean and London culture developing in Notting Hill.

Here, a year after his passing, broadcaster Wesley Kerr remembers his friend. exhibitions in Harrow Road, Melbourne or New York, or you would go and help him sell painted T shirts at a stall on the South Bank, or be amongst the honoured guests at a Queen concert in Wembley Stadium (Freddie had a big collection of Pattersons at his house in Logan Place; Trevor and Rudi were fixtures at his parties).

He was a great exemplar of what a proud Caribbean man could be; and while being a Jamaican in London in those days was cool, we were still often treated as outsiders.

It’s hard to believe now that from the Fifties till the early Nineties, Notting Hill was seen largely as a “black” area.

The now grand houses around Portobello were subdivided I first encountered Rudi on stage in 1977 at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden at the world premiere of Michael Tippett’s opera The Ice Break. I was a student sitting in the gods, and he was in the crowd scenes. What he did not know was that these would be amongst his last stage appearances because he was well on the way to fulfilling his greatest vocation: painting.

At the time of his death from cancer last July, in St Charles Hospital, it fell to me as co-executor to organise the funeral at St Marys RC Chapel and Kensal Green Crematorium (with a wake at the exquisite Dissenters Chapel) and to clear his flat (with the help of his son Junior, and kind friends). We knew there were dozens of painting on the walls, and a lot of ceramic pieces, but as we rummaged we realised there were hundreds of paintings and sketches (mostly unframed) and dozens of fine pieces of pottery. They deserved a wider audience.

Although Rudi took part in around 40 exhibitions he never had, until now, a big retrospective in a major mainstream gallery. Last summer several galleries expressed an interest in doing a Rudi Patterson show, and Daniel Robbins , Senior Curator at Leighton House - whom I took round the little council flat last August immediately grasped Rudi’s genius – and decided to stage a ground-breaking exhibition of three dozen of the finest paintings with panels on the life. It was the first time that Leighton House Museum has staged a solo show by a Black British artist.

When I got to know Rudi well, in the early Eighties I was a Cambridge graduate born in London of Jamaican parentage, training at the BBC on my way to being the first black correspondent with BBC News. I had wonderful white English foster parents who had encouraged my interest in Jamaica, but I suppose I was looking for more Jamaicanness in London. Rudi and his cousin Trevor Clarke (a noted club impresario) shared a very happening flat in Finborough Road where I and other friends would drop by to chill out and watch him at work.

Rudi painted and entertained by day at the table partition between kitchen and sitting room. By night, there was a party.

You would bump into Freddie Mercury or Kenny Everett in the pubs and clubs of Earls Court. Rudi would forever be holding

into low rent bedsits and small flats, many controlled in the early Sixties by the notorious Peter Rachmann. Later Frank Critchlow ran a series of restaurants in All Saints Road, which was seen, along with places like Powys Square as the heart of West London black community, and was the focal point of the then much smaller Notting Hill Carnival. For young black guys there was cultural excitement but also not a little harassment.

Rudi always rose above that, whether modelling for Mr Fish in the Kings Road of the Sixties, or appearing with Mick Jagger in the film Sympathy for the Devil or touring in the gay-themed Boys in the Band. He crossed over both as a model – appearing in a British Airways ad as a first class passenger - and triumphantly as painter.

As a friend he was very uplifting, a good listener, and a great cook. For many years we were near neighbours, me on Portobello, he nearer Westbourne, and he would always turn up with a vat of steaming chicken, or saltfish and ackee at my carnival party. He travelled widely – often to Jamaica - was a great raconteur, and dispenser of wise advice to his wide circle of friends. Until the last couple of years of his life, if you popped in, he would always either be working on a pot, or a painting. He had an intensely powerful visual memory and sorting out the immense amount of work he left behind has thrown new light on his life, his great skill and the evolution of his oeuvre. For this exhibition we are rightly focussing on landscapes – mostly of rural Jamaica, but one the view

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from his London window. He forged his own “intuitive” style especially with his instinctive use of colour and powerful evocation of place. “I’m inspired by natural beauty and harmony, I love to paint.” That was his simple encapsulation.

Jamaicans of Rudi’s generation were brought up to think of the UK as the mother country and many fought on our behalf in two world wars. He came to Britain when his home country was in its last days after 307 years as a British colony.

But like many West Indians he was also a proud Briton and Londoner – he loved the Queen, who after all is still Queen of Jamaica too - and it was London which got his creative juices flowing.

He adored Portobello and Golborne markets, not for antiques but for fresh fish (from his Moroccan friends), fruit and veg; the best mangoes, purple sprouting broccoli in season, and would always persuade the ladies on the flower stall at the junction with Lancaster Road to give him a special deal on the flowers - especially tulips and lillies which were the centrepiece of his cramped, art-filled flat.

If you got late tickets to a concert, a Noel Coward play, or the latest production at the Lyric he would always make up the party.

I’m so thrilled that a wider audience can now view Rudi Patterson’s work and sense his warm ambiance at this outstanding Leighton House Museum exhibition. Rudi was fond of the place. Frederic Leighton himself looked east for

inspiration, but we can look west as well. Rudi Patterson brilliantly imagines the vibrant colours and ambiance of the new world from our remarkable urban jungle in the old world.

When he opened a bottle of rum he would splash a little on the floor – an old African/Jamaican custom, as a libation to the ancestors. We can remember him by sharing his great creativity with a new audience.

A retrospective of Rudi Patterson’s work ran until June 17th at Leighton House. It presented work produced in three Royal Borough council flats: Redcliffe Gardens, Hesketh Place and the Goldfinger designed block next to Trellick Tower, Edenham House. From here, Patterson created evocations of mostly Caribbean scenes which have been sold on five continents.

For more information, visit http://rudipatterson.com/

the WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS? season

THE EDGE OF OUR BODIES CHIMERA

by Adam Rapp

directed

by Christopher Haydon

25 September 18 October 2014

conceived and created

by Stein | Holum Projects written and directed

by Deborah Stein performed and directed

by Suli Holum

20 November 20 December 2014

All tickets £10–£20 11 Pembridge Road W11 3HQ gatetheatre.co.uk 020 7229 0706

THE CHRONICLES OF

by Aditi Brennan Kapil

directed

by Alex Brown

KALKI 8 - 31 January 2015

gatetheatre.co.uk 020 7229 0706

Lucy Ellinson in GROUNDED Photo © Iona Firouzabadi

A D V E RTO R I A L

‘The Gate is like oxygen. It should be available on the NHS’ – Bill Nighy The Gate Theatre has been a permanent resident of Notting Hill for 35 years. We’re an award winning company and over the years we’ve transferred productions to the National Theatre, and venues in New York, Washington DC, Germany and Sweden – and this autumn we have a production called GROUNDED touring all across the UK. If you don’t know us already, now is the perfect time to find out more. We may be small, but we always Think Big! The Gate Theatre sits above the recently refurbished Prince Albert pub on Pembridge Road, a stone’s throw from Notting Hill Gate station. Maybe you have walked passed us and not spotted our small front door? If so, this autumn is the ideal time to get to know us and our work a bit better – we will be staging three brand new productions in a season called WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS?, and we’re really excited about them What is fascinating about the Gate is that no two visits are ever the same. As you walk through our door and up the stairs, you are beginning an adventure into an epic world, where the experiences that await you far out scale our intimate space.

In this tiny, ever transformable, 75 seat space we dare to confront and debate the biggest questions that face humanity and act as a loudspeaker for unheard voices from across the globe. We are a home for anarchic spirits, invigorating theatre, and restless creative ambition. We like to welcome anyonewho wants to change the world!

We proudly consider ourselves to be a ‘teaching theatre’ and are known to springboard the most exceptional new talent into becoming the theatre leaders of tomorrow.

Rachel Weisz, Jude Law, Colin Farrell and Ioan Gruffud have

all trodden the boards at the start of their careers. Stephen Daldry (director of films such as Billy Elliott, The Hours and The Reader), David Farr, Katie Mitchell, Dominic Cooke , Rufus Norris, Rupert Goold, Thea Sharrock, all directed at the Gate. You’re guaranteed to say “I saw them at the Gate first”.

And did you know this about the Gate?

• We stage 6 shows a year; always producing UK, if not European, if not World premieres.

• 13,779 people saw a Gate production in 2013/14.

• We employ over 125 emerging artists and technicians a year.

• Over 1,000 artists and curious audience members a year take part in our Gate Educate programme that offers post show debates and workshops.

• Our access offerings for deaf, hard of hearing and visually impaired audiences have served over 700 individuals to date.

• We’re run by only 6 full time and 2 part time members of staff.

• Tickets to the Gate can be bought for as little as £10. Regular tickets are £20; a fraction of the price of West End shows.

• We are a registered charity (number 280278) and need to raise £215,000 a year from private sources.

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• Without private and public support, a ticket to the Gate would cost £53. Thanks to the faith of our donors, our average ticket price in 2013/14 was just £13.51. This enabled the widest possible range of audiences to see our work.

• We are funded as one of the Arts Council’s smallest National Portfolio Organisations – this means they highly value our unique position as a ‘teaching theatre’.

So please come and help the Gate celebrate our 35th birthday this autumn: book for a show or two, attend a workshop, join our mailing list, or just give us a call and get to know us better. We’re always delighted to hear from members of our local community.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Gate!

To book, or find out more about our upcoming WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS? season: Online: www.gatetheatre.co.uk Phone: 0207 229 0706 Using the discount code SHE33 enables you to buy ALL THREE SHOWS in the new season for only £33!

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Neal’s Yard HQ Peacemarsh below, left to right: Production Line; Bottle in Roses, Therapy Room

A D V E RTO R I A L

Neal’s Yard Best known for its iconic blue bottles, Neal’s Yard Remedies has been the UK’s foremost destination for natural and organic beauty and wellbeing for over 30 years, offering the UK’s largest range of certified organic health and beauty products, all of which are formulated and lovingly handmade in the UK. From the beginning, it’s these eco-principles that have set them apart from the rest – they were the first certified organic health and beauty company, the first company to produce Soil Association Certified cosmetics and the first company to be awarded 100/100 for ethics by the Ethical Company Organisation.

Neal’s Yard Remedies eco-factory is where all the magic happens. Products are created in small batches, using premium quality, ethically sourced, organic ingredients, to ensure their purity and efficacy, and the

production team check every single bottle, jar and tube by hand to ensure ultimate quality. It’s this care and attention to detail that has made Neal’s Yard Remedies the multiaward winning, high quality health and beauty brand it is today.

At Neal’s Yard Remedies, beauty isn’t just skin deep; since the beginning they have believed that beauty begins from within, promoting good health from the inside with herbs and natural remedies, and from the outside with certified organic skincare formulations made from all

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natural ingredients that actually make a visible difference to your skin.

With 43 stores across the UK, including Kensington, Notting Hill and the Kings Road, you have access to a onestop shop for your complete holistic health and wellbeing.

Expert staff are available to offer you a skin consultation, as well as talk you through the complete range of superfoods, supplements and holistic therapies, including luxurious massage and facials.

For more information visit: www.nealsyardremedies.com/

A D V E RTO R I A L

IESA Whether an “experienced” art lover or simply an enthusiast, anyone visiting Leighton House for the first time is usually left nothing but speechless—dazzled by the exotic beauty of this museum, former home of 19th century artist Frederic, Lord Leighton.

This autumn Leighton House is teaming up with IESA UK— Graduate Institute of the History of Art and Art Market that organizes MA programmes and study courses in between London and Paris—to open a new course on the Collecting & Display of the Arts of the Islamic World. The course will explore the history of cultural inter-relationships between East and West, and offer three separate but interconnected themes in a series of day-long lectures, which can be taken independently or for credit.

We meet Adriana Turpin, Academic Director and founder of IESA UK, to find out more about the programme.

Adriana, could you explain a bit about your new course, and the ideas behind it?

The idea behind this study programme is to look at the Arts of the Islamic World, but to concentrate on the artistic and cultural exchanges between East and West. We decided to start with the history of collecting Islamic art because this pinpoints the attitudes of the West towards the cultures of the Mediterranean and Middle East. It thus allows us an entry point to understanding how Islamic art influenced Western art as well as how appreciation of Islamic art changed from being purely visual to a growing interest in the history and culture of these countries during the 19th century.

How to interpret this is another question we thought

would be fascinating to explore. There are so many museums in the West rethinking how to explain and display Islamic Art on the one hand and new museums being set up in the Middle East that have much the same issue. One way through to this understanding is to explore the aesthetic values that make up this artistic tradition, both in their own terms and in relation to Western values. We plan for example to compare western imitations of Islamic artworks with the originals and see how they differ.

In the final semester, we study the development of contemporary art in the Middle East, seeing how artists work within the artistic and craft traditions of their own cultures and place them within a globalised art market Sounds fascinating. What is the connection with Leighton House?

Leighton House symbolises everything we are talking about.

The Arab Hall built by Lord Leighton is a perfect example of European adaptation and imitation of the art from another culture. It was exotic and beautiful.

We can also go out and explore directly the issues of aesthetic values in the translation of the decoration of a palace in the Middle East to a London town house. What is brilliant is that Leighton House is a founder member of the Nour Festival of contemporary art held every year in

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Kensington and Chelsea so even this aspect our programme has connections with Leighton House.

How is this programme different from other courses on Islamic art?

Our three themes take Islamic art from a very different point of view from traditional teaching, which normally cover the history of Islamic Art in its own context. Putting together the talks has made me realise how the subject crosses all sorts of borders – from Venice during the Renaissance to the Orientalism of 19th century France and England. Some areas, such as objects coming into Louis XIV’s collections in the 17th century or William Beckford owning an important mosque lamp long before anyone knew what it was are almost not studied at all. They make, however, a fascinating link with the more well-studied topics of trade and travel.

We hope that by taking this angle of the interchange and exchange of ideas and influences, we will open up new areas of research. We also think that the mix of art with cultural and social history – looking at trade and literature, travels and politics, is an amazing way to understand the past and thus to understand the present.

The programme starts on 30 September. For more information visit iesa.edu or contact Aliya Sayakhova a.sayakhova@iesa.edu

REGISTER NOW for IESA’s new course on the Collecting and Display of the Arts of the Islamic World In Partnership with Leighton House, these Courses Explore the Inter-Relationships between East and West from Different Perspectives: Collecting, Aesthetics and Display, Contemporary Art BOOKINGS OPEN FOR YEAR 2014/2015, SEMESTER AND INDIVIDUAL STUDY DAYS Contact Aliya Sayakhova a.sayakhova@iesa.edu for more information www.iesa.edu

Educating mind, body, heart & soul ‘Excellent Academic Achievement’ ‘Excellent Pastoral Care’ ‘Excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural development’ Inspectorate Report 2012

Open Mornings: Thursday 18 September, Tuesday 4 November 2014

Sixth Form Open Afternoon: Friday 19 September 2014 To see first hand how we can help your daughter to flourish academically, to develop her talents – wherever they lie – and discover hidden ones, join us for an open day or personal visit.

• New Sixth Form Centre • Oxbridge Success • Full & Weekly Boarding 01435 874642 admissions@mayfieldgirls.org The Old Palace, Mayfield, East Sussex TN20 6PH

www.mayfieldgirls.org

An independent Catholic boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18

A D V E RTO R I A L

Mayfield School Developing a love of learning at Mayfield Since its foundation 150 years ago by the visionary Cornelia Connelly, St Leonards-Mayfield has become one of Britain’s leading Catholic girls’ schools. Set in the heart of the beautiful East Sussex countryside in a historic medieval village, Mayfield is a home from home for nearly 400 boarders and day girls aged between 11 and 18.

While academic success is paramount, Mayfield’s aim is to educate girls to become fully-rounded, mature and well-informed individuals. Mayfield’s former pupils, or Old Cornelians, embrace an eclectic mix of faiths, nationalities and career paths – but are united in their independence, confidence and network of lifelong friends.

Mayfield provides each of its pupils with an academic experience designed to challenge and enrich her, leading to high level qualifications. At the same time Mayfield encourages each girl to value the importance of cultural, spiritual and physical fulfilment, ensuring that she completes her school career with more than just exam certificates. This learning process, both inside and outside the classroom, takes place within a school community that is both stimulating and welcoming – supported by staff who care deeply for their pupils.

While Mayfield retains a strong sense of pride in its history, a school with vision must use its heritage to construct the best possible future for its pupils. The doors of Mayfield’s new state-of-the-art Sixth Form Centre opened In September 2013. This award-winning building is a harmonious combination of cutting edge technology

with dedicated seminar and lecture areas providing ideal preparation for university, situated in the most historic part of the school alongside the 14th Century Chapel. All Sixth Formers now have their own study space, with their learning enhanced by the use of touch-screen display boards, iPads, smart televisions and high-speed broadband for independent research. The internet-enabled lecture room allows students access to university outreach programmes, guest lecturers and an extensive careers programme. Excellent ICT facilities throughout the centre benefit the girls in a number of ways, including their preparation for university interviews.

Antonia Beary, Mayfield’s Headmistress, pinpoints the importance of this innovation: “These benefits are already bearing fruit, in the form of six offers from Cambridge University - most of which are in subjects generally considered to be male preserves, such as science and engineering.”

Academic excellence, however, is only part of the Mayfield story. The wide variety of extra-curricular activities also plays a vital role in the process of nurturing young women who are fully prepared for taking their place in the outside world. Girls can play numerous sports, swim in the indoor pool, use the fitness suite and ride at the outstanding equestrian centre. They can develop their talents in art and ceramics, dance, music, fashion and drama.

Neither of these factors would be as impressive, however, without the third key element of life at Mayfield- its exemplary pastoral care. Visitors frequently remark on the

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School’s warm, inclusive atmosphere and feeling of mutual respect and affection.

“Mayfield is a school built on the principles of trust, respect and love for each member of the community.” Says Pia Cronin, Mayfield’s Lay Chaplain. “We aim to nurture and celebrate each individual, but also to engender in our girls an awareness and appreciation of the needs and gifts of others.

The good interaction between staff and students is a result of close personal relationships, and we are justly proud of our pastoral care.”

Housemistresses, Matrons and Tutors work with academic staff, the Chaplaincy and Health Centre, supported by the domestic and administrative team, to guarantee that each member of the community is cared for on a personal level. Importantly, staff also work closely with parents to ensure that their daughters are happy and thriving.

Pupils come to Mayfield from far and wide, both domestically and internationally. Boarding can be full, weekly or flexi – allowing parents with busy schedules to balance family life and work commitments. Weekly boarders are ferried to and from London in a dedicated school coach.

In an increasingly competitive world it is more important than ever for children to have the best possible start in life - the best teaching and facilities, backed up by caring and comprehensive support systems. Furthermore, to give the last word to Headmistress Antonia Beary: “School should be fun!” www.mayfieldgirls.org

St Benedict’s,

Ealing

Independent Catholic Day School Teaching a way of living Co-education from 3 years through to 18

OPEN MORNINGS NURSERY: 14 October, 20 November JUNIORS: 7 October, 6 November

SENIORS: 16 October, 13 November

SATURDAY OPEN MORNING: 11 OCTOBER SCHOLARSHIPS AND BURSARIES IN THE SENIOR SCHOOL To book a place at an Open Event or for more information please contact: 020 8862 2254 enquiries@stbenedicts.org.uk www.stbenedicts.org.uk We respect the dignity of all and welcome children of other faiths.

A D V E RTO R I A L

St Benedict’s St Benedict’s is London’s leading independent Catholic co-educational school.

Our Mission of ‘Teaching a way of living’ is at the core of the holistic Catholic education that is provided to boys and girls throughout the School from Nursery to Sixth Form. to take pride in all their achievements. High standards are expected, but our pupils are not just educated – they are given the tools with which to attain knowledge and wisdom.

In the Sixth Form students are encouraged to take on leadership roles and all contribute to a variety of projects, which raise funds for communities across the world.

There has been huge recent investment in buildings and facilities, including a full size all-weather facility at the playing fields, a new playground area for the Junior School, a major refurbishment of the Senior School Library and a new serving area adjacent to the dining hall.

St Benedict’s is renowned for its sporting tradition and has a national reputation for rugby. Whilst promoting the highest sporting aspirations, the school is committed to sport for all. A wide range of co-curricular activities is offered including music, drama and opportunities for Christian service. The Junior School runs a programme of after-school hobbies, while in the Senior School there are over eighty different clubs and societies.

St Benedict’s School is unique. We are an extended family in which pupils can thrive and we are proud of our cohesive community. Come and visit and see what we have to offer. You can be sure of a warm Benedictine welcome For more information visit www.stbenedicts.org.uk

St Benedict’s is committed to supporting all children to develop their full potential and has a proud academic record. Inspections by ISI (November 2012) and Westminster Diocese (September 2013) have endorsed our success in fulfilling the School’s aims and have recognised the many strengths of the School. In December 2013 St Benedict’s School was recognised as an Investor in People – Gold, an award held by a select group of fewer than 700 organisations in the United Kingdom. The school welcomes children of other Christian denominations and other faiths.

The Junior School and Nursery provide a supportive, friendly and vibrant co-educational environment. Your child’s educational journey begins and the seeds of our Benedictine ethos are planted, nurtured and given every opportunity to flourish. In the Nursery a carefully planned and child-centred programme enables and extends learning and development. The Junior School provides a broad and balanced curriculum based on a rigorous academic core and with extensive opportunities in music, art, sport and drama. Sharing excellent facilities with the Senior School and participating in cross-curricular activities helps ease the transition at 11+ to the Senior School.

Senior School pupils are encouraged to think and express themselves creatively, to work independently and

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French children don’t interrupt Bringing a French education to the English Bringing up children the ‘French Way’ is becoming a rising trend amongst UK parents, who are increasing looking to their European counterparts for parenting advice.

Renowned for their easy calm authority, French nannies are being invited in to UK family homes to help create polite, patient children with bilingual skills.

Many UK parents can only dream of their babies and toddlers sleeping through the night at four months, eating what is put in front of them and being happy to sit quietly at a restaurant table, and yet many argue that this expectation is what makes a French style of parenting and education better than the English. This, coupled with the introduction of a second language at a very early stage in life, is seeing a huge rise in demand for French childcare here in the UK.

Why the French way?

French parenting is extremely child-centric, with a new baby being the centre of family life for their first few months.

After this period of closeness the expectations of children, from parents following a French style, are higher and children are taught core values including not interrupting an adult when talking, waiting for their meals at adult eating times and developing a more sophisticated food palette from a very early stage. Understandably popular with the approx. 400,000 French nationals living in London party due to French super-taxes, the appeal of a French nanny is now growing increasingly wider.

In addition, the benefits of a French influence at an early age have been recognised as:

• Education - in London French is spoken by over 13,000 school children and is the language most often studied at A-level.

• Culture - expands the sense of diversity and acceptance of cultural differences.

• Confidence – creates ability to pick up on accents more easily – making them more comfortable with a foreign language – which in turn will make being bilingual easier.

• Stimulation - hearing different sounds improves curiosity and learning skills.

• Analytical and Memory Skills - several studies have shown that from an early age switching from one language to another develops abilities to analyse and memorise better.

Camille Goffaux, an experienced nanny from Bordeaux says “All of the activities I do with the child I look after are in French. In a typical week, we conduct a large number of activities to both develop his language skills as well as his skills in general. Good manners are extremely important to French Nannies, including being able to behave well around other people. From a very early age, it is key to teach good values to children, remind them what is and what isn’t good behaviour teach them to be polite and to respect others. A French Nanny will try to achieve this and make sure that the children really adopt these values also when the nanny is not around in the long term.”

Camille adds “I notice a huge difference between children with English nannies and those with French, in particular their behaviour and within their eating habits.

A French Nanny will advocate a very balanced diet and it

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is very important to us to cook proper meals for children.”

Roberta Marino, Mum of one and employer of a French nanny says “My son’s father is French and having our French Nanny allows us to communicate in a more natural way. I think it is very important to have a flow of words with young babies from both cultural backgrounds as above all it helps them express their feelings. We believe that our son is well behaved because he has a dual parenting style.”

Valentine Yazigi of French Nanny London says “The key to success in French education is the combination of rigorous rules about politeness, respect, nutrition and regular meal and bedtimes. A French nanny instils these in her charges and will take a harder line to ensure that they are taught self-discipline and self-control. A French nanny also sees it as important not to concede crucial points like politeness and respect and it will eventually become an automatic response for the child. Employing a French nanny is a wonderful opportunity for a child to experience a different and loving culture; one of old-fashioned, but confidence-building values that will stand them in good stead in the future. “ French Nanny London provides a bespoke service exclusively dedicated to the recruitment and placement of the best French speaking nannies. They only select welleducated French speaking candidates, confident in medical emergencies, with a strong expertise in childcare and checked references, to make sure they can provide the best care for children.

To find out more about French Nanny London visit: www. french-nanny-london.co.uk.

A D V E RTO R I A L

How to reach a financial agreement when you split up or divorce There are number of different approaches that can be taken in relation to dividing the finances upon separation and divorce. Each case is different and not all options will be appropriate in all cases.

Since 22 April 2014, it is a requirement that a separating couple attends a MIAM (Mediation Information Assessment Meeting) with a mediator before issuing proceedings at court, to determine whether the case is suitable for mediation. The government hopes that compulsory MIAMs will prove to be an effective cost cutting measure for the court system. It is important to understand, while in most cases attending MIAM is compulsory, the mediation itself is not.

• Negotiations between the parties directly – if the parties are able to reach an agreement between themselves, a Consent Order can be prepared and filed at Court, recording the agreement and the court would be asked to approve the order. This is to prevent either party attempting to go back on the terms of the order at some point in the future. It is very difficult to challenge the terms of an approved order in the future, unless there are exceptional circumstances. This option is only possible if both parties have a clear picture of the matrimonial finances and it is advisable in every case to have a full and frank exchange of financial disclosure before entering in to any agreement.

• Negotiations between solicitors – parties exchange disclosure on a voluntary basis, i.e. without the Court

ordering it, with a view to negotiating an early settlement, outside of the court arena. This option is suitable when both parties are open to reaching a fair settlement and are prepared to make reasonable concessions. If one party is unwilling to negotiate or provide financial disclosure, this is usually apparent from an early stage and financial remedy proceedings can be issued.

• Litigation – the financial remedy procedure is a three stage Court process: 1. First Appointment - This is a short attendance required at Court to decide how the case should proceed and on what timetable. Directions are given about the valuations of assets, where necessary, and when questionnaires should be answered and any further directions required to help further the proceedings before the Financial Dispute Resolution hearing.

2. Financial Dispute Resolution (FDR) - This is held at Court on a without prejudice basis, to try negotiate settlement.

The Judge listens to both parties’ point of view as to how the case should be settled and the Judge will then give his/ her own view on how a settlement should be reached and encourage the parties to settle. The majority of cases settle at this point.

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3. Final Hearing - If the parties cannot reach an agreement at the FDR or thereafter, the case proceeds to a Final Hearing. Both parties will be cross examined and the Judge will then decide what order they think is appropriate and the parties will have that order imposed upon them. Very few cases reach this stage of the proceedings.

It is very important, at every stage of dealing with a divorce, that consideration is given to seeing whether the finances can be settled by agreement without incurring significant legal fees. Early advice is essential.

Gavin Scott is a Partner (and mediator) at Stowe Family Law, 8 Fulwood Place, Gray’s Inn, London WC1V 6HG. If you have questions regarding Divorce, or any aspect of Family Law, please email gavin.scott@stowefamilylaw.co.uk. All enquiries will be treated as strictly private and confidential.

Further information and articles on various aspects of Family Law and the Firm can also be found on our Blog at www.marilynstowe.co.uk. We hold a free legal advice clinic (30 minute appointments) on a daily basis between 12pm and 2pm and on a Monday evening between 5pm and 7pm.

Please call to make an appointment on 020 7421 3300.

Words: Gavin Scott, Partner, Stowe Family Law

©LinzTourismus Sigalov Alex

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The Sound of the River Ben Osborn travels to Linz, Austria to discover a city with a rich history of music which can still be heard today.

Rivers and cities. Sometimes, there’s a temptation – maybe an obligation - to see borders as rigid, to see places as having a single identity. But the fact of the city on the river always plays against that. Rivers are territorial boundaries but they’re also trade routes, connectors between different worlds and peoples. Living in or visiting a city on a river can be a chance not only to take in the story of a place but also to see a place as a network of stories, a crossroad where different narratives meet.

Linz, in Upper Austria, is a good example. The Celtic and Roman roots of its name (Lentos, or Lentia) mean ‘bend’, referring to its position in a place where the River Danube changes direction. The city of Linz has grown on the back of this both as a cultural site and an industrial one, and even today the Danube remains an important trade route across Europe.

The Danube itself is very beautiful, particularly if you take a drive up into the forested hills where you can walk or cycle along the river for miles. It’s a less dramatic landscape than Alpine Austria, of course, but it’s still awe-inspiring, both geographically and historically. This is the ‘route of kings’ and was the border of the Roman Empire. But there’s a dark history to the area also: Adolf Hitler spent much of his youth here, and dreamt of making Linz a cultural capital for his Reich.

Thankfully, the city has become a cultural capital in its own right instead. It’s galleries and venues are often unique

and sometimes spectacular. The Lentos Kunstmuseum is captivating, displaying some real curatorial ingenuity by having different rooms of the museum run by different artists.

The result is very interesting. Different artworks are collected together because of common themes or images that the artists are drawn to, leading to unusual juxtapositions. There’s also the rooftop gallery over the Kulturquartier, a series of walkways connecting different art pieces above Linz. An exhibition of different tower structures – a peaceful shelter of woven bamboo, a huge timber watchtower covered in speakers that build rhythms out of the sound of its own construction – draws attention to the towers of the city below: both the steelworks with their plumes of white smoke and the spires of the cathedrals and churches. Perhaps its something about being from the UK, a nation that sometimes feels divorced from its own industry, that makes this so refreshing, but there’s a good feeling about a city in which these two aspects go so comfortably hand in hand. Its artists celebrate its steel.

This is even more present in the most innovative gallery in Linz, the Ars Electronica (Electronic Arts) centre.

The Ars Electronica organisation was founded in 1979 and its festival has been an annual event since 1986. The Priz Ars Electronica, established in 1987, is one of the foremost international awards for cyber art with categories ranging from Computer Animation to Digital Communites. The building itself is part gallery and part science museum.

Exhibits speculate about the possibility of using DNA as

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data encryption or of solving world hunger with synthetic food. Captivating interactive installations allow you to step into a soundwave at different points, walking backwards and forwards to change the shape of the sound. Apps let you compose music out of algorithms while simultaneously creating an animated piece of graphic art.

But, even within the country that has produced some of the most important classical music in the world, it’s Linz’s relationship to music that makes this city stand out.

The legacy of composer Anton Bruckner, who was born in Linz, is hard to avoid. Among other things the excellent Brucknerhaus concert hall is named in his honour, as is Linz’s orchestra. And the Bruckner Orchestra Linz is a reason to visit in of itself, its international reputation enhanced by being known, along with its conductor Dennis Russel Davies, as Philip Glass’s collaborators of choice. The local adoration of Bruckner is charmingly defensive: he was often criticised within his lifetime for his Wagnerian grandeur, and even today I was slightly baffled by just how much he was loved locally.

Elsewhere, there’s the new Opera Theatre to see, where I was able to catch the opening of The Magic Flute. It’s a suitably mad and manic production of a truly mad Mozart opera; its aesthetic was part Douglas Adams, part Flash Gordon. It seemed to fit Linz very well: a city of epic sounds, but with an edge of science fiction.

For more information, visit www.austria.info

Deliciously Sorted Mallorca 00 37 971 702 749 deliciouslysortedmallorca.com Castell Son Claret 00 37 971 138 620 castellsonclaret.com Zaranda 00 34 680 602 580 Duke 00 37 971 07 17 38 Gaia Bathtime 00 37 971 71 49 83

Castell Son Claret

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Deliciously Sorted in Mallorca Rashid Meer heads to the Balearic Island to sample sun, sea and Michelin-star food – without spending a moment planning. Here is his diary of a well-fed man.

Mallorca means many things to people. From warm, quiet days in the Mediterranean sun to drunken teenage holidays in Magaluf; but now a new concierge service aims to add a delicious level of luxury to the list.

Deliciously Sorted Mallorca is a new venture from the people behind Deliciously Sorted Ibiza which has been organising events on the white isle for some time, and hopes to bring the same level of service to its bigger, quieter brother island. With a history in Ibiza of organising ‘whatever you need’ what better way to experience Mallorca than to take their name literally and join them on a foodie tour of the biggest of the Balearic isles. Let’s just say it culminates in a meal at perhaps the island’s best restaurant, Zaranda, cooked by Michelin starred chef Fernando Perez Arellano.

The first visit on this whistle stop tour was a trip to the Gaia Finca, overlooking the Tramantura Mountains. Here, the speciality are the rare handmade soaps, sold in the Gaia shop in Palma in small batches. While this cottage industry has a definitively feminine edge men might enjoy some of the sandalwood and Frankensense flavours on offer. All the ingredients are locally sourced, so local in fact that some from the flowers come from the garden of the finca.

But sweet smelling soaps were not our reason to be here and over a glass of Cava (of course), Head of Deliciously Sorted Mallorca, Tor Cooper Evans outlined some of the activities they could arrange - from cycling in the mountains (the terrain of the island has long been a challenge and

dream for cyclists) to riding vintage motorcycles for those with less energy. It was clear a finger would not be lifted on this trip.

That evening, once we had settled into the outstanding five star hotel, Castell son Claret on the western side of Mallorca, we dined at the hotel’s more relaxed restaurant “Olivera”. The Wagyu beef proved a big hit with my dining companions though you won’t go wrong with the venison.

The next day left just enough time to relax during a spa treatment and massage before more eating. This time at a small restaurant named Ca Na Toneta. Run by a family and using ingredients sourced from the family farm, the restaurant gives you a chance to sample classic Mallorcan flavours such as the “coca de trampo” - a local pizza made without cheese - tasty soups and ice cream flavoured with mandarins from a tree on the family farm.

Having honed his skills in restaurant around Europe, including le Gavroche, Fernando Arrelano has gathered a team that has won him and the restaurant a Michelin star and Zaranda is widely considered to be the best restaurant on the Island. After being given a tour of the kitchens we were treated to a master class in making Burrata, the creamy delight made with mozzarella. As one would expect from a Michelin-starred kitchen the attention to detail was phenomenal with the making of the Burrata as much science as art.

After our appetites were revived we were treated to a twelve course tasting menu, each course paired with a

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Mallorcan wine by our helpful sommelier. After the plate of “Appetizers” we experienced some of the theatre of Molecular Gastronomy such as the mushroom soup served in a cloud of dry ice. This was not mere showmanship however as course after course of delicate local flavours arrived at the table. From delicate fresh octopus to hare and parmesan, to a blackened egg dyed with the ink of a cuttlefish and served with seafood infused pulses. Even the desert came in a nest of spun sugar that was dissolved with rose water at the table side.

Both Olivera and Zoranda are based in the grounds of Castell Son Claret so you don’t have to go far if you’re staying at the hotel to sample these monumental meals.

The grounds include a wide variety of accommodation including the so called Rapunzel tower which seems to be the perfect romantic setting for those looking to be alone in luxury.

Before we left there was one foodie treat left, a trip to Santa Catalina market in what passes for downtown Palma.

A small, bustling place where the freshest seafood can be bought at one stall and cooked at the next. Of course there was a final meal at the surf and beach themed “Duke” restaurant around the corner. After a spending time on the surfing tour of the world, local boy Jaunjo and partner Ronny have been serving up surf-side classics and ceviche with a twist in this light and airy place for five years. The sous-vide cooked chicken was a firm favourite. It’ll be a rude awakening going home.

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Luxury Property Show Registration Now Open Registration is now open for this year’s Luxury Property Show, which will showcase some of the most prestigious homes in the world.

The 2014 event takes place at London’s exclusive Hurlingham Club on November 4th and 5th and will offer an unprecedented portfolio of luxury properties from ski chalets to Surrey mansions, and from Caribbean villas to beach view homes in the most desirable locations on the planet.

There’s also a full schedule of events and seminars being planned, including a VIP reception hosted by TV property personality Melissa Porter. She commented: “This year’s show is looking to be the best yet and an essential diary date for anyone looking at luxury properties. I will be talking about some of the latest trends, in particular, Portugal is an up and coming destination and the US continues to impress.

In some quarters we are seeing an increased demand for luxury urban properties, where entrepreneurs want to cut down on commuting time. Elsewhere, the vacation sector is showing renewed interest in the Caribbean, for example, and also an increased desire to buy off plan.”

One of the seminars is being dedicated to the Portuguese market which has seen considerable growth in recent years. This is due to a particular popularity amongst the Portuguese elite themselves, with increasing interest from the English. Still somewhat undiscovered, this country has much to offer the affluent second homeowner in terms of space, culture and golf. It is easy to reach by plane, and with excellent weather all year round, it is ideal for weekends as well as long vacations or indeed permanent residence.

20 VIP Champagne Reception Tickets Free for Readers This year’s Luxury Property Show takes place at London’s exclusive Hurlingham Club on November 4th and 5th, showcasing some of the most prestigious homes in the world.

Kensington and Chelsea review has teamed up with the exhibition organisers to secure 10 double tickets to one of the highlights of the event – a VIP champagne reception hosted by TV property personality Melissa Porter, from 7pm to 8pm on November 4th.

In addition, the country is politically stable, has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe and is one of the safest places in the world. While living costs, including food, transport and utilities are relatively cheap in comparison to many other European countries.

The foreign buyer of traditional luxury properties in regions such as the Blue Coast will not only be in an extremely privileged area, they will also be investing into a home, apartment, villa or parcel of land that given time should see a steady and reasonable return on investment.

The land area is limited, which means that recent developments are of high quality and restricted in size to continue the environmental development path of low density housing.

Indeed, Portugal is in the top three European countries most likely to make you the most money over the next 10 years, as reported by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The average rental yield still remains one of the highest in Europe and its now established popularity means greater opportunities for quick and profitable resale.

Registration for The Luxury Property Show is free to the public and is now open at www.theluxurypropertyshow.com/ register-to-visit-cs.html For more information visit www.theluxurypropertyshow.com

Entry to the show is free of charge and visitors will be able to view an unprecedented portfolio of luxury properties from ski chalets to Surrey mansions, and from Caribbean villas to beach view homes in the most desirable locations on the planet.

Melissa told Kensington and Chelsea review that: “This year’s show is looking to be the best yet and an essential diary date for anyone looking at luxury properties. I will be talking about some of the latest trends, in particular, Portugal is an up and coming destination and the US continues to impress. In some quarters we are seeing

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Exhibitors confirmed to date include Corcoran Group www.corcoran.com Sotheby’s Treasure Coast www.treasurecoastsir.com/eng Portugal Luxury Portfolio www.luxport.pt Engel & Voelkers www.engelvoelkers.com Mayfair International Realty www.mayfairinternationalrealty.com Platinum Properties www.platinum-properties.co.uk World Tuscan Houses www.worldtuscanhouses.com Griwaplan www.griwanplan.ch Sanders www.sanders-shiers.co.uk Elite Stone www.elitestone.it/index_eng_norm.htm Thracian Cliffs Resort www.thraciancliffs.com Rightmove Overseas www.rightmove.co.uk/overseas-property.html Remax Portugal www.remax.pt NH Interiors www.nhinteriors.co.uk Inventive Homes www.laundrychutes.co.uk Compare Currency Transfer www.comparemoneytransfer.com

an increased demand for luxury urban properties, where entrepreneurs want to cut down on commuting time.

Elsewhere, the vacation sector is showing renewed interest in the Caribbean, for example, and also an increased desire to buy off plan.”

To be in with a chance of winning a pair of free tickets for the champagne reception, email competitions@ kensingtonandchelseareview.com with your name and contact details by Friday 17th October 2014. Entries will then go into a free draw and the successful applicants will be contacted by Friday 31st October 2014.

Hotel Villa Michelangelo

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Palatial Palladio: The Hidden Treasures of Vicenza KCR Editor Coco Khan travels to Venice for Carnival, but finds its little known neighbour Vicenza is the real showstopper I have always been against the idea that an area heavily frequented by tourists is unequivocally undesirable. It’s understandable for those who live in the destination that crammed public transport, higher prices, and a far better chance of getting an oversized novelty spoon than any essential household item, could begin to grate – but it’s important for there to be services for tourists in the places tourists frequent. The heavy popularity of a destination has never been reason enough to dismiss it for me; the Empire State building is worth going up, a swim in the Mediterranean Sea is a wonderful thing provided you go at the right time. But Venice during Carnevale is never the right time.

I decide to visit Venice during the last weekend of the world renowned Carnevale a few months before departure.

At this point, there seems to only be three hotel rooms available in all of Venice and the prices begin from £400 per night. Having spent hours poring over the floating city online (the art! the architecture! the history!) I’m unwilling to change course, and instead search for nearby cities that would be commutable. It’s here I stumble upon Vicenza.

Vicenza is just a 40 minute train journey from the heart of Venice but during Carnevale and peak season (when isn’t it peak season for Venice?) it feels like another world. It is

peaceful and oozes of that distinctly northern Italian wellheeled style that has become synonymous with Rome and Milan. It’s a working city, as opposed to Venice – the centre of which exists entirely for the tourism industry –and so staying here feels as though you’ve stumbled upon a little secret that no one else knows about.

We’re staying in the Hotel Villa Michelangelo, a noble th 18 Century residence atop a hill with views over the lush and rolling Italian countryside. With 52 rooms and 4 suites (and a pool of course), Hotel Villa Michelangelo is a robust hotel that caters for business and pleasure but keeps an intimate air about it. It’s part of Royal Demeure Hotels, a collection of luxury Italian hotels whose owner is a keen art collector. Visit the collection and you’re sure to see authentic Renaissance sculpture and frescoes; if visiting the art wasn’t enough you can now live within it for a short while. We’re greeted with quintessential Italian hospitality and can feel the London stress thick in our bodies rapidly disintegrating as we arrive in our rooms. We’re staying in the Presidential Suite, which is one of six suites the hotel offers, and is characterised by fine views and a lounging area fragrant from the freshly picked flowers that fill the various vases.

It’s impossible to visit northern Italy and not notice the

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role of art and history in every facet of its being. Narratives are carved into every dish, and a building that looks modern stands out sorely next to its regal brethren. Hotel Villa Michelangelo is a hotel that not only respects this tradition, but tries to continue it, making it without doubt the only choice for the art-loving culture tourist curious about the area. When we are there, we find the concept menu at the in-house restaurant is a six to eight course feast based on the famous works of Monet, inspired by the travelling Monet exhibition stationed in Vicenza at the time. The kitchen are ferociously proud of the local fare and are regularly creating concept menus that have become the favourite of the local Vicenzans, rather than being a restaurant just for guests.

You won’t be in Vicenza long without hearing the name Palladio uttered enthusiastically. Vicenza’s greatest export, Andrea Palladio was a renaissance architect whose iconic style became the blueprint for some the world’s most renowned buildings including The White House. For the architecture fans, Vicenza and its surrounding countryside is a veritable banquet for the eyes. Whilst Hotel Villa Michelangelo itself is not an original Palladio, it is designed in the same style, as has been the fashion amongst the Italian nobility for several centuries.

La Rotonda

Stay: Hotel Villa Michelangelo - Double Room B&B from £125 excluding tax www.hotelvillamichelangelo.com Fly: Kensington and Chelsea Review would like to say a huge thanks to easyJet for getting us to Venice when there seemed to be barely a seat in sight. They fly to Venice from Gatwick, Luton and Southend airport from £22.99 per person (one-way, including taxes). All flights can be booked at www.easyjet.com

We’d recommend organising a tour (the hotel can do this for you) with one of the Palladio specialists in the area. It’s worth every penny to hear about the wonderful architect, a manual worker who become one of the most foremost creatives in history despite never receiving a formal education. Stroll around the city itself and there’s plenty to keep you occupied. In the city itself, the Olympic Theatre stands as a lesson in manipulating depth-perception as its stage facade gives an illusion of an entire city in the background. Having been one of the main attractions to the area, you can still see the mark Napoleon himself left on the building.

Elsewhere, you can marvel at the old marketplace - on its knees by the time Palladio got to it, but reconstructed and reinforced by the great designer (with his own aesthetic twist of course) it stands boldly in the city centre, home to a plethora of wonderful coffee shops, luxury clothes and of course fantastic art. A 15 minute stroll out of town and you can visit La Rotonda – one of the ‘purest’ Palladio buildings he created. Preserved as a World Heritage Site, alongside other Palladian Villas a short drive out of Vicenza, La Rotonda is known for reflecting Renaissance humanist philosophy in its design (the eternal circle, or dome, which crowns it is held by a firm square – a symbol of man – which is in turn held by its intersection with the Christ-like cross) as well being a feat of precise maths which later became the subject of much debate – and even music.

As you wonder around Vicenza, drop into one of the churches where you’ll regularly find original works from Tintoretto, Titian, Bellini and Veronese. The restaurants

are plentiful and boast local cuisine at reasonable prices, often rustic in their approach, Vicenza offers the kind of ‘authenticity’ that a traveller dreams of.

The next day, in Venice at the Carnevale, there is torrential rain, thunder and lightning. Thousands of somewhat inebriated and costumed visitors crowd the streets making its narrow windy paths near-impossible to get through, and this situation is close to unbearable in the weather. Specially created stages for the Carnevale blare euro-dance music and its clear the history of the Carnevale as an arts event that formally hosted Miles Davis is over. We duck into bars and restaurants for cover but there are no tables. The staff in most venues are suitably hardened to tourists and are quick to turn a cold shoulder, and the places receiving have doubled their prices.

It’s a shame, as Venice is a city so breathtaking it is incomparable to anywhere else in the world. It is a feat of genius – the gothic buildings, the renaissance art at every corner – that at the time propelled the Venetian Empire to be one of the world’s most powerful forces. For history and art lovers, it is a must-visit, especially during the Biennale.

It’s an unctuous, gorgeous place for the aesthete. It’s worth pointing out that there are still many people living on the outskirts of the old City, and these areas are packed full of outstanding eateries, with the luxury hotels within the City being internationally regarded if you can get a room.

However, if a relaxed and cultured visit to Italy is what you’re after, in the words of the great Jeanette Winterson, ‘Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit’ and Venice isn’t the only place for awe, inspiration, and Italian luxury. Take a bite of Vicenza.

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Travelling to Gatwick early?

If like us you had an early flight, and don’t want to start your trip with a disturbed night in the back of a taxi, than the new Gatwick in-airport hotel may just be the answer. Situated within the North Terminal itself, Hampton by Hilton’s Gatwick hotel is the essence of convenience. It’s huge, boasting 192 so you can feel safe with late bookings, and with a complimentary 24-hour gym facility can even feel virtuous. Be warned, this isn’t a luxury offering – it’s clean, convenient, affordable, with new fittings and furniture and is perfect for the short haul traveller, looking for a bit of shut eye without the need of a dining room or a jazz piano in the lobby. It also offers 60 parking spaces for travellers who wish to book a park and fly package.

Book: Hotel Villa Michelangelo can organise your Palladio tour for you as part of their Gourmet and Art Package. Prices start from £306 per double room and includes dinner.

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Arts and Crafts: A Cumbrian Movement Can’t commit to Italy? For a fill of culture, history, art and fine food, you don’t need to leave the country. Coco Khan heads to the Lakes for a weekend.

The Lake District has long been established as one of the UK’s top staycation destinations. Offering visitors the scenic beauty of luscious green hills and soothing still lakes, quintessential English pubs for local ales and Michelinstarred restaurants for fine dining, it’s unsurprising the area has been favoured by families and activity tourists from across the world. There really is something for everyone - hiking, camping, sailing, eating and drinking – but what about for those looking for a spot of culture?

Normally the preserve of cities, the arts and country retreats are for the most part mutually exclusive. The two exceptions to this are Cornwall - whose watercolours community is rife – and Cumbria, a county which has a long history of art, design and poetry. So much so, that the area is in fact a central location to one of English history’s most important art and culture crusades, known as the Arts and Crafts Movement. Key figures in the movement (which spanned centuries and countries) include John Ruskin, William Morris, Walter Crane, and Kate Greenaway, and you can certainly feel the legacy around the Lakes.

The movement was centred on liberal thought, a belief in craftsmanship, and an admiration for the decorative.

Natural beauty and an appreciation of it was also a cornerstone which is why a visit to John Ruskin’s house overlooking Coniston Lake is a must for those looking for a spot of culture. His home, known as Brantwood, is where Ruskin spent the last 28 years of his life and is filled with fine paintings, beautiful furniture made in the spirit of the Arts and Crafts Movement and his own personal treasures.

The view from his dining room window onto the lake is one of the most awesome window views I have ever seen and

walking in his home one really can understand how the great man achieved so much, and how he came to hold the world-changing views (he was vehemently pro-women and anti-child labour) in these celestial surrounds. Brantwood is also home to a 240square acre botanical garden (Ruskin was a keen botanist) and is a wonderful place to wander, lose hours and feel the beating heart of Cumbria.

For visitors keen to learn more about the visual aspects of Arts and Crafts, Blackwell House epitomes the style.

Situated on the outskirts of Bowness-on-Windermere, Blackwell was designed and decorated by Bailie Scott at the turn of the 20th Century. It’s survived with almost all its original decorative features intact, and is listed grade I as an outstanding example of British domestic architecture. We would recommend organising a formal tour as the house is furnished with nearly all its original furniture and objects from the period, the details of which are the making of this wondrous place. Distinct tiled fireplaces and carved stone depicting stylized tulips and flocks of birds – it’s a sight of the English pastoral as you’ve never seen it.

Of course, there’s no better way to muse upon the arts than over some fine food, and for that we’d wholeheartedly recommend the Drunken Duck Inn. Set high above Ambleside, dine outside for dramatic views of the Fells. It’s a bit more formal at dinner than at lunch (white tablecloths upon oak tables) but promises the same commitment to high-end British cooking using local products and heritage recipes. Think duck breast with pearl barley and mead, or raw apple crumble with smoked maple and wood sorrel ice-cream. The atmosphere is casual yet hearty in typical country fashion, and you can be guaranteed to find a

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Labrador or two on site. Drunken Duck Inn also has rooms if you fancy staying the night, though we opted for the more formal Country House Hotel, Holbeck Ghyll.

Holbeck Ghyll is the Lakes at its most luxurious (you can arrive by helicopter) and of all the views we saw, had the most breath-taking. Its Michelin starred restaurant is perhaps the best table in town and with the option to dine outside, could well be one of the best tables in the country for its view alone. Outstanding wine, a luxurious breakfast spread, tennis courts, a health spa, there’s not much about the Holbeck Ghyll that is anything short of splendid – but the rooms is where it really shines.

We stayed in the Buttermere Suite, which comes with a Whirlpool bath and a decanter of local Lyth Valley Damson Gin but no two rooms are the same. Lake views, fell views, four poster beds, and hot tubs – the variety of the 13 rooms, 2 suites, 2 cottages and the 6 rooms of the Lodge span the depth and breadth of luxury. If you’re lucky enough to book it, we’d recommend the Miss Potter suite where Hollywood star Renée Zellweger lived during filming of the movie about Beatrix Potter’s life. But truly, wherever you are in Cumbria, you’ll find something special.

For more information and to book, visit www. cumbriatourism.org. Rooms at Holbeck Ghyll start from £180 per night with breakfast www.holbeckghyll.com First TransPennine Express operates intercity rail services across the North of England and into Scotland. Fares for any journey across the country are available at www.tpexpress. co.uk and can be purchased with no booking fee.

Ladies that Le Touquet Need a beach break in driving distance? With the same driving time from London to Cornwall, Le Touquet near Calais promises sun, sea and that certain je ne sais quoi. Here’s everything you need to know.

Why Le Touquet? Le Touquet, full name Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, is a small town near Calais that is known as being the playground of affluent Parisians and formerly Brits. P.G Wodehouse, H.G Wells and Noel Coward have been previous holidaymakers, and you’ll find a number of well-known luxury hoteliers catering to the large numbers of well-heeled visitors. Though there are only approximately 5,000 residents of Le Touquet, the population explodes to 250,000 during peak holiday season.

As a hotspot of the rich and famous, it contains everything the luxury lady might want. Extravagant restaurants, more spas than you can shake a stick at, and plenty of high-end designer shops. The décor of the town is that of pastels and the seaside palette we’ve come to known from our own coastal towns, but with a strong art-deco ‘folie’ style of architecture that has drawn visitors from all over the globe.

Stay: We stayed at the exquisite four star Le Grand Hotel. With bay views, a generous spa and pool, a luxurious cocktail area and two restaurants, there’s everything you need as a relaxing base with friends. For the art lovers amongst you, keep an eye out for the collection dotted around the place. Often created by locally sponsored artists riffing off the great masterpieces, there’s plenty of fun to be had.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry (read: shop): Le Touquet is by the sea, so of course you’d be fool to do anything but sample some fresh seafood. Fresh coastal fish, oysters, lobster, sea snails and prawns straight out of the sea – all are familiar sights on menus in the area.

It might be striking distance from home, but it’s still France, so do sample the local wine and style of cooking that is often lighter than its Southern France counterparts. We dropped into La Sole Meuniere for a seafood platter whose size was fit for Henry VIII himself http://www.solemeuniere.com/ If you fancy your hand at cooking yourself, drop into the Le Touquet farmers

market and be dazzled by the fine fare.

Think of this is the classier, more lux version of the quintessential ‘booze-run’ to Calais.

Stock up here on delicate cheeses, locally pressed wines (including the region’s own version of Champagne) as well as other local trinkets. Here you’ll find a number of high-end stores selling international designer brands to handmade bespoke products. Cigars, fragrances, and leather goods – there’s more than enough to fill the car!

On your way from Calais to Le Touquet we’d recommend dropping into the flagship store of Chocolats de Beussent.

This Northern France based chocolatier is one of the few chocolatiers left in France that works directly with the bean. Learn about the detailed process of making chocolate and gorge yourself on the fine fare www.choco-france.com Dive straight in:Take advantage of Le Touquet’s coast and get on down to the beach. Alongside all the usual seaside activities there’s also a wonderful spa practising Thalasso treatments. Thalasso uses natural seawater powered through a number of devices (waterbeds, hot tubs etc) to massage and de-stress the traveller.

Be warned, being blasted by a jet might not be for everyone, but there’s plenty of traditional relaxation therapies on offer if you need. http://www.thalassa.com For the equestrian types among you, try a horse ride along the coast. Le Grand Hotel can arrange this for you, or there are a number of licensed operators you can go to. It’s nothing short of a Hollywood scene.

Getting there: Trains run from Kings Cross St Pancras to Dover but we’d recommend taking a car. From Dover, MyFerryLink operates up to 16 daily crossings to Calais.

Fares for a car and up to nine passengers start from just £35 each way for longer stay crossings, and from £24 return for a day trip. To find the best fares, visit www. myferrylink.com or call 0844 2482 100.

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The Humble and Haute Hague An exhibition exploring Chanel draws Stefan Nicolaou to The Hague where he discovers not only a world-leading museum but a cultural hub of unexpected extravagance.

The Hague has somewhat of a sober reputation. Holland’s cobbled capital is home to parliament and the royal family; it acts as a hub of Eurozone functions and hosts the International Court of Human Justice. The latter is most notable (for those with only a passing interest) as the setting of Naomi Campbell’s blood diamond trial in 2010. My recent jaunt to the city was for a distinctly more auspicious hosting of a fashion icon in The Hague.

The grandly titled Chanel Legend exhibition at the Gemeentemuseum museum was a retrospective and tribute to the game-changer and formidable force of Chanel – both the clothes and founder, Coco. The journey from the fashion house’s inception to institution highlighted how the staples and classics of female fashion began as a revolution. Wandering around the Gemeentemuseum, The Hague and other areas in the region show a flare for curation and creative exhibition ideas. The MC Esher museum, for example, is housed in a beautiful ex-residence on a historical boulevard. It uses entire walls to display the enormous, mind-binding scenery of transfiguring animals and slippery points of views. Even the usually naff guestinteraction areas are credibly enjoyable.

Chanel Legend was curated with similar aplomb. Mannequins in various guises line every walkway in a canopy of fashion. Trivia, insightful quotes and each stage of the Chanel story are stencilled behind glass cases of limited edition perfume bottles and costume jewellery.

Tracing the evolution of Chanel through the twisting gallery reaches a staggering conclusion: the narrow exhibition space ends in an illuminating parade. Dozens of mannequin’s were adorned with ‘little black’ dresses created by the legions of designers who followed in the footsteps of Coco Channel’s landmark comfortable, stylish and enduring clothing.

Elsewhere in The Hague all was bustling by day and subdued at night.

Unlike Rotterdam and Amsterdam, the city has never acted as a major port, which usually inspires a cosmopolitan and lively city. However, while the concrete Eurozone quarter sits on the outer ring of the city, The Hague is a serene and muted hub of unexpected extravagance and a cornucopia of quaint alleys to mosey along and find gems. The streets are lined with sculptures ranging from the sedate, the surreal, and the disturbing. For instance, a statue of the first prime minister of Holland

Inner Court The Hague

The Peace Palace

Kurhaus Hotel Scheveningen

sits majestically on horseback opposite the Royal Palace...with the addition of a stone seagull perching on his head. A structure reminiscent of a totem pole looms at an intersection by the Tourist Information Centre. Elsewhere, spliced together humans line the pavement to the shopping district.

The Hague springs with antique and

thrift stores as well as designer boutiques.

The breadth of shopping opportunities is to such an extent that the tourist office supplies shopping tours. On one of these tours I visited three popular and diverse designers. Handbag and accessory designer Omar Munie’s trademark snakeskin pattern creeps over his showrooms. It swarms over the watercooler and the grand dining

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table chairs where he hosts weekly tea parties. Munie was a delight, albeit, slightly reminiscent of an Ab Fab parody. Excess brimmed throughout his collection. Chanel is attributed to the fashion mantra: ‘always take off the last accessory you put on before leaving the house’. Munie is the opposite: he splashes leather and hide with a minefull of diamantes, fur and buckles. Omar is as much a personality as he is designer, urging us to find an English translation of his autobiography, Live your dream, which details his ascent for asylum seeker to famed designer.

In a completely different vein (in a completely different animal) menswear designer Sjaak Hulleke’s collections are sleek and fitted designs. Dapper garments hang against the raw brick of the factory-style workshop and outlet. Hulleke explained that, unlike Omar’s extravagant and gaudy accessories, men’s fashion is still conservative in the area but is slowly gaining some flare.

The proof is in his own accessories: dandy apparel such as dainty suede gloves and sun-shading wide brimmed hats. The young designer also lends his hand to creating a limited edition perfumes. Michael Barnaart van Bergen is the The Hague’s ambassador for fashion. His workshop is a homely ensemble of woollen dress-tops with kitsch prints such as pearl necklaces and subtle patterns.

The three designer’s reflect the diverse and, at times, anomalous nature of culture fashion in the Hague. Everywhere you look there’s an intricate detail carved in the alcoves of the high windows representing a gentrified past; or there will be the multicoloured ‘Candy Box building’, that houses high street outlet The Sting. While The Hague may not be bustling, it’s character is Holland all over and reminiscent of the appeal of London: inviting and picturesque, stimulating or peaceful, casual or refined.

It’s an hour-long hop from City Airport to Rotterdam-The Hague Airport. It’s location in the ‘triangle’ of the Netherlands means you also have the opportunity to jaunt over to trendy Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

And probably in less time than a typical London commute.

For more information visit www.holland.com CityJet now offers up to 9 flights daily to Rotterdam from London City airport. Fares start from £99 return including all taxes and fees. For more information, reservations and to check-in online, visit www.cityjet. com or call reservations on 0871 66 33 777.

Tareq at Hackeberga

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Skåne: The Breadbasket of Sweden Sarah Jackson visits Sweden’s unsung foodie hero Skåne, with a little help from top chef Tareq Taylor Be honest. When you think of Swedish cooking, the first two things that come instantly to mind are herring (fermented) and meatballs (from Ikea). Or possibly the Swedish chef from The Muppets. So thank the heavens for Malmo born chef, TV personality and entrepreneur Tareq Taylor who’s Good Food Channel series, “Tareq Taylor’s Nordic Cookery”, which first aired in November this year, has already gone some way in shaking up our preconceptions and serving them with a side order of “well I never.”

I was lucky enough to meet Tareq and to go on a short tour around Skåne in southern Sweden with him where he showed me a side to Sweden which I’d never known existed. Mainly because when it comes to Sweden, people tend to head to the north. Understandable since that’s where the capital is. It’s the same as people visiting England and heading to London instead of Wiltshire. But the rural, southern side of Sweden was a stunning surprise; bucolic and colourful with incredibly friendly people, who exuded passion for great food, pride in their locally sourced ingredients and the desire for their national identity to infuse and define their gastronomy.

Whilst in Skåne, we were lucky enough to dine and stay at the famed Kronovall Wine Castle (about £182 a night) and the Hackeberga Castle (about £174 a night), both of which were more reminiscent of the French Château than the drafty English equivalent. Each had vintage 17th century decor with rustic touches such as incredible views of the countryside, open fires and the odd bit of taxidermy (in fact at Hackeberga, the keys to our rooms were in the shape of horns! I think these were fake...). The rooms were huge and deliciously cosy which was a good job as it was a wee bit on the chilly side outside. And the food. Good lord, the food.

I cannot praise Swedish food enough - every mouthful I enjoyed was utterly sublime from the beginning of the trip to the end. At Kronovall, they served feather light cream

made with Swedish corn, served on roasted sourdough and topped with summer truffle, velvety soup made from funnel chanterelle mushrooms and served with tender roe deer heart, melt in your mouth pork belly and parsley oil. The main was rich slices of wild boar accompanied with butter fried pumpkin, calvados and brioche, with fallow deer with sprouts, porcini and wood hedgehog mushrooms. My waistband had already started to feel uncomfortably tight by this point, but I could hardly resist the next course; three cheeses from Vilhemsdal diary (Bocka-Per, Tant-Elsa and Tommarpsrulle) served with rose hip marmalade and grape jelly; Tant-Elsa was my absolute favourite as it combined the perfect elements of creamy and salty. Finally we were treated to sabayon made from Kronovall’s own sparkling wine, Tirage and sugar-fried Gravensteiner apples (from the Kivik Musteri which we’d visited earlier in the day). A meal like that would set you back about £77 and leave you unable to walk for a good few hours.

But what was immediately apparent in the menu, was how many of the ingredients had been plucked literally straight out of the back garden. Everything was so fresh you could almost smell the fresh air and taste the dew. I’ve always been a fan of mushrooms, but these were utterly magnificent. The texture and flavour was so powerful, earthy and meaty that I could have done without the actual meat.

And this was the same as Hackeberga and in the stunning restaurant, Vollmers, which we visited in Malmo.

Chanterelle mushrooms were a main fixture, alongside other regional flora and fauna such as cabbage, loganberry, radish and chestnut, all paired with locally sourced venison and wild boar. Whilst Hackaberga was slightly more traditional, Vollmers were extraordinarily experimental, offering fascinating combinations of flavours and interesting twists on old favourites. A perfect example of this was one of

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their many nouvelle cuisine dishes, based on the English classic, egg and bacon. The difference with Vollmers was that it appeared that the egg was only partially cooked when presented and it was only the heat from the thin slices of crispy bacon and potato cooked the egg when you cut into them. I have no idea how this worked, but suffice it to say, it was utterly delicious. It was also the first time I’d tried sweetbreads, which were served with mushroom and almonds. Magnificent. On top of everything, the staff at Vollmers were effortlessly knowledgeable and charming; this is definitely a place I recommend going to if you were visit Malmo. It was the most expensive place we visited, but it was definitely worth it for that level of expertise, not to mention the enthusiasm and wonderful ideas.

The last foodie haven you must visit if you visit Skåne, is the Slottsträdgårdens Café. This restaurant is owned by Tareq Taylor himself and is a masterpiece of understated gastronomic delight. The prices are very reasonable (about £10 a meal) and it’s based in the middle of the Slottsträdgårdens, so you’re surrounded by the smell of flowers and wildlife. We had melt in your mouth beef with creamy mashed potato and roasted onions with delicately caramelised cabbage. (This was one of the dishes I immediately posted on Facebook for all my friends who love a bit of flagrant food porn.)

In short my trip to Sweden was one massive piefest, without the pies. The food was magnificent, the accommodation wonderfully warm and inviting, the people friendly and all extremely good at English. And what is more Tareq pursuaded me to jump into a 12 degree lake. Not sure how he managed that... it must have been the cider tastings beforehand that did it! An absolute delight of a trip all in all.

You must give Skåne a try.

To plan your trip to Skåne, go to to www.visitskane.com and www.visitsweden.com

A D V E RTO R I A L

Kensington Hotel London’s largest town house suite now open at the Kensington Hotel There are few pleasures in life as profound as finding somewhere you belong. Places of unrivalled hospitality where you can relax, yet where your every need is anticipated, where you can return again and again, yet experience a fresh welcome every time – this is the definition of The Doyle Collection.

An Irish, family-owned hotel group, from Dublin and Cork to London, Bristol and Washington DC, each Doyle hotel has a wholly individual look and feel, while sharing the same unmistakeable spirit of warmth, welcome and a service ethos that’s perfectly intuitive.

The Kensington Hotel, one of the Group’s stylish London properties has just introduced a chic new accommodation option, which has taken the lead as

London’s largest townhouse suite. An exciting addition to the hotel’s portfolio of rooms, the iconic Kensington Suite offers guests impressive and spacious apartment style accommodation.

It comprises three bedrooms and three bathrooms, plus two distinct living areas, and comes complete with extras including dressing room, a sumptuous circular day bed with flatscreen LCD TV, private balcony with city views, state of the art Bose docking stations, complimentary WiFi, private decanter bar, Nespresso coffee machines and much more. A generous 180 sq metres of space, The Kensington Suite has been uniquely created as a series of versatile interconnecting living spaces that can be reserved as either a one, two or three bedroom configuration.

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With uninterrupted views out over leafy South Kensington and just footsteps away from fashionable Knightsbridge, The Kensington Suite offers the very best in individual style and personal service. It is the first major enhancement to The Kensington Hotel since it reopened in 2009 following completed refurbishment and perfectly complements the relaxing ambience and laid back interiors of the ground floor area. Accompanied by the generosity of spirit for which The Doyle Collection is renowned, London’s largest Town House Suite will impress the most seasoned travelers.

For more information visit: www.doylecollection.com/ hotels/the-kensington-hotel

R e sta u ra n t r e vi e w s

Min Jiang Words: Maria Kivimaa Royal Garden Hotel, 2-24 Kensington High St, W8 4PT www.minjiang.co.uk If there’s a restaurant which makes you feel like you’ve just walked into an old James Bond movie, this is it. Min Jiang oozes that dapper old-school elegance and swankiness that only Mister Bond can, but does it with, perhaps unintentionally, tongue in cheek, leaving itself balancing on the right side of kitsch – if only just. Again, much like 007 himself.

Despite the cheesy glamour and the location (on the 10th floor of an upmarket

Boom Burger Words: Rashid Meer 272 Portobello Road Notting Hill, W10 5TY www.boomburger.co.uk After a childhood spent in the sunshine of Montego Bay in Jamaica, owner Josh de Lisser missed the vibrant flavours he had grown accustomed to. After trying out the

hotel), it’s a true neighbourhood restaurant at heart: mention it to any local and chances are you’ll hear praising reviews and just how fond they are of the place.

On the night of our visit, ignoring the few herds of dark-suited foreign businessmen, the clientele consisted mostly of what seemed locals. “Oh, we live just a round the corner” was the opening line of the older couple seated next to us, who had just come for a quiet evening cocktail. The small talk concentrated around how fond of the place they were.

While occasionally gazing at the panoramic London skyline continuing to nearly infinity behind our backs, we were taken care of by a brilliant waiter, who, if cast in one of those vintage Bond films,

would probably play a sleek, efficient and deceptively friendly villain. Frolicking imagination aside, we were not deceived by him at any point, on the contrary: service here is top notch as well as even slightly amusing.

Our Champagne Menu included some excellent smaller dishes such as fiercely seasoned broccoli, rice vermicelli and a few pieces of delicious squid, but the undeniable queen of the night was the dim sum.

If you are a fan of cheap, basic dim sum in a high street restaurant and want to stay that way, you probably shouldn’t try Min Jiang, as you wouldn’t be able to go back to your standard joint – so impeccable was the dim sum here. Arguably this dish is not rocket science and it’s fairly hard to get it wrong, but to get it this right counts

as at least culinary science, if not space engineering. Min Jiang does dim sum in an area close to total perfection.

Desserts didn’t let us down either: the vanilla panna cotta mastered the occasionally challenging task of tasting neither like watered down milkshake or like a chunk of butter soaked in vanilla aroma, but nicely exactly somewhere in the middle.

The Szechuan pancake with ice cream did not fall behind either.

Min Jiang is a lovely experience from start to finish, with heaps of charming, hilarious and rare personality. I truly hope it stays that way. And even though I’m not a local, I’m now occasionally tempted to swap the trendy but characterless try-too-hard eateries of east London for a trip to the west.

vibrant spice recipes he remembered in hamburgers at a pop up on his Hackney roof, he found himself a new home under the Westway on Portobello Road.

The buzzy little restaurant has a simple menu of burgers (all for under a tenner) and fries with some exotic extras you don’t find in your usual fast food joints, such as their crispy Plantain Fries or the “Stamp and Go” saltfish and chili fritters.

As you might expect from a place

so heavily influenced by flavours of the Caribbean, the chicken burger is a heavily spiced “Jerk” version that comes with a fruity mango and pawpaw sauce. The Fish Boom is a delicious fillet of Red Snapper in an escovitch sauce and jerk mayo (in case your spice levels need topping up). Speaking of which, special mention must go to the Jerk Wings which come bathed in the house jerk sauce and will have you licking your fingers after they have gone.

For those more health conscious amongst us there is a fish salad and a (jerk) chicken salad, although we’d recommend that those looking for a lighter bite could try the breakfast boom, essentially a Jamaican egg and bacon sandwich with a fruity avocado salsa. If the ‘dirty Americana’ fad is not doing it for you then perhaps this take on hamburgers with a West Indian Slant might be just the ticket.

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R e sta u ra n t r e vi e w s

Lanes of London Words: Coco Khan London Marriott Hotel, 140 Park Ln, W1K www.lanesoflondon.com If you Google ‘Lanes of London’ you’ll notice something unusual. You’ll notice a Park Lane address, and that only two out of the possible four £ signs on the Google listing will be highlighted. This is no mistake. Two signs out of a possible four means moderately priced, and this is what Lanes of London is, a well-needed affordable place in the heart of Mayfair. Hallelujah. Of price isn’t everything, but whilst Lanes of London may be up to half the price of its neighbours, it is certainly not half the quality.

I arrive at the hotel lobby and am redirected out of the hotel, onto the street again, into the restaurant’s individual entrance. This might have been the whim of the concierge, but there’s something fitting about it. Lanes of London is not trying to be a hotel-restaurant, but rather be a standalone place with its own identity. For the most part it succeeds.

True, there’s something hotelish about the cocktail bar, with its inoffensive décor – pastel greens and creams – but the menu has character. The Lanes of London concept bursts onto the traditional menu, boasting a variety of exotic elixirs using everything from Ceylon Arrack, Touareg tea to Vietnamese herbs - but what is the concept?

The menu offers dishes from five distinct cuisines inspired by four of London’s most famous foodie lanes.

These are Lebanese food (Edgware Road); Vietnamese Food (Kingsland Road); Indian Food (Brick Lane); Seafood (Billingsgate) and classic British Cooking (Kensington’s own Portobello Road). Much of the criticism levied at

The Botanist Words: Sarah Jackson 7 Sloane Square, SW1W 8EE www.thebotanistonsloanesquare.com The music is pumping as I push my way through the doors of The Botanist in Sloane Square, with my mum on my arm. Clearly lots of people are enjoying an after work drink; the queue to the bar must be four people deep at least! I am relieved when we are ushered from the bar into the restaurant, which although fairly busy, is considerably less hectic. I have a feeling my mum isn’t in the mood to down shots with a bunch of burly bankers.

Despite this inopportune introduction, I must admit that The Botanist exhibits an interesting and well thought-out dichotomy, essentially being both a rowdy pub for socialising, and a sophisticated, yet relaxed eatery for those who want a quieter night out. I’d peg it as a place to go out with friends; there is a definite buzz about the place (perhaps because it seems to be constantly busy), which gives it the air of being “the place to be”. The clientele is certainly mixed though – there are people of all ages in the restaurant, and the prices are varied enough to suit most Londoners on a night out.

The food is top quality, seasonable, well presented and the portion sizes are simply huge. The confit of yellow fin tuna, which consists of, spiced tartar, spring onion and

the restaurant has argued that if you want the best of these respective cuisines you should probably visit each respective road, and they’re not wrong. But one can’t help but feel they’re missing the point.

Lanes of London is fun, damn fun, and some of the dishes on offer are genuinely accomplished. The salt baked pumpkin salad (black quinoa, pumpkin, goats cheese) is one of the best salad’s I’ve ever eaten – zingy, reviving with a sweet gooeyness – whilst the melt-in-mouth, sticky sliders brisket sliders with horseradish cream still bring a smile to my face. Having grown up in and around Brick Lane, dropping into family friend’s restaurants and gorging on butter chicken and naan for a fiver, I can honestly say that

amaranth salad (£12) would probably be enough to feed two people for a starter, whilst the mouthwatering seared king scallops with sweetcorn and black truffle (£14.40) are little mountains of decadence, so rich and fleshy that two would have been quite sufficient, rather than the four provided. This is no bad thing though; after all, if you share your starters, it halves the cost.

They have a great variety on the menu, with prices ranging from £15 to £58 for main (although that is the Chateaubriand, which is obviously for sharing, unless you’re a fan of Man vs. Food.) Delights such as venison “Wellington”, seared fried foie gras, spinach and black truffle jus (£32) and fillet of sea bass with fennel, tenderstem broccoli, lemon confit and sorrel gribiche (£26) are just some of the delicacies the menu has to offer, whilst providing the standard up-market fair of lobster (£24/46) and quality steak (ranging from rump at £26 to rib-eye at £29.50 for individual cuts).

The deserts are absolutely killer, and again, massive. I can barely fit mine in. I would definitely recommend sharing if you do go for one. Top picks from the desert menu have to be the chocolate parfait with blood orange (£6.50); the chocolate is light as feather, soft as a velvet and so deeply rich it makes my mouth pucker; the orange expertly cuts through to provide a palate cleansing burst of citrus. Then the double baked vanilla cheesecake with Yorkshire rhubard (£6.50); creamy without the clag-

the creamy butter chicken of Lanes of London is spot on to the butter chicken on Brick Lane in all its overindulgence.

The portion sizes are bigger than what you would expect from a tapas portion, but smaller than a main. One portion would be perfect for a light lunch, and with some starting from £6, a light lunch on Park Lane for under a tenner seems too good to be true. As a mix and match dinner, the combinations don’t always work but they’re not necessarily intended to - there’s a real pleasure in treating them as little courses in a banquet, experimenting in your own tasting menu, mixing and matching dishes as a group.

It’s playful and hands-on, unpretentious and friendly. It’s a Lane of London I would happily walk down.

factor and with an exquisite buttery, biscuity bottom, accompanied by the tartness of the rhubarb, this is a sweet to die for.

They also have a decent selection of wines, champagnes and cocktails. If you like white, I’d recommend the 2012 Billaud-Simon Chablis (Appellation Chablis Controlee) – a beautiful white Burgundy, made with the same grape as Chardonnay. (As a side note, for those who don’t like Chardonnay, possibly because of the common oakiness, I would recommend you try a Chablis; it might surprise you.) This bottle has a distinctive fruity aroma, nice clean finish and has the bonus of being both dry and yet rich in the middle. A perfect wine to go with fish or white meat.

If you want something a little more glamorous, there are several champagnes on

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offer, ranging from £52.50 for a Joseph Perrier, Brut Cuvée Royale, Chalons to a Louis Roederer, Cristal Brut, Reims at a pricy £270, not to mention a few rosé champagnes. However, if you’re more of a cocktail person, you can try the Botanist Champagne cocktail (£10.50), a delicate mix of Aperol, Elderflower, Peach bitters and Joseph Perrier Brut Champagne.

So, to the crux of the issue. If I had to refine this review down to three words to describe The Botanist restaurant, I’d go for: classy, fun and popular. It’s the kind of place to go on a Friday night, before you hit the clubs in Chelsea; in other words, definitely a bit of a hit for the readers of the Kensington and Chelsea Review. Just remember that you might not be able to dance if you eat as many courses as I did.

R e sta u ra n t r e vi e w s

Cheyne Walk Brasserie Words: Coco Khan 50 Cheyne Walk Chelsea, SW3 5LR Cheyne Walk Brasserie is the kind of tuckedaway, neighbourhood eatery that any discerning foodie would kill to have on its doorstep. It’s one of just a handful of places to wine and dine located in this residential area of the Chelsea Embankment. As such, it has a real classy feel to it. Clientele are either the well-heeled residents of the local area, or the people who have come from further afield to indulge.

I’d recommend taking a drink before dinner—just to soak up the wonderful interior. Banquette seating gives the restaurant a traditional brasserie feel, while the huge, glimmering chandelier

elevates the restaurant to something of a luxury. Balancing perfectly between casual eating and fine-dining is what Cheyne Walk Brasserie does effortlessly. The colour palette of the restaurant is cream and sky blue, to reflect the nearby river perhaps, and despite its airy and spring feel, still feels perfectly cosy and intimate by the dim dinner light.

The a la carte menu, along with the wine list, is heavy on tradition and light on pretence. Duck liver terrine, onion tart, steak with béarnaise sauce—familiar dishes, treated with respect. I’ve come to try the ‘Steak Escargot’, having struggled to find worthy escargot outside of France. It doesn’t disappoint. It arrives, a beautiful 21 day aged rib eyed steak matched with a snail sauce.

Hearty and unctuous, decadently fragrant of red wine, it’s absolutely delicious. Did I mention it had neighbourhood prices? It’s in fact so affordable you could try the two course set menu (inc wine and coffee) for

La Mancha Words: Maria Kivimaa 142 Chiswick High Road Chiswick, W4 1PU www.lamancha.co.uk It’s one of those places that don’t necessarily convince you from the outside but win you over as soon as you’ve been greeted, seated and fed. La Mancha, tapas and cava bar on Chiswick High Road leaves you content and full – which should be the basic function of a restaurant. Whether this is a more rare occurrence than it should be is up for debate.

First, a word of warning. It says “our portions are generous” on the top of the excellent and quite extensive

just £25, and feel quite treated. Plus with a menu changing seasonally you’ll be hard pushed to find yourself bored with the offering of this place.

For something special, book yourself onto the table next to the grill—which is

menu. Take this seriously. The portions would not pass as your standard ‘tapas’ but resemble small meals. If you go for the recommended five plates between two people and a main dish, you’ll still be digesting two days later. Be selective.

Which, with a menu like theirs, is admittedly a challenge. We were urged to test drive the spinach croquettes the chef had just perfected after a week’s careful trial, two years aged Jamon Iberico and the tomato bread – top marks for everything. The poached octopus had just the right amount of paprika kick and the silky gratinated spinach and goat’s cheese pancake and roasted suckling pig with apple sauce both deserve a hefty corner of your stomach.

There wasn’t room for any more solid dishes so we sadly had to skip the almond cake and opted for crème

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exposed to the restaurant—and watch the chef at work. Be warned though—if like me you arrive after a long day, fine wine and luxurious Steak Escargot next to an open fire is a recipe for premature sleepiness, but also for sweet dreams.

caramel instead, which was slightly too cold and lacked a hint of sweetness. There’s a good selection of ice creams as well but I highly recommend settling for a glass of port and saving your energy for feasting on the savoury side.

We had a loud party sitting behind us, which made a normal conversation impossible at times. The interior could do with a few more personal and warm touches – if only to rise on par with the excellent, even endearing service. We were made to feel like honourary guests at a Spanish family dinner. Slow dining it wasn’t though, food came at a frisky speed which – especially with portion sizes like this – robbed a tiny piece of pleasantness off the otherwise lovely experience.

La Mancha might feel like a chain restaurant but give it a chance. This place perches well above banal high street eateries.

R e sta u ra n t r e vi e w s

Brompton Asian Brasserie 223-225 Brompton Rd, SW3 www.bromptonasianbrasserie.co.uk We weren’t able to file this with the Russian restaurants feature earlier in the mag because this food is not Russian. It’s in fact, anything but. However, a restaurant launched by renowned restaurateur Arkady Novikov—a man who the Guardian once hailed as ‘Russia’s answer to Terence Conran’—is bound to have a little sprinkling of the Moscow glamour that has become synonymous with Kensington. It’s this perfect balancing act that makes Brompton Asian Brasserie a must-visit.

Brompton Asian Brasserie is, unsurprisingly, on the Brompton Road—but don’t let that put you off. Whilst its neighbours might be soulless tourist traps targeting flash Harrys and the uninformed culinary types, Brompton Asian Brasserie has integrity. The cuisine is ‘pan-Asian’, though there is a clear emphasis on Japanese cuisine. As such, the freshest ingredients, demonstrable knife skills, and tender-yet-distinct flavours mark the menu, and most of the dishes are perfect for sharing giving the venue an almost casual feel.

The tempura vegetables are light and have a wonderful airiness to balance the sweet dipping sauce, therefore actually functioning as a good starter as opposed to the filling, greasy tempura found in most. I cannot recommend enough the crispy duck salad that offers a crunch chiming harmoniously with the sharp and zingy dressing, alongside gooey aromatic duck.

These are complex and evolving flavours on the palette that never feel overpowering. The sashimi is an exceptional exercise

in traditional knife skills that presents every mouthful of highquality fish in its near-perfect, smooth-yet-meaty raw form.

The Argentinian beef with truffle and teriyaki is a satisfying and almost chocolately morsel in its richness, but all dishes must bow down to the black cod. I still think longingly about the black cod. It’s the aroma that stays with you – scented Yuzu (an Eastern Asian citrus fruit) combined with the smokiness of the grill. It’s unctuous and decadent, and falling off the fork as perfectly as it does, will awaken the diner to the power of the

Durbar?

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underrated cod. In the right hands, the humble cod is really quite the master.

And Brompton Asian Brasserie certainly has good hands.

Casual yet refined, glamourous but without pretension and vulgarity, it’s a jewel in what can be the ugly crown of Brompton Road. We should mention we didn’t visit on the weekend which tends to attract a different crowd and that the restaurant doesn’t come cheap—but if every diner can have the same experience we did, it’s worth every penny.

El Pirata deTapas Words: Coco Khan 115 Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill, W2 4UP www.elpiratadetapas.co.uk There’s much about El Pirata Detapas that is authentically Spanish. It’s relaxed, treading perfectly the fine line between ‘relaxed dining’ and ‘slow service’ that we’ve come to know so well from our trips to Spain. It’s affordable—diners can select from a variety of set menus from £10-£21 for a range of dishes that cover veg, fish and meat—and uses fantastic

produce that, to use a metaphor, would turn a ham sandwich into an oozy and gluttonous bocadillo.

Taking inspiration from the Mayfair stalwart, El Pirata—a Spanish restaurant that has boasted celebrity clientele and national reputation in its 15 years—El Pirata Detapas is a more casual, neighbourhood eatery. That doesn’t mean you should expect whitebait in a pint glass—there are ambitious dishes on offer that use foams and textures—but be aware that El Pirata Detapas’ claim to fame (Gordon Ramsey voted it Best Spanish Restaurant) was from a time when Omar Allibhoy was head chef. He’d trained at El Bulli—but he has since left.

R e sta u ra n t r e vi e w s

The New Angel Words: Sid Raghava 39 Chepstow Place, Notting Hill, W2 4TS www.thenewangel-nh.co.uk In 2005, almost immediately after returning to the UK from a stint in France, John BurtonRace purchased The New Angel in Dartmouth.

It earned a Michelin star in the same year. A couple of years later, a failed marriage and a public dalliance conflated by the appearance of Burton-Race on ‘I am a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’ resulted in an infamous closingdown of the restaurant by his estranged wife.

Now, seven years later, The New Angel has reemerged on Chepstow Place aiming to be a hot spot for Modern European food whilst doubling up as a relaxed fine dining experience for locals.

It marks the return of John B-R to the London scene after twelve years and there has been some healthy anticipation for obvious reasons.

With chef Steve Humphries at the helm tempered by John’s experience and finesse, The New Angel justifies itself as a foodie destination. At the same time, the simple elegant interiors inherited from the address’ previous occupiers – Colchis, a Georgian restaurant which I personally loved - offer a relaxed environment for the locals. Colchis has even bequeathed some of its waiting staff to the establishment.

The Food: For starters, let’s get to a couple of winners. There’s an Indian take on scallops which are served with curried cauliflower,

Trishna Words: Sid Raghava 15-17 Blandford St, Marylebone Village, W1U 3DG www.trishnalondon.com When I first thought of Trishna in Marylebone Village, I bizarrely drew an incongruous parallel to the 2011 work of the same name by auteur Michael Winterbottom. It was panned almost universally by critics but I personally liked the idea behind the movie—Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles loosely transposed to a contemporary India—something that has worked well with a lot of other English literary works. Much in the same vein only vice versa, I expected Karam Sethi’s debut offer to be in the vein of a British/European take on Indian cuisine. A Michelin star awarded in 2012 only supported that preconception. The obvious expectation was a restaurant of the ilk of Benares and Rasoi. The comparison stands but I was more than a little pleasantly surprised at Trishna unabashedly serving Indian food without taking on much of the nuances of sophisticated European eateries. It is refreshing to see that British Asian Karam Sethi much like the other premium Indian restaurants in London which are run by Indians born and trained in the subcontinent, recognises the culinary genius innate to the food and doesn’t feel the need

onion bhaji and pickled vegetable – an adroit melding of flavours with a curiously subtle finish. There’s also a very refreshing Lobster Salad with potatoes, truffle, Bloody Mary sauce and tarragon mayonnaise on the side.

This is sophisticated food brimming with clean flavours and interesting combinations.

The staff are friendly and informative and the sommelier only too keen to suggest the choicest of matching wines. The mains run along the same lines. Modern European food

with the sensible twist, JB-R style. Particularly satisfying was the pan-fried John Dory fillet Devonshire crab stuffed courgette flower served with sorrel, Jersey Royal potatoes and shellfish cream. The only disappointing aspect were the desserts. They just didn’t work. The Iced Mango Parfait with coconut, salt caramel popcorn, mango jelly and mousse sounds inspired and refreshing but it lacks the cohesion or the extravagance that it promises.

Similarly, the Raspberry Soufflé doesn’t quite

deliver the goods and leaves the diner with a semi-sweet tooth at the end of a magnificent culinary journey.

Overall, The New Angel, succeeds in its act and is a welcome addition to Notting Hill. It will definitely attract locals looking for exciting flavours in a relaxed, neighbourly environment and there’s enough in its arsenal to attract the foodie. John Burton-Race has made a welcome return to the capital and we’re delighted he chose the Royal Borough.

to give it a western slant. Trishna is a culinary journey that takes modern Indian cooking to new, dizzying heights.

Sethi collaborated with Trishna of Bombay to start off the journey in 2008. I remember going to the original a few times and was convinced that it was the best seafood restaurant in the world mainly because the speciality was south western Indian cuisine emanating from various exotic parts such as Ratnagiri Hills, Konkan Ghats and the Keralan coastline. It is commendable how a North Indian who grew up in London has mastered these flavours with minimal training. However it must be noted that this Trishna only takes inspiration from the Bombay branch. Sethi has successfully transplanted all of the key flavours and successfully given it his own unique twist.

If you’re after the essence of Trishna, look no further than the Koliwada Tasting Menu. The coastal flavours of South West India are deftly combined with local produce sourced from the coasts of Dorset, Cornwall and Scotland all with a focus on sustainability. Koliwada translates to a ‘community of Kolis’, the fishermen who’ve lived along the coastline of Maharasthra, the state that contains Bombay for time immemorial. The Kolhapuri Jheenga, a simple prawn dish flavoured with ginger and smoked chilly chutney sparks it all off. The Ajwaini Salmon Tikka spiced with carom seeds and dill raita is not quite as representative of

Koli food but it still works wonderfully within the choice of 5 or 7 course meal. The mains stray a bit further from the core Koli flavours to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh for the Lamb Masala and even further afar for the Gilafi Duck Seekh kebab, the latter a wonderful example of how Northern and Southern influences come together in the wonderful regional cuisines of India. The quail pepper Fry is Keralan heaven and the Hariyali Bream is fresh beyond words with hints of coriander and green chilly. For dessert, there is the Chocolate Chikki Cake, a sticky peanuty bar with flavours of almond and pistachio finished off with ice-cream or

the Cardamom Kheer, a rice pudding, Indian style. Every course has a spellbinding flavour of its own that rivetingly rolls into the next like a svelte gymnast on course to score a perfect ten.

Sethi’s new restaurant Gymkhana has garnered critical acclaim for its ‘chatpatta’ food (spicy in English is the nearest translation) and has been successful beyond anybody’s expectations. He is also involved in a whole host of other gastronomic ventures including a joint venture with Claus Meyer, Noma’s cofounder in Copenhagen. But it all started here in this quiet corner of Marylebone at the now legendary Trishna.

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A D V E RTO R I A L

It’s Whisky Season As the days get shorter and the nights cooler, there’s nothing more satisfying than a ‘wee dram’. Here the experts at luxury tasting experience, The Whisky Show, give us some pointers on the glorious drink and an insight into the art of distillation.

We’re struggling to come to terms with it, but it seems that summer is drawing to a close. We hate to admit it, but sooner or later we just have to accept it. As our wardrobe and outfits are adjusted to cope with the cooler nights, so does our spirits cupboard. The World Cup is over, Wimbledon has been and gone, so it’s time to push that bottle of cachaça you bought on a whim and the Pimm’s into a dark corner and pull out the whisky.

While many of us have grown up knowing how to make a good jug of Pimm’s (each of us with our own secret recipe or ingredient) and perfecting the gin and tonic, we tend to be much less creative with whisky. You can only drink it on its own right? No tonic, no ice, maybe water; if no one is watching. Wrong! Across the world, whisky has been introduced to countries as a mixed drink. They’ve grown up with this concept, but strangely we have not caught on to this idea, and it’s easier to change than you’d think.

Let’s start with the easiest of them all, and the perfect replacement for your G&T: the Mizuwari. Sounds fancy, but it’s so simple to make. Grab a large highball glass, pour in

a measure (or two) of whisky, fill your glass with cubed ice and top up with sparkling or soda water. Garnish with anything you feel like – citrus, thyme, rosemary or mint, all will provide a subtle difference to your drink. This works well with practically any whisky, too, from cheaper blends to top-end malts, so don’t feel like you need to buy a specific bottle. If you’d like a recommendation, however, our personal favourite would be something Japanese. Suntory’s Yamazaki 12 Year Old for a punchy version, or their Hakushu Distiller’s Reserve for something much lighter and more green and grassy – you can be really creative with your herbs for this one.

Now that we’ve learned the basics, let’s take it one step further and move on to a drink that looks much more complicated than it really is, and includes sexy glassware. I am definitely not a gardener. One thing we have always had a love for, however, is herbs.

Our next cocktail is perhaps an obvious choice: the Mint Julep. This is a very simple drink that will remind you of summer. Get yourself a chilled cocktail shaker, throw in

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a dozen mint leaves, two measures of bourbon whiskey, a slug of sugar syrup (depending on how sweet you want it), add ice and shake. This is where the sexy glassware comes into play. Juleps are traditionally served in metal glasses that should be stored in the fridge for at least two hours in advance (or five to 10 minutes in the freezer if you need to cheat). Half-fill your julep glass with crushed ice and fine-strain your mixture in, stir, fill with more crushed ice to the top, stir again and garnish with a sprig of mint and powdered sugar. Delicious, simple to make, and great for parties.

Give them a go – they really are a doddle to make, and they taste great. Or, if you’re keen to learn more, join us at The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show and visit our cocktail bars for more inspiration and advice. Among the host of guests exhibiting are the legendary Ryan Chetiyawardana and Iain Griffiths from White Lyan and Dandelyan (which opens soon) serving up some delicious drinks.

For more information visit http://www.whiskyshow.com/

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A D V E RTO R I A L

VegfestUK London VegfestUK London is one of Europe’s flagship food and lifestyle events, which takes place on September 27th 28th at London Olympia in the West Halls. Billed as one of Europe’s flagship veggie food festivals, it’s a must-visit by many foodies, veggies and meat-reducers across the country.

It has everything for everyone—from superb cuisines and excellent shopping options from around 200 stalls; to captivating live entertainment from comedians such as Andrew O’Neill (Never Mind the Buzzcocks); musicians and kid’s activities with Sarah-Jane Honeywell (CBeebies); on top of health and lifestyle information from nearly 100 talks and cookery demos from ITV Daybreak’s Amanda Hamilton.

The event is set to attract around 10,000 visitors over 2 days. Visitors to this event will be treated to an absolute feast of mouth-watering food, top-notch bodycare and wonderful fashion from 14 caterers and over 200 stalls, with many special discounts and free samples on display.

Health enthusiasts will not want to miss the dozens of talks, cookery demos, LiveWell workshops, sessions on raw foods, kids cookery classes, short films on the benefits of increasing their intake of plant-based foods, and how to get the best out of everyday plant foods.

Add in some seriously uplifting comedy hours including

a set from vegan comedian Andrew O’Neill who’s appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks and BBC Radio 4. He will be performing a new vegan-inspired routine especially created for VegfestUK London 2014. There’s also live music, kids entertainment, a stars quiz, plus 1-to-1 meet and greet sessions and book signings with a number of celebrities and experts on healthy living. Visitors do have a top day out to look forward to.

This huge show plays host to a collection of famous speakers and performers, including author, nutritionist and broadcaster from ITV’s Daybreak, Amanda Hamilton and CBeebies presenter Sarah-Jane Honeywell. Australian performer Vegan Smythe, Goldblade frontman John Robb, and Amico Bio head chef Pasquale Amico will also be appearing.

Ex-Everton footballer Neil Robinson and the world’s first vegan footballer, will perform a live demo of his favourite smoothies, plus there’ll be appearances from famous vegan athletes including former professional Ironman triathlete

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Brendan Brazier; Strongman and 2013 Vegan Athlete of the Year, Patrik Baboumian; and North Pole Marathon and Antarctic Ice Marathon champion, Fiona Oakes.

The Vegan Society is guest of honour as this fantastic campaign and outreach organisation celebrates its 70th birthday in 2014. The Vegan Society are the named charity at VegfestUK London this year, so visit the stall for some free resources, to get involved, become a member or to find out more about the essential work The Vegan Society does for veganism.

Advance tickets are now available at www.london. vegfest.co.uk/ticket-info, with Buy One Get One Free offers running till August 23rd, and Buy One Get One Half Price offers running till September 15th. Admission to this event is by both advance tickets and payment on the gate. Tickets are priced at £10 for adults and £6 for claimants in advance (£12 / £8 for tickets on the gate). The event is free for kids under 16, so do make sure to bring your whole family along!

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Alongside our showroom is our 6,000 square foot workshop manned by highly experienced Rolls-Royce trained engineers. Maintenance, restoration and general servicing is all carried out on site for our customers at very competitive rates. Complimentary collection, delivery and valeting all comes as part of our service.

Whether you are looking to acquire the car of your dreams, considering investing in a classic Rolls-Royce or Bentley, or simply need to arrange a service for your motor car, Frank Dale & Stepsons can assist with all of your needs. If you would like to arrange a visit to our facility or to discuss your particular requirements we would be delighted to hear from you.

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French office: Christian Teissier, 8 Avenue J.Bordeneuve, 47300 Villeneuve-Sur-Lot, Bordeaux France Tel: 0033 55 340 3470 Fax: 0033 55 340 3481 christeissier@yahoo.fr Japanese Office: Mr Kiyoharu Wakui, Kuruma Doraku 2-10-11, Yayoi Bunkyo Ku, Tokyo, Japan Tel: 0081 33 81 16 170 Fax: 0081 33 81 66 175 kuruma.doraku@nifty.com

1961 Bentley S2 Continental Coupe by H.J.Mulliner

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1954 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn Standard Steel Saloon

1950 Bentley Mk VI Sports Saloon by Park Ward

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125 Harlequin Avenue, Great West Road, London TW8 9EW, UK Tel: 020 8847 5447 Fax: 020 8560 5748 www.: frankdale.com Email: info@frankdale.com page. 61 French office: Christian Teissier, 8 Avenue J.Bordeneuve, 47300 Villeneuve-Sur-Lot, Bordeaux France Tel: 0033 55 340 3470 Fax: 0033 55 340 3481 christeissier@yahoo.fr Japanese Office: Mr Kiyoharu Wakui, Kuruma Doraku 2-10-11, Yayoi Bunkyo Ku, Tokyo, Japan Tel: 0081 33 81 16 170 Fax: 0081 33 81 66 175 kuruma.doraku@nifty.com

MOTO R I NG

Luxury Workhorse As the sunshine finally arrives, it’s time to road trip. For this, there’s nothing quite like a luxury pick-up. Adrian Foster reviews the Nissan Navara Tekna Connect Diesel Double Cab 4x4 Pick Up Nissan’s utilitarian Navara workhorse is currently Europe’s best-selling pick-up in this trendy 4x4 sector, although that hasn’t stopped the Japanese firm from giving it a range of upgrades to make sure it remains at the top of the sales charts.

The Navara has been around since 2005 and is built in the same factory as the Pathfinder SUV, which has also been upgraded. Both cars use the same ladder frame chassis which is suited to their rugged character and their working conditions. The key advantages of retaining these underpinnings, instead of opting for a more modern and refined monocoque, are their simplicity and strength. This means that as well as coping with off-road terrain, thanks to its switchable four-wheel-drive, the Navara can lug a load of up to 1,090kg, and tow a 3,000kg trailer when fitted with the new 3.0-litre V6 diesel.

At a glance Externally, the new Navara is now a little longer, more rounded and finished inside with a sharper-looking centre console that has become easier to use. The top-spec Tekna version we tested gets a revised engine which now delivers a whopping 190hp and a hefty slug of torque. To mark out the latest Navara, there’s a new front bumper, bonnet and grille which extends the length of the nose by 8cm. Despite there not being any radical changes to the Tonka Toy looks, the rounded bumper is more aerodynamic, benefiting fuel consumption. New 18-inch alloy wheels, and the option of the striking Electric Blue paint applied to our test car, complete the tweaks.

Engines and spec The entry-level engine fitted to our test vehicle is a 2.5-litre diesel that produces 187bhp and a healthy-sounding 332lb ft of torque. However, it disappoints in real-world driving because it feels weak at low revs and doesn’t like to be worked hard. The pricier 3.0-litre V6 diesel, which generates 228bhp and 406lb ft of torque, is a much stronger performer.

The performance comes at a price however, as even the most efficient model struggles to return more than 30mpg and progress can be noisy when pressing on. Offered in Acenta King Cab specification with small rear-hinged doors

and a rear bench, or Tekna and Outlaw Double Cab format with full-size, four-door, four-seat layout, the Navara is very practical and feels well made. The four-wheel-drive system includes a low-range set of gear ratios for serious mudplugging and, when more economical progress is preferred, the Navara can also run in two-wheel-drive mode.

At the wheel Inside the Navara Double Cab the cabin is more modern in feel, relatively spacious and hard wearing following the recent upgrade, although some of the lower down plastics still feel somewhat crude. But in contrast to its rugged exterior, the interior is surprisingly luxurious. Three in four Navaras sold in the UK are delivered in range-topping Tekna trim, which includes heated leather seats with redesigned backs for better support on long journeys, leather steering wheel and gear knob, electric sunroof, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth telephone integration and six CD autochanger.

There’s certainly more luxury car than rugged workhorse about the cabin.

The switchgear comprises big, easy to use buttons and chunky indicator stalks, while cruise control now features a speed limiter. Plenty of cubbies, storage areas and door bins are located in and around the cabin, but some of the controls and switches could be better located. Our car featured the optional Nissan Connect Premium system, which includes a hard diskbased sat-nav and Bose stereo, as well as a reversing camera which is essential when manoeuvring in tight spaces.

The rear load bay measures 1,560mm wide and 1,511mm in length which makes carrying bulky equipment and heavy luggage a breeze. An optional hard top is available to protect contents from the elements.

On the road For all its comfort and interior space, you cannot escape the fact that the Navara is a big truck needing a big space when you need to swing about. Built to carry heavy loads and drive through fields or building sites, the Navara isn’t perhaps as comfortable or as sophisticated as many similarly priced SUVs when driven on tarmac roads. The front seats have

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lots of leg room but a limited level of adjustment results in some drivers experiencing a far from ideal driving position.

At motorway speeds there is a noticeable level of road and mechanical noise entering the cabin which can become tiring on longer journeys.

The switchable four wheel-drive means that the Navara is mostly rear-driven on the road, but there’s a low range transfer box which gives the truck ample off-road ability.

The low-geared steering takes some getting used to, but the handling is quite good given the car’s size, especially when carrying loads. However, the downside of the car’s basic ladder frame chassis is that the leaf-sprung rear suspension is fidgety and the steering feels rubbery, especially over expansion gaps on the motorway. The chassis also transmits vibrations through the cabin, steering wheel and pedals, which can get tiring on longer drives. And while body roll isn’t too much of an issue for the driver, who has the steering wheel to cling on to, the amount of lean in corners is likely to give passengers an uncomfortable ride.

Wind noise and road roar from the tyres is pronounced too.

Whether or not the Navara make sense as a company vehicle really comes down to what your needs are. A requirement for four-wheel drive would suggest forestry, landscaping, maybe building and even rural veterinary work. We’ve even seen pick-ups liveried for antique dealerships. On the downside, the double-cab configuration curtails the load length, but the bed will accept a standard Euro pallet and at, 1,125kg, the payload is reasonable.

Our verdict In summary, on top of its tax benefits as a pick-up, the Nissan Navara’s large load bay and composed handling are key attributes. The Double Cab can seat five in comfort, too.

Tough, strong, and built to last, the Navara is still the perfect workhorse and although its huge size and lusty-sounding diesels won’t suit everyone, it’s still one of the best pick-ups in its class. All of this comes at a price, however.

Prices start from £26,945 www.nissan.co.uk/cars/4x4/new-nissan-navara-tekna

British art at its very best

Graham Sutherland OM (1903-1980) ‘Cave Entrance’, 1961, oil on canvas, 24 x 19 cm From: Piano Nobile www.piano-nobile.com

10 – 14 September 2014 Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU

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