The Great Beyond Edition

VOLUME FOUR | ISSUE T WO | FREE

The Great Beyond Edition In which we rediscover the British seaside, explore Thailand’s isles and have a brief Highland fling, alongside the best of what’s new in the Royal Borough…

8th, 9th & 10th

June 2018

Hurlingham Park, Fulham polointheparklondon.com

FOR LONDON’S FINEST

FROM THE SERIES ‘PLANETS’ © HERMES LUCAS

Welcome to the latest issue of Kensington and Chelsea Review.

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

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

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

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Editor’s Letter Whether you’re cursing the Beast from the East or trying to build a snowman, the Royal Borough has been at the mercy of the descending mercury. To warm our cockles, we’ve indulged in lobster breakfasts at the recently revived Kettner’s Townhouse, and elegant sushi dinners at top Japanese joint Cubé. We jetted off to Bordeaux for a few glasses of wine, and to Piedmont, where we were scrubbed with plonk in a vinotherapie spa. Then we slipped our mittens back on as we holed up in a chalet in Chamonix, discovered Courmayer’s dining scene and ate our way from Edinburgh to Glasgow. We also delved into the work of a controversy-courting artist and tried out Paddington’s new Peter Blake barge.

Meanwhile, back in the Borough, we said farewell to beloved institution, the Kensington Roof Gardens. Where will we get our alfresco cocktail fix now the sun’s back out?

PUBLISHER Talismanic Media

THE KENSINGTON & CHELSEA TEAM

FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR Sid Raghava CHIEF EDITOR Kate Weir ART DIRECTOR Harriet Bedder MOTORING EDITOR Lisa Cur tiss OFFICE MANAGER Lee Marrero CONTRIBUTORS Tracy Borman, Tani Burns, Serena Doherty, Andrew Hancock, Adam Jacot de Boinod, Coco Khan, Elizabeth Norton, Sid Raghava, Sarah Rodrigues and Susan Saunders.

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

Contents 4.

News

8.

Creative Kensington

14.

Travel

40.

Shopping

46.

Eat

62.

Drive

Explore the latest openings, exhibitions and events from the borough and beyond.

On-the-go photographer Hermès Lucas wows us with his pictures – and tales – from the road, and provocateur Anthony Christian gives good face…

We follow Scotland’s whisky trail from Edinburgh to Glasgow, chill out in Thailand and stop for an ice-cream in Margate… Then we sun ourselves in Lisbon, cool off in Chamonix and take a deep dive into the Maldives.

This month we took a trip to Bicester Village for an altogether different mall experience – Westfield, who?

Try fine Aussie cuisine on a floating piece of art, murder a gourmet meal on the Belmond British Pullman Express, and sink your teeth into some meaty immersive theatre in The Vaults. Think beyond the restaurant when dining out this month…

The sleek machines to be seen in…

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

READ ALL ABOUT IT A rundown of news, covering art, culture – and the plain intriguing… All handpicked for the Royal Borough resident. WORDS: SID RAGHAVA AND KATE WEIR ALCHEMY AT AFRIDI Chelsea’s Afridi Gallery is a celebration of beautiful design, offering the best in Eastern and European carpets and modernist statement pieces of the 20th century.

Verner Panton chairs, Carlo Mollino lighting, Poul Henningsen shades: Danish and Italian mid-century masters make for a very sophisticated line in furniture, and some attractive silhouettes. Whether you’re an enthusiast or looking to invest, be sure to stop by.

AN OFFICER AND A CURRY JKS Restaurants has confirmed that it will launch Brigadiers, an Indian barbecue restaurant and drinking tavern, at Bloomberg Arcade in the City of London in May 2018.

It’s inspired by the army mess bars of India, where military regiments go to eat, drink and socialise. On-tap cocktails will include a Nitro Espresso Martini, which will be served like a milky stout, and a cask hand-pulled Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned. Focusing on classic methods of grilling and barbecuing meat, Brigadiers will also dedicate a section to mixed-grill cast-iron sizzler plates (meat, seafood and veg). Revolving around a sense of occasion and fun, group dining will be encouraged, with a number of feast menus to pre-order, including dishes such as whole suckling-lamb biryani. Further information on Brigadiers, including its confirmed opening date and reservation lines, will be announced in due course.

76 Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea London, SW3 4HN www.shahbazafridi.com

1-5 Bloomberg Arcade City of London, EC4N 8AR www.brigadierslondon.com NEW FESTIVAL IN EAST LONDON All Points East Festival has headliners LCD Soundsystem, The XX and Björk, plus a huge supporting lineup already announced.

Now 38 more names have been added to the festival for the first weekend of the brand new 10-day event in Tower Hamlets’ beautiful Victoria Park, East London.

Promising an incredible lineup across multiple genres, All Points East will also be bringing some of the finest electronic and dance acts to London in May. Kings of French electro Justice will be bringing their huge live show to the festival alongside a carefully selected lineup of some of the best DJs in the world.Tickets on sale now. www.allpointseastfestival.com.

CHELSEA ARTS CLUB Refurbishment specialist ITC Concepts have completed an elegant update to one of London’s most illustrious private members’ venues, The Chelsea Arts Club.

ITC’s most recent project for the globally renowned venue involved the full fit out of the guest rooms and bathrooms on the upper floors of the club, the reconfiguration of the reception area, and polishing up the Billiard Room; the centre of artistic activity at the club, where many of the members’ own works are exhibited. Extensive care was taken to ensure that the spaces continued to reflect the creative heritage of the Arts Club.

The refurbishment was completed with an emphasis on maintaining the atmosphere and history of the exclusive club, which has been the heart of a community of artists since 1891 and to this day promotes a distinctive bohemian character.

143 Old Church Street, Chelsea, London SW3 6EB www.chelseaartsclub.com

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PENMAN’S WINDSOR FAIR Penman’s’ first art and antiques fair at the Royal Windsor Racecourse will be held from the 8 to 10 June and will include fine antiques, interiors and jewellery. This new event will be a relaxing day out with an intriguing range of fine art and antiques, and an array of stylish pieces from 1650 to the present day, to enhance your homes, plus glamorous fine and costume jewellery and accessories. Catering is in the newly expanded 1866 Bar in the adjacent Paddock Pavilion, and, weather permitting, we hope to offer a prosecco bar and cream teas on the Lawn.

Friday and Saturday, 10.30am - 6pm; Sunday, 10.30am - 5pm. www.penman-fairs.co.uk

THE PRINCIPAL HOTEL The latest addition to Principal – a collection of exceptionally located hotels based in landmark buildings – opened in London this April. The unveiling of the 334-room Principal London will transform the former Hotel Russell: a Grade II-listed building which occupies the eastern flank of Russell Square in Bloomsbury; restoring a glamorous, grande dame to its original glory and administering a shot of adrenaline to the heart of London’s most literary neighbourhood. The hotel is steeped in history, having first opened its doors in 1898. Lavishly appointed and boasting a striking terracotta exterior – with four British queens guarding the entrance – it was always intended to be a glamorous home. Inside The Principal London, striking, contemporary interior design will pay homage to the building’s illustrious history, while providing stylish form and function for the modern traveller.

SALON64 Hot off the successful launch of the groundbreaking hair and beauty salon, Salon64, Ricky Walters is establishing his name as the ‘curl king of Soho’. The highend luxury salon, located in London’s Soho, diverges away from traditional salons and barber shops. It aims to provide ‘re-engineered cosmetology’ a modern concept, which essentially provides a flexible space where patrons can meet, retreat, work and enjoy a host of pampering and styling services in a home-away-from-home environment. Sound good? Head to Soho and become your new avatar.

14 Bateman Street, Soho London, W1D 3AG www.salon64.co.uk

AONO HAIR AONO is a British barbershop challenging traditional retail conventions by fusing fashion and lifestyle. They were recently selected as the only barbershop to stock David Beckham’s highly anticipated collaboration with L’Oréal, House 99. The founder, Adam Harris, has deep roots in the tattoo and barbering community and a love for streetwear; as such, AONO was initially born through a small run of t-shirts. They offer barbering services in Harvey Nichols as part of Project 109, a unique endeavour created with the contemporary man in mind, offering accessible luxury and an ever-changing curated edit of fashion, grooming and lifestyle brands. ww.aono.co.uk

8 Russell Square, Bloomsbury London, WC1B 5BE www.theprincipalhotel.com

FLOWER LUNCHES AT THE DORCHESTER Inspired by the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester will offer a floral-inspired Lunch Flower Menu, created

by Executive Chef Jean-Philippe Blondet and his talented team for the duration of the show. The menu draws inspiration from spring, with the Lunch Flower Menu culminating with a quintessentially English dessert, the English rose garden, created

by Pastry Chef Thibault Hauchard. The dessert features a rose ganache covered in a thin layer of chocolate, moulded into the shape of a rose, filled with fresh strawberries, strawberry gel and fresh mint, and decorated with crystallised rose petals. The dessert is served with a strawberry sorbet on the side.

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR We don’t give enough attention to the quality of the air we breathe, especially in our domestic environments, and, according to the World Health Organisation, air pollution is the single largest environmental health risk that we face. Design entrepreneurs Andreas and Tobias Murray have launched a premium airpurifier for the home. Designed by Swedish studio MP12, handcrafted by artisans and fully customisable, the Livsdal purifier’s aesthetic is a contemporary take on the 19thcentury Swedish Empire style. A sophisticated structure of wood, stainless steel and natural stone conceals a state-of-the-art filtration system, capturing pollutants such as viruses, pollen, bacteria and toxic molecules. One Livsdal can make interior spaces, of up to 150 square metres, more than 50 times cleaner.

Available from Harrods or www.livsdal.com

The Lunch Flower Menu is available for a limited time, between Tuesday 22 May to Friday 26 May, 12 noon to 1.30pm. £65 for three courses, two glasses of wine, a half bottle of mineral water and coffee/tea for two. www.alainducasse-dorchester.com 020 7629 8866 alainducassereservations@alainducassedorchester.com PAGE 5

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

ARABIAN TALES AT LFW Jamie Stevens led the hair team at this year’s Stories From Arabia show at The De Vere Grande Connaught Rooms, where he debuted the new textured look he’s tipping for summer and created a number of styles in addition to this random crimped pattern.

This included a wet-hair look and a low bun with a twist, using Matrix hair products and DivaProStyling tools, including ‘the Texture’, the ‘Wide Styler’, and ‘the Ultra Dryer’.

Stories From Arabia (featured by vogue. com) is the largest platform encompassing elite fashion designers from Arabia during London Fashion Week. Eight designers from The Middle East showcased their intricate collections, rich in traditional techniques, bold with the colours of their region and an overall ode to their roots. Jamie has four salons, including two in London (Kensington and newly opened Clapham) and clients include Lottie Moss, Elle Macpherson, Caroline Flack, Nicole Scherzinger and Leonardo di Caprio.

INAUGURAL LONDON SAXOPHONE FESTIVAL May 2018 sees the launch of the inaugural London Saxophone Festival (21–27 May), a celebration of all things sax, taking place at a range of venues and event spaces across the capital. This week-long series of events will involve performances from world-class musicians, educational workshops, film and exhibitions. The series of concerts will include performances from Grammy-winning artists Bob Reynolds, Casey Benjamin of hip-hop inspired outfit The Robert Glasper Experiment, MOBO-award-winning saxophonist YolanDa Brown and BBC Young Musician Jazz Award winner, Alexander Bone. In addition to these live performances, the festival will also incorporate a wide range of workshops and educational events for families, aimed at providing knowledge, insights and inspiration to aspiring musicians or anyone who is curious to find out more about the saxophone.

Tickets on sale now. www.londonsaxophonefestival.com

9 Russell Gardens, Kensington, London, W14 8EZ 020 7371 1944 www.jamiestevenshair.com

REAL MUSIC FOR CHARITY An exciting charity campaign has been announced in aid of Help Musicians called Real Music, with Sir Paul McCartney, Sting, Timothy B Schmit, James Hetfield, Robert Plant, Brian May, Eric Clapton, Carole King, Roger Daltrey, Smokey Robinson, Frankie Valli, Stevie Nicks, Mick Hucknall, Hal Blaine, Nigel Olsson, Ringo Starr and Phil Collins.

Help Musicians is the leading UK charity for professional musicians of all genres, from starting out through to retirement.

They offer help at times of crisis and times of opportunity, often supporting musicians at a crucial stage that could make or break their career. The Real Music campaign will raise funds for the charity through the sale of Real Music sweatshirts and t-shirts by sustainable fashion brand, Tom Cridland. All of the profits will be donated directly to Help Musicians. The Real Music sweatshirts and t-shirts feature a graphic depicting these 20 world-class rock n’ roll musicians playing together as a supergroup. To support the campaign, the artists listed above have kindly agreed to feature in the Real Music supergroup. www.tomcridland.com/collections/the-realmusic-collection

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

ALES AND TALES Prepare to get very merry at Oval Space on the 1 and 2 June, when Ales Tales Festival – a celebration of Belgian beers – is held. Tickets (£42 for an afternoon, £35 for early-evening entry) let guests try up to 70 beer samples from 20 craft brewers. Try Trappist, sour and fruit beers from small producers, such as ‘T Hofbrouwerijke and farmhouse brewery Hof Ten Dormaal. Each beer is unique, whether barrel-aged, unfiltered, fermented in the bottle… And, this is both a great intro for the intrigued and a comprehensive spread for experts in Belgian beer. Pair with the Belgian frites, cheeses and waffles served here and enjoy diverse, delicious beers from the country that does it best. Tickets on sale now. www.alestales.com

KNOTS ON KINGS Knots Rugs is a family-run business specialising in cutting-edge contemporary hand-knotted rugs. The rugs are produced in Nepal and Jaipur, using the finest quality Tibetan highland wool, Bikaner wool, Chinese silk and nettle; but it’s firmly based in London, with a flagship store on the King’s Road, Chelsea. London is also the true inspiration behind the Knots Rugs collection – the urban surroundings, wealth of fine art, fashion, nature and textile design – the company are always looking for something to inspire and expand their imaginations on what can be achieved in the complex creation of a hand-knotted rug.

Using traditional rug-weaving techniques, with the highest quality materials, combined with their innovative designs, Knots Rugs provide the perfect base for a rich, exotic and evocative setting.

595 King’s Road, London SW6 2EL www.knotsrugs.co.uk PAGE 6

CUTTER & SQUIDGE’S IMMERSIVE AFTERNOON TEA The Potion Room is Cutter & Squidge’s latest immersive afternoon tea experience at the flagship Brewer Street store. Over the course of two-and-a-half hours, guests will mix up their own potent potions and magical snacks in a School of Alchemy, under the guidance of a Potion Master. A film-set and interior-design maestro has designed the school, and alongside a little time spent spellbound, there’s a big finish and guests get a bespoke gift to take home. Tickets on sale now. www.cutterandsquidge.com /pages/potionroom

MARIO VALENTINO: A (HARDBACK) HISTORY OF FASHION, DESIGN AND ART The House of Valentino has released the perfect coffee-table book to enrich your living room and compliment your brunch conversation. The beautiful hardback book chronicles the rise of the Valentino fashion house – made famous by Mario Valentino’s father, Vincenzo, for his artisan shoes praised by the Savoys. From its conception as a tiny shop in Naples, 1952, Ornella Cirillo delves into how the Valentino DNA has transformed the long-running ‘Made In Italy’, family-run company into the long withstanding empire that stands today, still true to its roots, headquartered in Naples. Alongside 200 colour photographs and illustrations, the book delves into the Valentino archive to reveal the brand’s exciting adventure over the last 66 years, and how the house continues to influence fashion today.

AMERICAN BAR AT THE STAFFORD The Stafford have relaunched the hotel’s much loved American Bar after a lengthy refurbishment. Culinary Director Ben Tish has curated an exciting menu that will showcase Mediterranean flavours.

Additionally, there is also an innovative new cocktail list inspired by the local St James’s area. The American Bar at The Stafford London is one of the few remaining ‘American’ cocktail bars that became familiar in London and Paris during the 1920s and 30s. Its lively atmosphere, intimate corners, quality service and oldschool glamour have made it a favourite meeting place for both hotel guests and visitors for over a century. With the new interiors, created by Rosendale Design, a marble bar will take pride of place and will be complemented by mahogany panelling, emerald-green upholstery, vintage glassware and brass fittings. Furthermore, retaining the wonderful history of the room, the space will remain adorned with signed photographs from the hotel’s famous patrons and an intriguing collection of artefacts donated by guests over the years.

American Bar at The Stafford London, 16–18 St James’s Place, London SW1A 1NJ www.thestaffordlondon.com

Q UINC Y BACK O N T HE BLO CK FOR HIS 85T H The iconic Quincy Jones will return to the UK for a concert that pays tribute to his unparalleled career, and celebrates his 85th birthday, at The O2, London, on Wednesday 27 June 2018. Joined by a host of special guests, and a full symphony orchestra, Quincy Jones – A Life In Song will bring the acclaimed producer, songwriter, composer, and all-round hitmaker back to the stage for a night of music and on-stage conversation.

He will also be musical director for the show, as an orchestra conducted by Jules Buckley performs arrangements of his best loved hits, sung by musical talents such as Caro Emerald, Jess Glynne, Lalah Hathaway, Mick Hucknall, Beverley Knight, Jonah Nilsson, Mark Ronson, Jack Savoretti and Andreas Varady. The concert will also feature a tribute to English songwriter, producer, and musician Rod Temperton, who passed away in 2016. Tickets for Quincy Jones are available from Ticketmaster.

Quincy Jones – A Life In Song at The O2, Peninsula Square, London SE10 0DX www.ticketmaster.co.uk

FITNESS IN K&C Ultimate Performance (UP) has opened its third location in London. The gym is situated in a prime location on Kensington High Street and will provide personal-training services to the West London areas of Notting Hill, Kensington & Chelsea, Belgravia, Holland Park and Knightsbridge. UP is a global company with gyms in London, Manchester, Los Angeles, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Amsterdam, and Marbella. Nick Mitchell, Founder and Global CEO says ‘Ultimate Performance was founded in London and has forged its reputation here in the capital over the past decade as the pinnacle of personal training. While we continue to expand the UP business across four continents, with 13 gyms and counting; it fills me with immense pride and pleasure to be able to launch our third gym here in London.’

THE HEART OF THE ALGARVE Situated in the heart of the authentic Algarve, Ombria Resort is an new world leading luxury development set amidst 153 hectares of serene, secluded and natural landscape of rolling green hills, rivers and lush cork and oak forests, 8 km north of Loulé and 20 km from the beaches and Faro airport.

Opening in early 2020, Ombria Resort will set the bar as a new generation of low - density resort development where sustainability, the environment and support of the nature and local heritage lie at the heart of the resort.

Ombria Resort will be designed to the highest international standards of design, service, quality and state-of-the-art facilities.

62–64 Kensington High Street W8 4PE www.upfitness.com

For more information, please visit www.ombria.com PAGE 7

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

LOOK, SEE: AN INTERVIEW WITH PHOTOGRAPHER HERMÈS LUCAS

FROM THE SERIES ‘PLANETS’ © HERMES LUCAS

The Kensington & Chelsea Review discusses Classical artwork, disappearing communities and close calls with nomadic photographer Hermès Lucas.

You’ve had a fascinatingly diverse career, please tell us a little about your background?

I was brought up with a great sense of the arts; my father was an architect and his father a master craftsman/wood carver, with an aesthete’s approach to the visual arts. Having spent my childhood in a turbulent Middle East, I also had a strong involvement in law and politics. This led to an interest in international disputes, both private and public (including UN-related issues), though always with my brain conditioned to seeing things as an artist.

My international work involves constant travel, being embedded in varied societies and hearing people’s stories, which led to people and situations revealing themselves to me through the camera’s eye.

Did you feel there was quite a natural progression to fine arts?

My work is multifaceted, as one can see from some of my ‘Access to Content/Context’ works. In such context-oriented images, one has to work very fast and intuitively frame the pictures.

It is an act of instinctive photo-reportage, while remaining part of the action myself. The aesthete’s interpretation leads to more allegorical and emotional pictures, moving towards fine art.

Then there is a dialogue between ‘realistic’ reportage and details in light and form that hone in on the emotion of the image, until the abstraction is either allegorical or dissects the emotion.

The overriding element though is a strong image, visually; then the viewer is compelled to interpret it.

Do you try to remain invisible in your work?

Absolutely yes. The work is very spontaneous in terms of getting in the ‘zone’ and being taken over by it. Whether social commentary in the street, with the sense of feeling and the light

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

guiding me, or in situations where I am not incognito but taking portraits, if one can call them that. It’s either about interpreting the emotions in something naturally playing out and presenting itself to the world, or, by contrast, about the subject’s in-depth response to me on a one-to-one basis. Some photographs succeed in look, but they sit side by side with ones that transcend aesthetics to something else. In street photography, I try to spring on a situation unawares.

What’s been your most challenging project and why?

Walking the inner city streets in Latin America and the MENA region. I try to look for what has been described as ‘Inframundo’ – parallel societies which tend to inhabit historic parts of town, now abandoned either because of war or decay. These areas can be colourful and fast, hiding ethnic, social and specific sexualorientation groups that may be shunned by the wider society.

The process involves moving between postcodes that separate one group from another; each such ‘block’ has a visual and story to interpret and tell.

How do you decide on a new project?

I deliberately have a context for my projects. This is greatly helped by my background in international disputes. The nature of international conflict, if you are interested in the story of the people in question, takes you to places where there are stories to be told and are unfolding all around you. I’ve developed such stories for other artists as well, since there are only so many one can follow. I discover the story as I meet and build relationships with people.

Which pieces of Classical, Pre-Raphaelite Impressionist work have inspired you the most?

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and

I was brought up with the contrapposto-chiaroscuro works of the 5th-century BC Greek Revolution in the arts. I was fascinated by the Winged Victory of Samothrace, Hermes of Praxiteles and the east pediment of the Parthenon, which my ‘Planets’ series references. The way the figures interrelate and hold themselves harks back to ancient pediments. Multi-layered allusions with the same aesthetic are seen in Rosetti’s ‘Proserpine’ and ByrneJones’ works, such as the ‘Marriage of Psyche’, as well as the play between shape and colour (and the complex layering, which refers back to our universal humanity). From the Impressionists, I love the work of Caillebotte and Degas, both of whom bring real photographic discipline and the rule-of-thirds composition to life, but with a dynamic tension that transcends the medium.

As with impressionist work, the photographs may not always satify technical criteria (e.g. sharpness), but convey a message that makes the reader feel the picture is complete. The observer is a participant in what the photo ‘is’.

Which contemporary photographers are you most impressed with?

As with my photographs, I avoid inspiration, but when developing a project I may see a trend that draws the work of people like Cartier-Bresson for composition and allegory, and Ernst Haas and Saul Leiter for their colours and ingenuity – especially on how to use the camera to draw. I do this not for precision, but as a tool to take my aesthetics further, as Burne-Jones did when joining the pre-Raphaelite brotherhood in its later stages.

Have you ever been in any hair-raising situations while on a shoot?

A number of times – I’ve been attacked by bandits in rural areas and street gangs for my photographic gear – but these are just close encounters. I have on occasion had to hand over my equipment (or damaged it trying to save it!) and belongings for my own safety. Other challenges involve being sensitive to those around me, either for religious or political purposes.

The worst situation was when what appeared to be drugged-up gang members approaching me, which required running into a cinema and climbing out of its bar window then hiding behind bushes.

I love the fragility of your images, largely due to the film you use and your photographic technique. How did this style evolve?

Using chiaroscuro works well with figures moving in a contrapposto fashion and any sensitive film will stamp its own, sometimes velvety, quality onto this. Extreme light and shadows reflect how one would paint or use pastels to depict the scene.

It doesn’t meet photographic criteria but it allows me to approach the matter in an impressionistic fashion. The ability to dream is re-enhanced by the slowness of the medium, which lends itself to movement.

Do you plan to return to drawing at any time?

In some respects I’ve never left it, since film has the effect of imposing the emulsion or its colour onto the gelatin and translate that onto paper. Even with transparencies, this is a process of dodging and burning which I do in the way I would sketch a drawing. At the expense of digital and computer development, I concentrate most of my learning on editing and sequencing on the photographic side, to be able to capture detail quickly in

fast and furious photographic situations. But most importantly, I continue with my work at the Royal Academy with Royal Academicians on painting and drawing themes, which speak to my photographic approach. I therefore work on drawing regularly as a way to visit and revisit my photographic work.

What are the most important lessons you’ve learnt about other cultures during your travels?

The most important is universality. There is also an affinity of the soul and similar stories of socio-economic cultural issues that present themselves. One of the themes I’ve worked on has been the sense of human beings to claim their place on the planet, even when it seems alien.

Your work often has a philanthropic focus or shines light on issues – what do you believe is the most effective form of activism?

Interestingly, I left art behind as a youngster to use my other skills to improve or express a rebellion against societal norms, which I felt were against our common humanity – whether institutionalised racism, sexism, imposed sexual preferences etc.

Through the years I realised that being an artist has to do with the way your brain short-circuits and how you experience everything, and then how you portray that experience so you can share it.

A particularly strong sense or need for extroversion allows me a universal connection that lands me into situations and stories; a shared humanity that links us in itself leads to action. An example would be Arthur Miller’s work; inevitably injustices elsewhere visit and revisit us, so a powerful positive dialectic created by visual art that speaks to the human spirit can have life-imitatingart-imitating-life, perhaps to infinity, in a manner that it has a philanthropic effect in its pure linguistic sense, as in love for humans as a way to transcend us to creation.

Where will your next adventure take you?

I am getting ready for various missions and commissions but concentrating on disappearing communities in Central America and Asia, as well as groups asserting themselves in search of an identity, but without reference to acceptable or pre-existing borders. They have a sense of ‘homelessness’, and musical and visual imagery and mythology. This includes the artisan sugarmakers in Honduras and El Salvador, the Maronites and Yazidis in diaspora in the Middle East and Europe, and also Mediterranean port communities that share the tradition of music based on fate, nostalgia and melancholia that has given us Fado, Tango, Moorish music and Rebetiko.

Hermès’ work recently showed at Gallery Thirteen in Kensington.

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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

FROM THE SERIES ‘PLANETS’ © HERMES LUCAS

‘I’ve been attacked by bandits in rural areas and street gangs for my photographic gear – but these are just close encounters.’

ANIMATED CHARACTER: THE ART OF ANTHONY CHRISTIAN A triumphant return from the man who shunned the art world.

Words by KATE WEIR

While most 10 year-olds are, well, acting their age, painter Anthony Christian was in the National Gallery, reproducing Dutch master Philips Wouwerman’s Cavalry Battle in painstaking detail. Life hasn’t really become much more ordinary for Christian ever since. A prodigious talent, who’s sold in the millions, he’s courted controversy not only for his racy subject matter (couples copulating in The Artist’s Thoughts Manifesting whilst Painting the Trees at Parlington, When Mona Came to Tea – which shows the Mona Lisa in flagrante; a guess as good as any regarding that enigmatic smile…), but his refusal to operate within the auction system, preferring to work one on one with clients, much like the masters of old who so inspire his work.

His clients include royalty and celebrities: Madonna’s a collector, Gore Vidal is, the Queen has one of Christian’s less-racy works (a portrait of Lord Mountbatten). His diverse fan base speaks to his wildly flexible talents. Drawing from the techniques of the Renaissance painters, Rubens, Rembrandt and others, he’s been commissioned for portraits of Baroness Olympia de Rothschild, Baroness Fiona Thyssen-Bornemisza, Lord Lichfield, Blake Edwards, Julie Christie and Terence Stamp, among others, but he grew weary of painting the idealised versions people wanted to see of themselves as opposed to his vision.

He moved to Asia, settling in Bali in 1988, where his brilliant, erotic and surreal work flourished. Now for the first time in decades, his work has been on display in Zari Gallery.

Animate/Inanimate will show 15 works spanning the artist’s career from the 1970s till 2017. Each piece shows his skill as a figurative artist, with bodies at rest, a self portrait, and a painting of the fully articulated artist’s dummy he purchased in Paris for a great sum (hence the mannequin’s name).

The pictures are intimate yet detached, and the viewer seems to be intruding on their world. The shock factor of turning art’s historic heroine into a sex object has been dialled back here, but works such as Redhead in a Red Bed still stir up some sexiness. Christian is still as compelling

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as he ever was, a rebel in as much as his Renaissance heroes were. Lord Kenneth Clark wrote to him, ‘I don’t know which to admire the most; your courage in defying the tendencies of modern art or the skill with which you have done so.’

But, perhaps my favourite Anthony Christian legend is an alleged anecdote concerning Dali, an artist formerly admired

by Christian, who had fallen out of favour.

The story goes: Dali wanted his portrait painted and Christian turned him down.

Instead, Christian drew a portrait of himself angry at the prospect. Dali loved it, but Christian wouldn’t sell this to him either, even when he was offered gold. The spat ended with Christian saying he would never be for sale.

A breathtaking talent, a stickler for convictions, and a man with the chutzpah to turn down one of the 20th-century’s legends – yes, Christian is an engaging figure indeed.

ANIMATE / INANIMATE was on show at Zari Gallery.

The exhibition was curated by Jana Manuelpillai, Founder of Manuelpillai Fine Arts. www.zarigallery.co.uk 73 Newman Street, London, W1T 3EJ 0207 580 7759 info@zarigallery.co.uk

‘His clients include royalty and celebrities: Madonna’s a collector, Gore Vidal is, the Queen has one of Christian’s less-racy works...’

LEFT TO RIGHT 1. REDHEAD IN A RED BED ( 2015 ), OIL ON BOARD, 19 X 24 IN. © ANTHONY CHRISTIAN. 2. FAIR FEATHER FRIEND (2006-7), OIL ON BOARD, 46.5X17.5" (C) ANTHONY CHRISTIAN 3. REDHEAD IN A RED BED ( 2015 ), OIL ON BOARD, 19 X 24 IN. © ANTHONY CHRISTIAN 4. FANNY SLEEPING BACKVIEW ( 2015), OIL ON BOARD, 10 X 30 INCHES (C) ANTHONY CHRISTIAN

TAKING THE PLUNGE We speak to the founder of luxury swimwear brand JAG London

Jag Lehal’s life has come back full circle. Growing up, she was immersed in fashion courtesy her parent’s involvement in the clothing industry. Her mother was a very skilled seamstress who taught her to sew and eventually design and make clothes for herself. Her parents’ strong work ethic inspired her through university and a marketing career in the pharmaceuticals industry. But her creativity and artisitic inclinations dude her back to designing clothes. We spoke to her about her brand.

you. You should never let being female be a barrier but rather a positive factor. There are many successful businesswomen and every one of them has a duty to be a role model. If you want to start your own business you should get out of your comfort zone, believe you can do it and give it your all. I really like the way Virginia Rometty, the CEO of IBM puts it: “I learned to always take on things I’d never done before. Growth and comfort do not co-exist.”

Q: Jag, you’ve clearly worked hard to produce a very distinctive brand and must have done a lot of research before setting out on this business venture. How did it all come about?

Jag Lehal: The luxury swimwear idea came to me while I was holidaying on the French Riviera with my family. My daughter’s idea of a mother- daughter swimwear range evolved into an elegant, stylish luxury women’s swimwear and accessories range. This the initial spark, has now brought me full circle back to the passion I grew up with. The skills I have learnt from my corporate career have helped me greatly on this journey from project management, marketing and building relationships.

Q: How do you manage your family, work and social life as a businesswoman running your own company?

JL: Your family and friends are your biggest support when setting up and running a business and this is something you should never forget. Having two young children, the work-life balance has always been challenging. As a woman, in my mind there was never the option to not work. It’s in my DNA, coming from a family with a strong work ethic.

Unfortunately, there are times when you will miss events, but having my own business I can thankfully be largely flexible when I schedule my workload. I would generally start early and work late so I can fit in important events that my children are taking part in, or meet a friend.

Q: How does an entrepreneur identify their audience and connect with them?

JL: I don’t like to categorise people, so I would just say that I visualise my audience in all circumstances, no matter what their age. For example for my audience, I know they want to be elegant and modern, because they reflect my own desires.

To ensure great fit and quality, we take time over each design to sample and tweak until we are 100% happy, no matter how long it takes. This is one of our core brand values – to choose the best quality material and ensure a high standard of fitting.

Q: What does 2018 have in store for you?

We are already working on the next swim and beachwear collections. JAG London also has an accessories line of beach bags and hats, which we will extend further this year.

We’ll be supporting The Eve Appeal, the only national cancer charity raising awareness and funding research into the five gynaecological cancers. I am passionate about this both personally and because of previous work on cancer projects.

It’s really vital to support charities and organisations you believe in. JAG London donate £10 for every ladies swimwear bought online to The Eve Appeal.

Q: What’s it like for a woman starting out with her own business?

JL: Starting a new business for anyone is a huge commitment.

You face challenges every day, and I truly believe that as a woman, only when you believe in yourself will others believe in

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Find the collection at: www.jaglondon.com Instagram: jaglondon _beachwear Facebook : jaglondonbeachwear

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BRUXELLES ET MOI

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A TALE OF TWO CITY STAYS: EDINBURGH TO GLASGOW KATE WEIR moves from Edinburgh’s graceful antiquity to Glasgow’s indie cool, with stops at the finest restaurants and best new boutique stays.

EDINBURGH ARRIVE: THE CALEDONIAN SLEEPER

To reach Auld Reekie (Edinburgh’s nickname from its less-fragrant past), the Caledonian Sleeper is the comfiest way to arrive.

Due for a shiny new makeover this year, its cabins are simple but cosy, with hangers, a little tray table and a sleep kit with Arran Aromatic lotions and potions, an eye mask and perfumed pillow spray, so you wake fresh the next day. Well, almost, depending on your nocturnal activities… The dining car’s pre-mixed bottles of Mac & Wild cocktails and whisky minis may make for a groggy awakening. But, you’ll be revived with a cheery knock on the door delivering a bacon butty, coffee and juice; and with views of Edinburgh’s picturesque suburbs from Carstairs onwards.

Journeys depart around 11.50pm (and while waiting you can hang out in the Virgin first-class lounge in Euston), and trains arrive at around 7.20am.

(See Coco Khan’s full account of an overnight journey on the sleeper at the end of this article.)

STAY: EDEN LOCKE

As I exit Edinburgh Waverley station onto Princes Street, first light is breaking over the city; the sooty Scott Monument (a Gothic erection devoted to Rob Roy scribe Sir Walter Scott), the ramshackle patchwork of Old Town blocks seen from North Bridge, and the Firth of Forth over George Street’s hump are quietly radiant. I’m thrilled to be back, but I’m fearing a brutal wait until check-in.

Thankfully, I’m staying at the wonderfully accommodating Eden Locke aparthotel, which sits at the Charlotte Square end of well-heeled stretch, George Street. As I wearily arrive to drop my bags, the curiously awake and smiley staff promptly hand me a key. It’s a very welcome gesture, and a nod to the new wave of Edinburgh stays. Grand Dame hotels, such as the Balmoral, maintain their repute, but they’re perhaps a touch old-school.

Ice-cream-hued Eden Locke (sister to London’s equally headturning Leman Locke), is designed to lure an in-crowd; not least with the waft of freshly ground coffee from its lobby caff Hyde & Son Bar – a breezy, mint-green space scattered with justright mid-century-style cane seating, chunky-knit pouffes and potted ferns. To wash down ‘bear claws’ and banana-peanut frangipane croissants are coffee-based cocktails called Netflix & Chill and an ultra-mouthy negroni. Or a smoothie, if you’ve overindulged on the sleeper train.

Aside from a splash of buttercup-yellow paint or chocolateleather headboards, Eden Locke’s rooms keep to a pastel palette of soft pinks, dove greys, and a dash of obligatory tartan – but as a soft, coral-hued throw. The long-term-stay-sized suites are fiendishly clever in their design. All spaces are maximised, whether it’s the compact kitchen within which I keep finding new appliances (a dishwasher! A washing-machine!), or the subtly delineated bedroom, dining, and living spaces, marked out using a corner sofa and wardrobe-cum-chest of drawers. It turns out that you can purchase most items within, so I immediately covet the Delftware salt-and-pepper shakers; mesh trinketbowl; the numberless bedside clock; the trivet (whatever that

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is); and even a curious painting of some Rubenesque cherubs.

These residences are stocked for far more than a minibreak, with all utensils, cutlery and such; a snoozably soft bed; a packed bag of T2 tea-bags and Doisy & Dam chocolate, and Kinsey Apothecary bath products. All bases are covered with ‘hangover’ and ‘sensuality’ kits, and there’s a large Smart TV on which we tune into addicting Japanese cable channel NHK world.

127 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4JS, from £140 a night www.lockeliving.com/eden-locke

DINE: CASTLE TERRACE RESTAURANT

As alluring as Japanese dance-offs and sensual goodie bags are, we have a hot date with Dominic Jack, the deservedly renowned chef of Castle Terrace Restaurant, who attracts Michelin stars to his orbit. The space itself (designed by Jack’s star-chef friend Tom Kitchin), in the shadow of the Castle’s keep, is elegant, with gilded ceilings, navy walls and minimalist artwork.

There’s a reverent, but not unfriendly, atmosphere; we soon realise why: most conversationalists are occupied with the showpiece food. The menu is a tempting read, with Shetland salmon and skate, Orkney scallops, Inverurie lamb, and other locally reared treats, but its teasing descriptions betray little of Jack’s full theatrical flair. The show begins with amuse-bouches: a moon rock of salt-cod barbajuan; a mini egg formed of goat’s cheese, apricot and pork collar; a green blob of Caesar salad.

Then panna cotta of Arbroath smokie; I’m a sucker for wellsourced Scottish ingredients – the birds, beasts and fish of the highlands and lowlands are wonderfully flavourful. The chef’s signature dish – a clearly laboured-over pâté en croute of roe deer from the Stobo Estate in Peebles (I try not to bat an eyelid when we pay our respects to the chef and Jack tells me the deer was shot to order) comes as a perfect pie slice. Ayrshire pork with apple arrives as five dishes in one (pork fillet and cheek; breaded trotter; crisp, caramelly belly; and bacon and black pudding with chorizo) in a mop-uppable jus captured within an apple-sauce border. We wash this down with the wine list’s more leftfield choices: a Gewurtztraminer and Slovenian Zeleni Silvanec.

We also partake of gin- and champagne-shaken cocktails.

My friend, whose allergies offer an insight into the chef’s flexibility, are catered to at every turn – when told of my friend’s dairy allergy and general fruit intolerance he whips up a delectable dark-chocolate sorbet especially for her. I have no such hurdles, so I merrily dip my spoon into a fluffy, cloud of caramel soufflé, mining its chocolate-ganache centre. On the chef’s insistence, I’d waited the 15 minutes it takes to make the dish fresh, and I had no regrets. Full and happy, I’m now a fast fan of Jack, who honed his skills at Gleneagles Hotel and a glittering array of starred French eateries. If you enjoy Heston Blumenthal’s whimsy, but want serious Scottish flair, Jack is your man – this is a dining experience both joyous and haute, refined, yet surprising.

33–35 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2EL www.castleterracerestaurant.com

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THE CITY

Edinburgh is a walkable city, and the hotel is a totter from two main drags: George Street, a stretch of elegant eateries and boutiques ending close to Harvey Nicks. Princes Street has high-street favourites and its home to historic department store Jenners. Opposite, lies Princes Street Gardens, a manicured green stretch with a beautiful Victorian graveyard by St Cuthbert’s Church and some wonderful statuary. Watch for the elegant assemblage of bums atop the Ross Fountain, and two animal heroes: the artillery-toting ‘soldier bear’ and Bum the Dog, Greyfriar’s Bobby’s US counterpart – Bobby’s memorial is on Candlemaker Row. In the medieval Old Town, wander up towards the castle at the peak (stopping at the trippy Camera Obscura) or Holyrood House, Queen Liz’s Scottish abode, at its foot. Sweep down Victoria Street’s rainbow of shops for antique tomes at the Old Town Bookshop, tweed suits in Walker Slater, quirky wearables in Swish, and pungent cheeses at IJ Mellis. Fuel up on Oink’s hog-roast rolls, then hit the Grassmarket for its strip of oldschool pubs, including the Smallest Pub in Scotland. Browse homegrown talent old and new in the National Gallery and the City Art Centre, or pursue grislier exploits in Surgeons’ Hall Museum, where a purse made of body-snatcher William Burke’s skin infamously resides. Ghost tours descend into subterranean caverns such as Mary King’s Close and the Blair Street Underground vaults – both spooky good fun, if slightly cheesy, romps through the city’s darker corners.

CASTLE TERRACE RESTAURANT EDINBURGH

DRAMS TOUR EDINBURGH

BEYOND THE CITY: TOURING WITH DRAMS SCOTLAND

It’s easy to leave the city behind for greener pastures; in around 15 minutes you can be in the lush green lowlands – but, you need a car, and if you want a few whisky stops, a driver too. I didn’t want a package tour of shufflers and facts barked into earpieces; Drams Scotland’s bespoke tours were ideal for a personalised countryside jaunt. Husband and wife team, Michael and AnnMarie (who have been planning tours for more than a decade), specialise in private, custom tours tailored to clients’ wishes.

My list of must-sees grew – scenery! Castles! Whisky! – to a length that seemed diva-ish, but within 24 hours a spot-on itinerary arrived, encompassing all our demands. Michael picked us up outside Eden Locke in a comfortable, six-seater Ford minivan. First, we headed north, past grand schools such as Stewarts Melville College, up towards Queensferry for a view of the Firth of Forth’s three bridges (yes, people ask where the fourth one is…): the Golden Gate-hued Forth Bridge (modelled on San Fran’s most loved); the Unesco-protected Forth Road Bridge (built between 1883 and 1890 by 4,500 workers); and the more recent Queensferry Crossing. From there we drove to Falkirk to see the Kelpies – huge steel statues of two rearing horses heads, named after fierce mythical beasts. Built as a metaphor of Scottish industry’s strength and to honour its tireless workhorses (both human and equine), they also put sleepy Falkirk on the map. We drive on through vivid autumnal scenery to Stirling, a place rife with history and legend.

It looks charming in the unseasonal Scottish sunlight, but Stirling Bridge was the site of a brutal 13th-century battle in Scotland’s War for independence, where William ‘Braveheart’ Wallace clobbered British troops hampered by the narrow bridge and their heavy horses and armour. From here you can spy the 19th-century, Victorian-Gothic Wallace Monument, atop Abbey Craig. Thankful that the English and Scottish are somewhat reconciled, we ride on to Deanston Distillery, a former Perthshire textile mill sat alongside an as-it-was workers’ village. It was also the set for Ken Loach’s The Angel’s Share (a term for spilt whisky). We learn how Deanston’s whisky evolves from barley grain, to the bottle of gingerbread-sweet, honey-tailed 18-yearold single malt I buy after an on-site tasting; the process involves

TOM KITCHIN @ THE KITCHIN RESTAURANT EDINBURGH

just a splash of Leith water; storage in Kentucky Bourbon barrels; spitting, bubbling fermenting vats; and handsome copper stills. Deanston is eco-conscious, too: it generates all its power using a turbine house, and any excess is sold back to the National Grid. Our guides lead our – now merrier – band past the Ochil Hills, the gateway to the Highlands, for a stop at 15th-century Castle Campbell, a ruined fortress once owned by the powerful Campbells of Argyle Glen. From its turret you can see the terraced gardens cut into the hillside and miles of rolling hilly woodland beyond. Formerly dubbed Castle Gloom, it’s hosted dour preacher John Knox and Mary Queen of Scots.

Buzzing on fresh air and fine whisky, we lunch at Bridge Street Kitchen in Dollar, a sweet quirky café where they serve a mean raclette pizza. Excellent distillery conduits and hosts, Michael and Ann-Marie regale us with tales of Scottish history and whiskysplashed yarns, peppering anecdotes with recommendations of restaurants, bars and attractions – and niche distilleries on Islay (Scotland’s ‘champagne’ region) and Speyside (where big-name brands blend). Offering so much more than a designated driver – and wonderfully flexible tours – it’s the chance to experience Scottish conviviality, and bank some local knowledge, that makes Drams Scotland such a sterling outfit.

(Visit www.dramsscotland.com or email hello@dramsscotland.com to arrange your tour)

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DINE: THE KITCHIN

After sampling Dominic Jack’s fabulous food, it would be rude for us not to stop by his childhood friend’s restaurant…

The Kitchin is one of Scotland’s best-known dining spots, largely due to its head honcho, the fatefully named Tom Kitchin, whose stint as a MasterChef judge and contender on the Great British Menu – and his cookbooks, and his Michelin-star-spangled career – have earned him worldwide renown. Under his guidance, alongside his wife Michaela, The Kitchin has risen as eloquently as the home-made sourdough it serves, an ascent that reflects the regeneration of its Leith ‘hood – infamously the setting for Trainspotting. The Kitchin unassumingly sits along the waterfront – now a buzzy row of bars and eateries.

Within, Kitchin’s nature-to-plate philosophy is reflected in the decor; segments of dry-stone wall and fleecy stools sit by geometric fireplaces, steel girders and button-back banquettes.

You can spy Kitchin presiding over his squad through a glass partition. As we eye-up the menu, nibbling crudités, dunking honey-and-rosemary flatbreads into a salmon-and-cheese dip, and pulling chunks of warm bread from a Harris-tweed basket, we’re handed a scrolled map of Scotland noting the origin of each ingredient; it showcases Kitchin’s dedication to locality and the menus’ seasonality (including set lunches and surprise tasting menus), and gives diners a true sense of place – a lovely touch.

To dine here is to cast a line into Scotland’s lochs, forage in its hedgerows and stalk its game – with the added bonus of having the hard work carried out for you and presented with artful plating. (All filleting and butchering is done in-house).

To start, a palate-cleansing carrot velouté with ginger and lime; followed by cannelloni of Hebridean langoustines with crab meat in a thick, creamy sauce with ceps. For my main, lowlands venison crusted with pepper, with sweetly acidic bramble and apple, and root-vegetable purée, in a red-wine jus, it’s earthy yet elegant. My friend’s lamb comes with a wholesome array of roasted artichokes and carrots.

We waddle over to the kitchen to greet Tom, amused to find he has a little rest area for the admirers who stop by.

He’s charmingly accommodating of my friend’s allergies, crafting a delicious fruity sorbet. For dessert a rich dark-chocolate tart, punched up with macerated Fife cherries and cut through with cool fresh mint. The flavours mingle like guests at an urbane dinner party; although with a wine list of Sancerre, Malbec, unfiltered Chardonnay, Orange Pinot Noir and a thoroughly researched champagne list, our dinner is a getting a touch less refined. We’re merry, well-fed and full of slàinte (Gaelic for ‘good health’) – of the kind only an indulgent two days experiencing Edinburgh’s windswept, welcoming magic can provide.

78 Commercial Quay, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6LX www.thekitchin.com

CITIZEN M HOTEL GLASGOW

GLASGOW

Glasgow is around a 30-minute train journey, direct from Edinburgh Waverley (a one-way ticket is £12.90) Glasgow is Edinburgh’s scruffier, cooler younger brother, whose record collection is full of obscure bootleg vinyl. The city’s urban sprawl encompasses decorous, red-sandstone Victorian townhouses, Rennie Mackintosh’s elegantly composed Glasgow Style buildings, a Georgian centre, and curious space-age follies: the Clyde Stadium and silver-shell of the Science Centre.

Within, there’s enough grit and verve to keep things interesting.

We had just 24 hours to discover Glasgow’s best bits.

A whistlestop tour that took us through the Taste! gallery at The Museum of Modern art with a quick stop to muse at the trafficcone-topped Duke of Wellington statue outside. We stopped by the Timorous Beasties store and Glasgow School of Art’s shop for achingly hip homewares, we went on a vintage trip to Mr Ben Retro Clothing and Starry Starry Night; then we stopped for craft brews and a game of Scrabble in the super-chill The Old Hairdressers, a cool assemblage of mismatched seats, scuffed concrete walls and obscure film artwork. We stop by Stereo across the road to see which bands are playing; then it’s time for dinner at Bilson Eleven in Dennistoun. A historic building where elegant and inventive Scots’ cuisine is served. But, not before a quick pint at immensely jovial bar Redmond’s just across the road.

STAY: CITIZEN M

Citizen M – a fast-growing Dutch hotel chain that attracts businessfolk, techies, and trendsetters alike – reflects Glasgow’s modern mindset; it’s sleek, smart and energy-efficient design is achieved by using 198 prefabricated room modules as building blocks (pieced together by architects John Sisk & Son).

The brand has several locations throughout Europe, but this was the first of many UK outposts.

The hotel’s set in Glasgow’s theatre district, close to the Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow Concert Hall – and Cineworld.

The Gallery of Modern Art, main shopping strips, and the beautiful Lighthouse building are all a 10-minute walk away.

So, its pitched in an ideal spot for roaming and revelry, and it’s just a 15-minute walk from the station. Within, the stay’s coolly modern – Mario Testino’s snap of a tropically face-painted Kate Moss greets you on arrival. But, it’s not too cool; the staff may be called ambassadors and the front desk has been replaced with speedy kiosks where you can check-in and make your own key-card, but lounges and communal workspaces littered with avante-garde seating encourage guests to settle and socialise.

The decor is supplied by Vitra – who’ve scattered iconic pieces by Verner Panton, Jean Prouve, Eero Saarinen and Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec throughout the bright spaces.

I’m particularly taken with the playful Eames elephant and Panton’s Living Tower – a sort of cushioned scribble you can crawl into. iMacs are free to use, WiFi is speedy, and there’s a bank of Nelson desks where you can work and watch the world go by.

CanteenM, reached via a sweeping red spiral staircase serves up salads, sushi, sandwiches, coffees and pastries all day and night. Draught beers, iced champagne and a range of cocktails comprise alcoholic picks. Come morning, here’s where you’ll find a very reasonable and typically generous Scottish breakfast (black pudding, haggis, eggs, bacon, the full shebang…).

Walking into our room feels like entering a cabin on a spaceship: glossy white surfaces are offset by curvaceous red furnishings, and the bathroom (with a rain shower, sink and toilet) resides in a semi-translucent pod just steps from an enormous bed. A large window wall keeps rooms from feeling too cosy (all are doubles, but the bed likely fits more than two). The brand errs towards an Innocent-smoothie-style tongue-in-cheek tone: ‘do not disturb’ signs warn that there’s a naked person indoors, pillows egg guests on to fight, body washes promise to revivify the scruffiest travellers. The fun begins when we start playing Pictures of Castle Terrace Restaurant, Drams Scotland’s whisky tour, Citizen M Hotel Glasgow and Eden Lock © Gabriella Persson

with the in-room iPad – the nerve centre for all the room’s tech.

Blinds start whizzing up and down as if they’re possessed; the mood-lighting switches from ‘work’ to ‘romance’ mode at the sweep of a click-wheel. We get comfy in the snoozably soft bed and select A Cure for Wellness and Split from the impressive film selection – and scroll quickly through the blush-worthy ream of pornos. Cheeky? Yes. Cool? Absolutely.

If you’ve packed as much of Scotland’s cities into a long weekend as we did, the Caledonian Sleeper will be a welcome way to return. And, its 11.40pm departure gives you enough time to squeeze in a few last drams…

60 Renfrew Street, Glasgow G2 3BW www.citizenm.com/destinations/glasgow/glasgow-hotel

EDEN LOCKE HOTEL EDINBURGH

OVERNIGHT ON THE CALEDONIAN SLEEPER COCO KHAN heads to Edinburgh on the iconic Scottish night train – one of two remaining sleeper services in the UK What is it about the humble train that has captivated so many minds over the last century or so? Few items from the daily furniture of life have become the subject of paint (Turner, Van Gogh, Monet), word (Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, Greene’s Stamboul Train), and film (The Darjeeling Limited, Strangers on a Train)—and a cursory Google says that despite a near future of self-driving cars and air travel as cheap as a bus, trainspotting continues to sustain its fanbase.

But aboard the overnight sleeper train from London to Edinburgh, I can begin to see why.

The train, known as the Caledonian (or Cally) Sleeper takes passengers between London and Edinburgh before continuing on to either Aberdeen, Inverness or Fort William. The route takes you through some of the most scenic parts of the country, but at night when you can’t see it. That might sound like a dealbreaker, but despite the darkness which it roars through, the Cally Sleeper is jolly good fun.

Perhaps it’s the novelty of sleeping on a train, after all this route is one of only two sleeper services in operation, the other being the red-eye journey from London to Penzance.

Overnight services are usually a thing of the past, in this case, from the late 1800s when the sleeper carriage became a mainstay of services to Scotland. Undoubtedly, that touch of history makes the already lovely service into a standalone experience itself.

The dining carriage stands out as a highlight; it offers a menu pulled together using local produce from the surrounds of the route – using actual cutlery rather than plastic – and provides the business class feel you might expect on a flight. But unlike airplane business class, the Cally Sleeper offers real privacy; its secluded rooms known as berths contain a proper bed, a personal washbasin and are hidden behind your own assigned door. And while the gentle swaying of the train stopped me from getting much shut eye (note to self: next time, try a dram of whisky), my partner found the light rocking nothing short of an in-utero experience, claiming later to have the best night’s sleep he’d had in years.

It’s no wonder that the Cally Sleeper continues to attract customers and investment. This year, the trains are due a revamp, dialling up the luxury aspect aboard. Customers travelling the route toward the end of the year can enjoy new berths, some of which allow for double occupancy (no more sharing a dorm with a stranger!) and include an ensuite shower, akin to a modest hotel room. Other new features include WiFi, USB charging points and a hotel key-card system. The new and improved carriages of the iconic train will be rolling along from November.

For more information visit and to book, visit www.sleeper.scot

CALEDONIAN SLEEPER

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TAPPING INTO LISBON SARAH RODRIGUES flew on TAP’s inaugural flight from London City to Lisbon, to enjoy the heady delights of the Portuguese capital.

I’ve never been a believer in hating Mondays – I mean, surely it’s your attitude that’s the problem, rather than the day? But it has to be said that people probably endure far worse on the first working day of the week than we have done today.

Thoughts of crowded London Underground are about as far away as imaginable right now. A brightly coloured group of vintage convertible VW Beetles are lined up outside Hotel Cascais Miragem, where last night I fell asleep with the curtains flung wide open, to fully experience the sensational sunrise I’d been told to expect. It didn’t disappoint: in fact I discarded my intentions of watching light unfurl across the sky from the decadent comfort of my bed, and found myself roused and drawn to the terrace to fully immerse myself in the scenery. All around me, on other terraces, heads floating out of windows attached to iPhones held aloft, have succumb to the same spell.

But, back to the fleet of Beetles, which have arrived to take us on a coastal drive from Cascais, with stop-offs along the way. It’s a glorious day – unseasonably warm, we’re told – and there’s a slight scuffle over who’ll get to sit in ‘the red one’ before we depart, driven by flat-capped, britches-wearing drivers at a speed that leaves our hair wild and our faces plastered in smiles.

At Cabo da Roca, small clusters of tourists, arms held out and sleeves filling with wind, are posing for obligatory photos of themselves at Portugal’s most westerly point. Fishermen perch on slabs of rock at Boca do Inferno - Hell’s Mouth - while visitors lean out from the lookout, trying to capture the striking cliff formations from the best angle. As far as Mondays go, this one is shaping up to be exceptional.

It gets even better when we head back into the city, being dropped off close to the Praça do Comércio at the AlmaLusa Hotel. Occupying a renovated 18th-century building, the rooms of this boutique hotel are nothing short of captivating: original features have been retained and, in keeping with this faithfulness to heritage, all of its products, from toiletries to bedding, are, wherever possible, Portuguese. Alas, we’re only here for lunch at its Delphina Restaurant, which also focuses on local produce and puts a modern twist on Portuguese classics. It’s sublime. With a walking tour of the city’s street art planned for the afternoon, we don’t feel any compunction about eating as much as possible after all, we’ll need the energy, right?

Actually, given the the fact of Lisbon’s steeply angled streets, a few extra mouthfuls at lunch is a good idea – this is the city that makes your work-outs worthwhile. Winding our way up the narrow, cobbled lanes, we see street art that celebrates the Fado culture, as well as startlingly gorgeous views of the city, glimpsed between striking edifices and over a clutter of roofs.

Views are something that Lisbon does extremely well, with miradouros – lookouts – dotted around the city, many of which have small bars and cafés at which you can reward yourself for your height-reaching efforts – all while gazing lovingly at the panorama. These are free to access and popular with locals; they likely offer a more authentic experience than some of the monuments you can ascend with ticketed admission.

On discovering that our hotel, Memmo Alfama, has an incredible terrace, I stop pining for AlmaLusa hotel and the beguiling theatricality of its rooms, as I sit in this eyrie taking in the view.

Hulking cruise liners float far below me, and I can see the bustle of the port, but from this distance it’s very peaceful; in the other direction, terracotta roofsdescend the hills, and white walls are punctuated by flashes of pale blue, pastel pink and apricot.

Domes, spires and Russian-style onion domes atop bell towers

rise above all of it, washed with the glow of the fading sun.

The evening that follows is far less serene, albeit completely brilliant. Having learned so much about Fado – often profoundly melancholic traditional music – on the afternoon’s peregrinations, we’re keen to experience it firsthand. So, we head off to Tasca Do Chico bar, in the Bairro Alto. Armed with glasses of Ginjinha (a cherry liqueur that originated in the area) we are ready for the soul-stirring strains of the fadistas. A woman is already singing along to the guitarists when we arrive; later, she’s replaced by an older man, avuncular with a jolly demeanour; he leans casually against a pillar and sings in a plaintively beautiful, caramelly voice that would melt the hardest of hearts. I swear I can see his own eyes fill with tears.

Our next stop, nearby club Pensão Amor, also takes steps to maintain ties with the past: it was once a brothel, and there are still plenty of saucy figurines and paintings – and an on-site sex shop. The DJ here – a woman in her 60s – appears incongruous in this setting, but legend has it that she was once the Madam.

Her tunes keep the dance floor heaving until the club shuts at 3am.

We start slow the next morning and wander along the Tagus in the direction of the 25 de Abril Bridge. Lisbon’s regeneration of its riverfront and docks extends to the relatively new MAAT (Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology) and the neighbouring Central Tejo, a former power plant turned exhibition space. Along the way, we see restaurants and clubs, many inhabiting old storage units and disused factory spaces.

However, a spot that cemented Lisbon’s current prevalence in ‘hottest destinations’ lists is the LX Factory, which was originally a textile factory, built in 1846. Now, bold street art adorns the exterior walls, while inside, a warren of artisan shops, eateries and a hipper-than-thou barber shop affords us plenty of opportunities for browsing and people watching. The soporific effects of last night’s debauchery take hold again later on, enhanced by our sunset cruise, which glides under the 25 de Abril Bridge, then up and down the Tagus, under a blazing sky.

It’s oh-so relaxing, but we look livelier at the prospect of dinner at José Avillez’s restaurant this evening.

Avillez is the culinary genius behind Lisbon’s first twoMichelin-star-holding restaurant, Belcanto; he has a clutch of eateries in the capital and another in Porto. Tonight, we’re at Bairro do Avillez, seated near the open kitchen into which we peer frequently to spy on the chefs’ seamless operation. We lose interest in the chefs when the food arrives though: the olives are juicy and flavourful and sashimi-style spicy tuna is undeniably the best I have ever tasted.

Avillez is collaborating with TAP Air Portugal – with whom we flew here – on the airline’s new Taste the Stars programme, which launched last September. The programme introduces a monthly in-flight meal created by a different Michelin-starred Portuguese chef, in consultation with TAP’s cuisine consultant Vitor Sobral.

Alongside Avillez, there are experts such as Rui Paula and Miguel Laffan. The project also offers an opportunity for young chefs, who are in training with one of the six official chefs, to present their own creations as part of the in-flight service. The thinking behind this innovation is, according to TAP’s CEO Fernando Pinto to ‘allow more people to discover the excellence of our cuisine and fall in love with Portugal.’

A confession: I slept through the meal service on the way here – but consider me in love anyway.

TAP Air Portugal flies direct from London City Airport, Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester to Lisbon up to 12 times a day. Prices start at £42 one way, including all taxes and surcharges. www.flytap.com | 0345 601 0932 Rates at AlmaLusa start from £129 a night on a bed and breakfast basis. www.almalusahotels.com Rates at MemmoAlfama start from €148 a room, each night, including tax and buffet breakfast. www.memmoalfama.com Lisbon by Beetle www.lisbonbybeetle.com | Tagus Cruises www.taguscruises.com | Walking Tour - City Guru www.thecityguru.com

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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

MALDIVES ‘INTELLIGENT LUXURY’ ODYSSEY For a perfect antidote to a winter of grey and gloom, the sun-kissed natural beauty of Maldives is impossible to beat. A sparkling turquoise, green and gold world away, where eco-luxe is fast becoming the way, and highly acclaimed five-star resorts like Dusit Thani Maldives, Soneva Fushi, Gili Lakanfushi and Soneva Jani are pioneering all manner of sustainability and ecological initiatives to protect their precious islands, reefs, fauna and the ocean too. Our writer LISA CURTISS visited all four in a multi-centre tropic island break for some sunshine and R&R and was delighted by what she discovered.

Arriving at the jetty at Dusit Thani, after what has to be one of the world’s most pictureperfect sea plane journeys, it’s impossible not to be struck with awe at how pretty this little paradise island is.

Unlike some Maldives islands, which can seem a little gloomy and dank once you come in from the shore, even the interior of Dusit is a visual delight. Native planting is retained but interspersed with abundant orange and bright-red hibiscus; lilac, powder blue and pink bougainvillea; and, of course, deliciously scented frangipani and beach gardenia bushes. Winding, daily groomed cycle paths take you through the welcome, lightly dappled shade and scents of the interior, to a fantastic treetop spa, boutique, dive centre and dining areas – and to the beach villas set along the shore. The island is so small everything can be reached in no more that 15 minutes by bike and there’s little chance of getting lost – even at night.

We experienced no mosquitos during our stay, too, and could sleep untroubled with the villa doors open, listening to the sound of the sea. The island is loved by wildlife too – with abundant giant fruit bats and their babies like teddy-bears in onesies, delicate

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

tiny white terns, herons, moorhens and cuckoo-like Asian koels.

The villas are all of an excellent standard. They’re light and airy, and very well thought out with large outdoor seating areas, larger than average private pools and every convenience. The beach villas are set in their own pretty gardens, which open out to the beach; ocean villas are out on a jetty but within very easy reach of the main bar and restaurant areas; and the water villas – where we stayed – give you the best of both worlds. Each sits on their own short jetty, perched on stilts right on the edge of the shore. From your overwater deck you can enter the sea from your own stairway and while away hours in your spacious private pool, watching fish of every colour swim and feed below and just in front of you.

The reef goes deeper just metres from the shore, and here you can see numerous larger fish, dolphin, sharks, manta and eagle rays each day without the need to take a boat. The dive centre is excellent – with polite and friendly staff offering great advice on ocean conservation, species and initiatives.

For amazing views of the ocean PAGE 20

and a wide variety of marine life, Dusit’s fabulous Thai restaurant is a must-visit.

Perched high on stilts over the sea, right at the reef edge, you can enjoy beautifully presented and authentic dishes while watching sharks chase shoals of small fish below. If it’s sunset views and great cocktails you’re after, Sala Bar, located next to the resort’s huge infinity pool is the place to be at the end of the day.

Sitting back, tall drink in hand, listening to chill-out sounds, watching the sky blaze with every shade of gold and amber and the sun turn blood red, before sinking on the horizon, was a highlight of each day.

Just a 30-minute speedboat ride away, Soneva Fushi is one of the longest established and most loved resorts in the Maldives – known for its ‘intelligent luxury’ ethos. It’s owners are proud to be true pioneers in tropical sustainability and conservation, and almost straight after arrival – during our orientation tour by buggy – we were shown its impressive recycling plant. Barely anything is wasted, from coconut husks to glass, wood and metals, almost everything is recycled and repurposed somehow and even turned into

art in the resort’s own glass factory.

The island has fantastic, large and very private villas, many individually designed, complete with their own office, nanny villa, sizeable swimming pools and spacious verandas – perfect for relaxing with drinks at the end of the day. All of the wood used in construction is ethically sourced, as are other materials, while retaining a genuine luxury look and feel.

Soneva Fushi strives to limit the amount of produce it has to import, by growing as much as it can on site. Cycle through the dense foliage of the island’s interior and you’ll find an exquisite garden, with all manner of herbs, fruits and vegetables.

Perched high above is a wonderful treetop restaurant where you can enjoy this freshly picked bounty, with fabulous views over the canopy. The cuisine at this resort is among the very best we’ve experienced throughout the Maldives – a destination where standards are exceptional anyway.

Another speedboat ride away is what has to be the most spectacular resort in all the atolls, Soneva Jani. Recently opened, it’s truly impressive, while still being as ethically designed and run as possible, continuing

the Soneva ‘Intelligent Luxury’ ethos.

Perched in a huge, shallow, impossibly turquoise lagoon are a string of huge twostorey villas, each with its own pool and water slide; and most have retractable roofs, so you can stargaze from the comfort of your own bed. All bleached-blonde recycled woods, muted tones and acres of glass: these wonderful villas are incredibly spacious, luxurious and practical, with huge decks and multiple seating areas. They also have outdoor and indoor bathrooms, and views to dream about long after you return home. The island itself is very pretty and has orchards, gardens and recycling areas, plus an outdoor cinema, observatory and beautiful beaches.

Finally, we take a seaplane back to Malé, and hop on a short boat ride to our final stop on this Eco-Maldives journey: the loved-by-many, original eco-luxe resort, Gili Lakanfushi. Created by the founders of the Soneva resorts, Gili was the trailblazer for all things eco, notching up many firsts in sustainability and conservation initiatives.

From large gardens which enable the resort to import less, to composting plants, coral stringing and encouraging guests to work PAGE 21

with the marine conservation teams (to spot and remove invasive harmful species from the surrounding reefs), Gili does it all.

A characterful resort, the villas are large, open and very natural. The lagoon is marine-life rich and many hours can be spent watching fish of every colour meander by. The Japanese restaurant is excellent, and children on the resort were certainly enjoying the ice-cream room and large pool. It’s not as flashy as Soneva Jani, or pretty as Dusit Thani but has a laidback, rustic-luxe charm that draws guests back year after year.

It’s truly heartening and impressive to see the efforts resorts are making to preserve these tiny, fragile and incredibly beautiful islands’ environment. They are a wonderful example of what can be achieved with even limited resources and logistical challenges.

Dusit Thani: www.dusit.com Soneva Fushi and Jani: www.soneva.com Gili Lankanfushi: www.gili-lankanfushi.com

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

TO SKI OR NOT TO SKI: CHAMONIX FOR ALL SEASONS KATE WEIR checks in to luxury chalet Les Rives d’Argentière to do almost everything but ski…

First, a confession: I’ve never skied in my life, and the thought of getting my crampons stuck into a vertiginous alpine glacier, several thousand feet above sea-level, is one of sheer horror (pun unintended); a lifelong affliction of clumsiness has made me wary of Alpine sports. However, I’m thrilled by the kind of deep powdery snow that blankets mountainous climes, turning cascades of pines into naturally glittery Christmas trees; the Heidi-esque, chalet-dotted scenery of the French Alps; and, yes, the après piste – even if I’ve skipped the pre- and duringpiste. So, a ski-free break in Chamonix seems entirely plausible – especially when I’m being hosted in one of the luxurious, ‘all the (cow)bells and whistles’ chalets at five-star, high-altitude hamlet and resort Les Rives d’Argentière.

After arrival at Geneva Airport, we’re transferred to our accommodation in comfy four-wheel drives (usually charged at €220 each way; kitted out with chocolate bars, water – even a couple of chilled beers) and begin our ascent to picturesque Argentière village, an area that’s immensely popular with skiers, snowboarders, hikers and ice-climbers – and those who just want to chill, like myself. Les Rives d’Argentière is comprised of four wooden chalets huddled together, dwarfed by the Mont Blanc massif, and facing the bucket-list, big daddy of a peak itself, alongside other notable high-risers in a breathtaking family peak-ture. Each of the four residences (dubbed Granit, Cristal, Terre and Ardoise; Chalet Quartz is a 23-guest-sleeping pairing of Granit and Cristal) is uniquely decorated, some with glossy white surfaces and furry rugs, some with a slate-grey palette and antler mounts on the walls, and some with pared-back wooden decor typical of the region. All feel modern and light with large windows – allowing the falling snow and sparkling slopes outside to be enjoyed from within, without the accompanying frostiness.

Although, it must be said, the chalets with balconies make for excellent snowball fights… All can accommodate large groups of 10 and up, and are perfect for friends, family, and a crew of

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

excitable journalists; and if you rent out all four you can fit up to 50 snow bunnies. Our chalet, Cristal, pairs comfort with cool: fluffy headboards, squishy sofas and a working fireplace sit alongside sleek metal fittings, slate flooring, and a grand chandelier.

Terre is the largest with six bedrooms (double or twin configurations are possible in all), each with an ensuite. While they have slate flooring and metal and glass accents, all are cosy and warm, offering a dose of hygge the Danes would be proud of.

The hamlet is remarkably well-equipped – all chalets have access to a warren of underground rooms (shared when single chalets are booked). Here, you’ll find a sauna and steam room with chromatographic lights, cinema room that doubles up as a yoga studio and after-hours disco, small gym, and spa treatment rooms. It’s here where the jeeps (available to hire for unlimited transport from €1,000 a week) pick guests up for excursions and ski gear is piled up before hitting the slopes. There are plentiful runs to zip down, massages to be had, Chamonix town to explore, and hot tubs to clamber into; but first, lunch.

The chalets are available on a self-catering basis, but I heartily recommend the luxury catered package, where a champagne and canapé reception, unlimited soft and alcoholic drinks and a private chef (for six days out of seven) will assume all cooking duties. As we get stuck into tomato and mozzarella salad and beef Bourguignon with the creamiest mash. It’s a small sign of the largesse to come.

Wined and dined, we’re ready for our first adventure: Montenvers railway. The sweet, small, red train chugs up a track cut into Aiguilles de Chamonix, past dense forests of glacéed trees. As we disembark at the peak (1,913 metres up), slopes zig-zagged with funicular cables and ski lifts decline steeply below. Beyond lie silent, stoic mountains and the Mer de Glace, a Narnia-esque valley and France’s largest glacier. It looks near-opalescent in its whiteness, amid scenery of TV static,

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‘A stay at Les Rives d’Argentière is more uplifting than Chamonix’s funiculars…’

For more information: Visit: www.lesrivesdargentiere.com Call: +33 678 09 2559 Email: stay@lesrivesdargentiere.com

across which snow flurries like grain over damaged film stock.

There’s a small bunker door that looks a little like something from The Thing, but leads down to a small crystal gallery displaying smoked quartzes and flourites. We drink snow-cooled champagne, then giddily admire the trinkets in the shop before our ride chugs us back down the slope.

Back at the chalet, we relax in the spa before dinner. The meal kicks off with canapés (I’m particularly taken with the fondue choux puffs and salmon-topped blinis) and liberally toppedup champagne. We head to the large communal dining room (usually closed off into sections for guests who have booked private chalets) and demolish a Savoyard-esque salad of egg, lardons and raspberries; followed by roast leg of lamb with aubergine and courgette; then tarte tatin and cheeses to finish, it’s elegantly Gallic, and cockle-warming in these frigid climes.

The next day, skiers assemble in full gear, but I’m diverting to tour Chamonix, the beautiful French skiing town between Italy (around 12km away through a tunnel carved into the mountain) and Switzerland. It proves an enlightening visit. We learn that while more than 100,000 tourists arrive to see and experience the mountains nowadays, during the period known as the Little Ice Age, Chamonix’ residents were afraid of the stony giants surrounding them. The town’s name might derive from the Latin for ‘fortified town’, but ‘those damn mountains’ – as Mont Blanc and its ilk were known before they were formerly named – offered little in the way of safety, when devastating avalanches and advancing glaciers threatened the locals’ way of life. It was believed that evil spirits, dragons and fairies lived atop them.

Mont Blanc was first climbed by Jacques Balmat and MichelGabriel Paccard, as late as 1786. In the town centre, there’s a statue of Balmat and his patron, Horace Bénédict de Saussure, pointing at the peak; Paccard’s statue rests further away – a later addition because townspeople were initially embarrassed about

a lowly doctor achieving the ascent. It’s now the peak careermountaineers aspire to; and the fastest ascent, by legendary climber Killian Jornet, was completed in an astounding five hours. In 1924, the town hosted the first winter Olympics, and with the introduction of a railway station and large, elegant hotels, it became a phenomenally popular holiday spot and home to the Company des Guides, where sherpas from the Himalayas are trained alongside locals.

While small (it takes just 10 minutes to walk end to end), Chamonix’s a cosmopolitan centre; its streets are lined with cafés serving hot chocolate, raclette, fondue and tartiflette – the main elements of Savoyard cuisine being cheese, bacon and potato; ingredients easier to farm in brief alpine summers – and snow-gear shops, which rub elbows with designer boutiques.

I may not ski or climb, but Chamonix’s art deco flourishes, scenic vistas, and grand buildings look like bait for Wes Anderson.

Other sport-dodging day-trips include excursions to Annecy, Milan and Saint Gervais. The chalet concierge can send you for a spell at the Saint Didier spa, arrange a husky-sled ride, and other more active pursuits: geocaching, bungee jumping, fishing, archery – the list goes on… Arrive in April and you can partake in the revelry at Musilac Mont-Blanc Festival.

Back at the chalet, lunch is ready: cauliflower soup, chicken forestière and croquant au chocolat. Come afternoon, low visibility hampers our proposed helicopter ride, so we hit the hot tub with bottles of wine – one by one we’re called for a massage with Equilibrium, a talented troupe with the nimblest of fingers. (www.equilibrium.fitness) My assigned masseur regales me with tales of her time on the road with various rock groups and what it’s like to live in such a cold yet charming place as she undoes knots, works jammed shoulders, and points out why my body’s shape could be useful for swimming, or at least sitting in a hot tub, at which I’m an expert now. I’m quite settled into a life spent scampering from hot bubbling water to the next indulgence.

More experienced skiers head out on the slopes armed with pre-arranged and sized ski gear from Sanglard (www.uk.rentski. com). The instructors know the lay of the land and can advise on the best runs according to each guest’s ability. There are runs suited to beginners and the more advanced, and if you want to try another, just phone up the crew who’ll happily transfer you and your gear. Powder on the mountains lies heavy, the reason why the area is such an attraction for thrillseekers – and due to the vertical-skiing ops, you spend more time on the mountain and less in lifts. The only downside of visiting off-season is the reduced visibility. But, if snow-blindness strikes, do as we did and enlist Le Verre Gourmand for a lowdown of fabulous French wines. We swirl and sip our way through Clos des Vins d’Amour red, Paul Thomas Sancerre, Le Fief Noir Nouvelle Confidences chenin blanc, Poggio alla Guardia Maremma Toscana from Maremma. We don’t follow wine-tasting canon, and end up draining our glasses, despite there being a silver spittoon.

To follow, each of these drinkables plays a starring role in our eight-course dinner. This epic gastronomic journey takes its first step with squash and coconut soup; then lemon-drizzled salmon with apple; warmed chevre with salad; vinegar-splashed duck with sarladaises potatoes; beef in red wine with polenta; panna cotta with raspberry coulis and despite urgent signals of fullness from my body, a hearty local cheese plate.

So, did I feel the giddy thrill of whizzing down an icy gradient, the chill air blasting my face and my heart racing? Did I summit Mont Blanc? Did I spend any time upright in the snow?

Well: no, no, and sometimes. But, with heavy drifts of decadence, the cosiest of dens to warm up in, and free-flowing conviviality, Les Rives d’Argentière is more uplifting than Chamonix’s funiculars.

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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

LANDMARK OCCASION SID RAGHAVA is heavily indulged at this historic West London hotel.

The Hotel Great Central opened in 1899 as the grandest example of London’s famous Railway hotels. Of the two main entrances, the one on the northern end opened onto the station whilst the other was bookended by Marylebone Road. This remarkable space offered rooms that cost a mere three-and-sixpence a night then but established a new benchmark in luxury and opulence.

The key element of genius in architect Colonel Sir Robert William Edis’ design was the vast, magnificent courtyard which allowed light and air into all the bedrooms. The unique glass roof topped a grand atrium which housed a Victorian greenhouse, complete with tropical palms soaring above the resplendent centre space.

Guests could arrive in their horse and carriage straight into the lavish courtyard, a boon for privacy-seekers like the Royal Family who were regulars at the choice establishment.

The Landmark is the modern reincarnation of that great hotel.

Now under the able management of the Lancaster Landmark Hotel Group, it reopened in 1995 as a modern hotel with 300 rooms and suites but with the same level of high-end quality, luxury and service that you’d expect from one of the most legendary names in the hospitality firmament. London arguably boasts the most exclusive and numerous coterie of well-known, legendary hotels in one city and Savoy, Dorchester, Claridges, Langham, Ritz et al all pop forth as heavyweight names on the scene; but The Landmark is one of the hidden gems that although well-known and well-respected has always been a bit of a secret for the In-crowd.

Elegance is the byword for the establishment, and the Winter Garden epitomises that virtue. No matter what hour of the day, when one walks in, one can’t help but gasp at the magnificence of the atrium. The lushness of the soaring palms will feel like you’ve just set foot into the courtyard of a most spectacular Victorianstyled palace in Oman. You may choose to savour the moment with a glass of Marylebone Mist, The Landmark’s signature cocktail complete with a heady dash of absinthe to complement this surreal reality. As if to balance out this visual headrush, there is an understated glamour which pervades the hotel - regal carpets, vintage crystal lamps, light blues and cream shades, marble

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

bathrooms and plush drapes. A big plus is that the 51 suites are on average the most spacious and roomy compared to other aforementioned establishments of its ilk.

The Winter Garden is also home to the most lavish of breakfasts, which includes a panoply of hot and cold buffet items, a live omelette station and comprehensive la carte menu options.

Dinner at the restaurant includes favourites like Cornish crab and warm Scottish salmon as starters, while the temptation levels heighten with mains like roasted canon of Cumbrian lamb and panseared fillet of wild halibut. The warm sticky toffee pudding is an absolute must to round off a spectacular meal in this masterpiece of an oasis. Once dinner is done, the Mirror Bar is high on the recommendations list. As the name suggests, its mirrored decor and easy ambience make this a reliably traditional drinking spot perfect for a late night tipple or two.

The spa is another highlight of The Landmark’s multitude of offerings. It’s quite remarkable to be treated to a space so ample and divine in the centre of London. The smart swimming pool is the centrepiece of the basement area but most conveniently complemented by the surrounding sauna, steam room and hot tub. Holistic treatments at the spa are done in collaboration with Germaine de Capuccini, one of Europe’s top skincare houses and include the Landmark London Elixir, an elaborate process that combines exquisite spices together with resins, woods, bamboo and poppy seeds, then a cinnamon warming body massage, rounded off with a Kobido lifting facial massage.

The Landmark is truly one of the greatest hotels in London.

A bit of a secret with its understated elegance, enchanting opulence, capacious rooms and top service, guests are assured a charming experience. A grand offering for Londoners, tourists and visitors alike.

Enjoy the ultimate luxurious shopping experience in partnership with Bicester Village. Please visit www.landmarklondon.co.uk/promotions/shop-till-dropday-package for more details The Landmark Hotel, 222 Marylebone Road, London NW1 6JQ landmarklondon.co.uk

PAGE 24

SID RAGHAVA marvels at the Savoy’s recent makeover and enduring elegance…

A SAVOY ANNIVERSARY

Strand, London WC2R 0EZ, www.fairmont.com/savoy-londo

‘Johnny’s in the basement Mixing up the medicine I’m on the pavement Thinking about the government‘ Those famous opening lines from Dylan’s classic, Subterranean Homesick Blues, always come to mind whenever I pass The Savoy. The unforgettable video for the iconic tune, brilliantly annotated with keyword placards, was filmed at the intersection of Savoy Hill Road and a dead-end alley called Savoy Steps right by the banks of the river Thames. It’s the first in a chain of evocations that result from the rich history of ‘London’s most famous hotel’ – a game changer in every way when it first opened in August 1889.

Bob Dylan stayed there in 1965 while filming the legendary clip, and so did Claude Monet, James Whistler and Oscar Wilde at various points in history. Also, Edward VII, George Bernard Shaw, Charlie Chaplin, Marlene Dietrich, Lionel Barrymore, Harry Truman, Audrey Hepburn, Noël Coward, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin to name but some of its star guests. The history, and indeed culture, behind the Savoy is of itself worthy of a lengthy write-up; thankfully, the stay still has all of the attributes that made it such a legendary and iconic property in the first place. Its culinary wizardry, unique sense of pioneering history, indulgent service and beautifully appointed rooms come together to form a jaw-droppingly luxurious stay. As a big fan of The Savoy for for most of my life, I thought I’d mark the fifth anniversary of my last stay with a much overdue return.

As I enter my room, I marvel at the view of the Thames, and get instant insight into the inspiration behind some of the most accomplished works of Monet and Whistler. Suites at the Savoy come complete with butler service, which is a handy mix of traditional English butler and a modern Personal Assistant and trust me, they really do look to cater to your every

need. A glass of champagne is a must to celebrate this joyous experience, and as I glance at a bookmark adorned with an image and short bio of famed chef, Auguste Escoffier, I begin building up a list of must-dos during my short stay.

Maybe I’ll start with a short appreciation of the hotel’s design genius? Two concurrent design aesthetics still dominate: Art Deco and Edwardian. The hotel closed from 2007 to 2010 for the first time in its history for a much needed refurbishment.

Well thankfully, the refurbishment by PierreYves Rochon turned out to be more of a restoration, and the Savoy is still very much in its original element. Throughout the building, features have been retained and incorporated into Rochon’s design with over 400 pieces of furniture restored and reinstalled. And those lovely old fixtures and fittings are everywhere – rooms, bars, dining halls and restaurants – liberally scattered all across the hotel.

When the legendary Auguste Escoffier took over as chef at the Savoy, his legacy was to be fine dining which has been an integral part of the establishment ever since. That legacy is more than adequately championed by the various stars in the hotel’s vast dining universe.

Culinary stalwarts include Kaspar’s (named after the hotel’s sleek, feline emblem) is perfect for an informal lunch or dinner, despite having the grandest of Art Deco entrances and decor. The seafood restaurant and bar has re-established itself as a key player on the London food scene.

There’s always the other option of sinking into classics like snails in red wine, French onion soup, oysters, lobster thermidor and dover sole at Gordon Ramsay’s Savoy Grill.

Alternatively, a roast dinner at Simpson’s in the Strand (reviewed by Sue Saunders on page 46) is a must, and so is traditional afternoon tea in the Thames Foyer.

Melba, a recent addition, offers takeaway gourmet pastries and coffee. The American Bar is arguably still most famous in London, and its legendary status as the the oldest PAGE 25

surviving cocktail bar in the city lives on.

It has a daily dose of live music, starting from 6:30pm and was voted World’s Best Bar at World’s 50 Best Bars 2017.

Vying for attention – and doing fabulously well at that – is Beaufort Bar, which is wellrenowned for pushing the boundaries of the art of mixology. It boasts ‘character’ cocktails which are served in era-specific vintage glassware and garnished tableside to pay tribute to some of The Savoy’s most famous personalities. It also boasts an impressive selection of vintage and non-vintage champagne by the glass and bottle. The Savoy has always done food and drink with more style and substance than most, and that tradition continues For trivia fans: if you’re a quizzer of certain seriousness, you will know that Savoy Court, the iconic entrance to The Savoy, is the only named street in the UK where vehicles are required to drive on the right. This stems from the period of the hackney carriage, when a cab driver would reach his arm out of their window to open the passenger’s door (which opened backwards and had the handle at the front), without having to get out of the cab himself. Additionally, the hotel entrance’s small roundabout meant that vehicles needed a turning circle of 25 feet (7.6 metres) to navigate it. This is still the legally required turning circle for modern London cabs.

The Savoy rests on its laurels, a long list at that, and it still shines bright.

The refurbishment of 2010 has had its naysayers and detractors but overall the aura and mood hasn’t changed; if anything, it’s been lovingly enhanced.

The history, culture and luxury of the last 130 years shines through in its rooms, service, restaurants, bars and design aesthetics. The ethos remains the same: delivering luxury with a uniquely honed and well-preserved style and elegance – and immaculate service. The Savoy is still arguably the ‘best hotel in London’

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FRESH SEA AIR KATE WEIR heads to Shoreditch-on-Sea to see how Margate got its mojo back…

My first visit to Margate, back in 2014, was reminiscent of a David Lynch film – Dreamland amusement park’s Scenic Railway rollercoaster (the first of its kind in the UK) had been damaged in an arson attack, and its charred skeleton rose ominously behind the Brutalist monolith, Arlington House. Mist rolled in from the sea and the flashing lights and jangling din of the seafront arcades only enhanced the coastal town’s eeriness.

Flash forward to 2018 and Margate is in ruder health – a much more jovial spot, enjoying its second wind and catching up with Brighton’s kitschy seaside cool faster than Dreamland’s rebuilt rollercoaster takes a turn.

Margate’s hat-trick regeneration lies in its proximity to London; its long-established arts legacy; and salty-air hit of seaside nostalgia. It doesn’t hurt that property is still affordable, although fast becoming less so. Recently dubbed Shoreditchon-Sea will lure in more hipsters, but its charm remains unironic, steeped in the buxom sugariness of bygone Brit culture.

Residents are eager for the town to return to its pre-Costa Brava days, and there’s life in the old donkey yet. The KCR visited to eat fish and chips by the sea, get their chops around a ‘99’ cone and seek out the places to be beside the seaside:

DREAMLAND

Dreamland opened in 1880, but it has lived through various guises; it’s been a dance hall and circus-animal training ground in its time. A much vaunted revamp was masterminded by self-professed kitsch obsessive, Red or Dead designer Wayne Hemingway in 2015. His team revived the retro colouring and signage, added a fleet of old-school arcade games and pinball machines, polished up the roller dancefloor and brought the Big Wheel back to its skyline-dominating glory.

Rides change frequently and seasonally, but most err towards those that made you squeal with delight as a kid: the waltzers; dodgems; a helter-skelter; carousel; mirror maze; a mini racetrack; and a couple of thrill-ride rollercoasters, including the revived Scenic Railway .

Shoot tin-cans and play hoopla to win cuddly toys; eat vegan candyfloss by the cloud-load (and check out the park’s cool street-food carts while you’re at it), then lose your loose change in the two-penny pushers and ding a ball around the Rolling Stones’ pinball machine. A gaudy, good-

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old knees-up all round.

TURNER CONTEMPORARY

The Turner Contemporary building’s jagged geometric planes form a spaceage cliff edge along the waterfront. From within the gallery’s main hall, panoramic windows overlook a seascape like one of Turner’s stormier compositions (well, we’re here in January), yet still magical.

The gallery has been a major boon in Margate’s culture-led revitalisation – building on JMW Turner’s ties to the city and the hip rep of Margate daughter Tracey Emin. whose bed is currently on display here in its dishevelled glory, beside Turner’s roiling sea and skyscapes – thus fulfilling the gallery’s promise to ‘bridge past and present’. The Turner isn’t just a photogenic façade; exhibitions have covered biting social commentary from Michael Armitage and Grayson Perry, and investigations of abstract form through Jean Arp to sculptor Phyllida Barlow. I’m quite taken with the current show, John Davies’ intriguingly creepy installation My Ghosts, where a band of scarecrows in various states of decay pull tormented shapes in the main hall and faux-naif drawings of abandoned houses are hung upstairs. As I stroll around, there’s a commotion: local poets – one with a box on his head – are reenacting Dada ‘happenings’. The locals sem enthralled, if baffled, and the pleasing, sudden oddness sits well with Margate’s colourful attitude.

MARGATE MUSEUM

This small yet significant museum sits at the epicentre of Margate’s trendy Old Town, housed in a former police station. Exhibits are crammed into the cells and the former magistrates’ court upstairs, and there is much to discover: a matricidal murderer who was once detained here; posters from the town’s variety-show heyday (a role-call of CarryOn- and Butlins-style characters); a traditional Punch and Judy show (now banned for its wildly dated themes). Our guide Horace untangles tales of a genteel past, heroism, law and disorder, and showbiz – hailing Margate’s luminaries (and peppering his talk with jokes, while pulling out threads of the town’s history.)

We’re shown an – allegedly – Iron Age skeleton called Cecil (‘we put lights in his eyes on Halloween’, Horace tells us); acts of unfathomable bravery at sea and in PAGE 26

For more information: Dreamland: www.dreamland.co.uk Turner Contemporary: www.turnercontemporary.org Margate Museum: www.margatemuseum.org Hantverk & Found: www.hantverk-found.co.uk Sands Hotel: www.sandshotelmargate.co.uk

the wars; and throwbacks to the town’s Golden Age. There’s also a glimpse of the Mod and Rocker riots that gave the town a brief glimmer of Sixties swagger. It’s not for everyone, and far too earnest to be viewed ironically; but, if you truly want this rag-tag gathering of ephemera to come alive, do ask for Horace to give you the tour. His energetic volley of anecdotes, dance moves, asides and real love of the material gives you plenty of fun mileage for the £2 entrance fee.

THE SHELL GROTTO AND TUDOR HOUSE

Two of Margate’s lesser-sung attractions, but worth peeking into out of curiosity. The Shell Grotto is enigmatic in its mystery – it’s invariably said to be a Knights Templar altar, smugglers cave and, most likely, a rich man’s folly built in the 19th century.

Whatever its true purpose, the intricate compositions of more than 4.6 million shells are certainly impressive. The Tudor House, on King Street, is an impressive and well-preserved example of Margate’s ancient history, before the bathing machines, promenade and donkey rides.

DINE: HANTVERK & FOUND

Yes, you could join the queue outside famed Peter’s Fish Factory along the sea front and enjoy your haddock and chips under the hungry watch of seagulls who look a little too like the diminished dinos they are. Or, you could try Hantverk & Found’s more elegant proposition… Set along the quieter end of King Street, this eatery has inspired reverent murmurs among food critics for its fabulous fare. It’s a diminutive space: lined in bottle green metro tiles, with one chalkboard wall on which the menu is scrawled, and the space is strung with pendant lights. Currently it has just four tables – and a slender bar along the window – but, thrillingly, has opened into larger premises soon. All the better, so more can experience the food.

Its exemplary menu offers seafood and fish (fresh from the coast, natch) that’s simple yet elegant and at once classic and creative. A flame-poached oyster soused in truffle butter, and rock oyster with truffle-caviar are meaty and decadent, the butter slurpable; prawn gyoza with mushroom and chive are pillowy and plump, with a splash of tsuyu sauce.

Mains are by turns comforting (fish pie) and inventive (crab, mussels and squid

in kofi miso and shitake broth). The wine list is well-considered too, with a Chapel Down from nearby in Kent, brilliant picks from the Loire Valley (including a sippable Sancerre) and a Grecian Sclavos Efranor.

The café also holds supper clubs and pop-up art shows in collaboration with the Turner too – all the more reason to stop by.

STAY: SANDS HOTEL

My previous adventures in Margate hotels led me to a chintz-run-amok boarding house with more than a little whiff of Fawlty Towers, where bewildered Londoners were frogmarched to a communal breakfast of awkward small talk, eyeavoidance and cold toast. So, this time round, I was eager to try the town’s boutique offerings. Sands Hotel was top of my list. It sits in prime position along the seafront. My Superior Seaview Room (a sizeable 28sq m) was blessed with one of the hotel’s original balconies, furnished so you could sit out and admire the curve of golden sand from end to end, and listen to the soothing susurration of the waves rolling in and out again. (A call and refrain that keeps luring me down to this stretch of coast.) Even the January nip couldn’t keep me from darting out to watch the sun set into shades of pink and gold; however, I was happy when ensconced in my room too. Each is elegantly outfitted in a palette of cream, grey and silver; the super king-size bed has the softest of jasmine-silk mattresses; and the ensuite had a bath tub, shower, sub-lighting and Noble Isle bath products. Each room has tea- and coffee-making facilities, and a

little jar of cookies, too.

The hotel bears its boutique tag with pride, and balances modern and classic with aplomb. The stay has been run as a hotel twice in its existence. Current owner Nick Conington planned to turn the property into a plum set of luxury flats, but luckily he demurred and thus gave Margate one of its lovelier hideaways. Come summer (although it can be enjoyed in the winter, too), the bar terrace allows you to sip a cocktail (the signature Sands Iced ‘Sea’ – see what they did there? – is a favourite, with green-tea-infused gin and lemon).

And the Bay Restaurant lets Turner’s light flood in through large windows with seaside-hued stained panels. Burnished and sleek, Sands seeks to be a calming counterpoint to the chaotic charms of the surrounding attractions, a callback to the days when visitors would take a genteel stroll along the now-gone pier. Dining uses the best of local produce – Kentish venison, locally caught oysters and the catch of the day, naturally. It’s won two AA Rosettes for its efforts. There’s also a genteel afternoon tea, the perfect accompaniment to the setting. And, breakfast is an exercise in largesse, with haddock-and-cheese-stuffed omelettes; various eggy dishes; and a full English to ready you for those brisk sea walks.

Staff are unflaggingly friendly, too, from the receptionist who smiles everytime we wander past the front desk, to the charming young man who brings us a plate of sandwiches when we rock in after our karaoke and conga sessions. Just one more reason to check in here.

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DRINK: THE LIFEBOAT

Before you leave, be sure to stop into the Lifeboat pub for a flavoured cider (the selection runs the gamut from sweet rhubarb and tart cherry, to spiky chilli) or one of an impressive selection of craft beers – the bar is lined with Brewdog taps, and there’s a decent selection of regional and local picks. This spit-andsawdust joint (the latter scattered over the floor) encapsulates Margate’s erahopping – there’s a huge stone fireplace drinkers can gather round to keep warm and communal wooden benches to keep things sociable – and yet, it draws the hip crowd looking for authentic ales and the kind of convivial boozer that’s becoming a rarer still find in London.

Margate is something of a guilty pleasure for me – a two-hour trip down memory lane; a space of buxom frivolity and quirky charm; where city-dwellers escape to when they need a breather and toy with the idea of staying for those cheap rents and sense of optimism. It’s changed infinitely since TS Eliot wrote the wasteland while sheltering under a now Grade II-listed pavilion. Currently, the town is precariously lumbering towards the future, but with renewed vigour.

There’s some alchemy here that keeps the good times rolling and the newcomers trickling in – and as I leave, even Arlington House’s heft commits itself to a rosetinted flashback. I’ll be back Margs – for Horace and Big Wheel spins and Golden Hour walks along the sand – and you’ll be stronger than ever.

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THE EPICENTRE OF SOUTHEAST ASIA HARRIET BEDDER travels from Phuket’s party town to the idyllic beaches of Ko Phi Phi, before heading to Bangkok, hoping to discover what the Thai are really smiling about...

Thailand, known as the heart of Southeast Asia, is a country with a rich history, fascinating culture, beaches to bathe on, Pad Thai to taste and bazaar-lined alleyways to explore…

Tourists rarely leave satisfied after just one visit. Therefore, we were determined to cram as much into two weeks as possible, and made a detailed plan of activities and day trips we deemed unmissable.

We reserve our mornings in Phuket to use the urban exploration iPhone app, ‘Dérive’, to navigate the large resort town of Patong and inevitably end up back on Patong beach in the afternoon, with its famous night markets offering impressively realistic fake designer handbags. We find delicious food in the small side-street restaurants.

The famous Thai street food is so rich and delicious, that we explored Patong’s cuisine in the finest detail, eating Pad Thai and Massaman curry from as many vendors as possible, before discovering firm favourites: S&G Family Restaurant and EuroThai – must tries if you’re ever in the beach town – where a full meal will set you back around £6.

The following day we drive to the ‘Big Buddha’ in Chalong, to marvel over the concrete and white marble construction, towering over most of Southern Phuket and the Wat Chalong temple. After being impressed by the monument’s grandeur, we head back to Patong and to the famous Simon Cabaret, a transvestite musical floor-show with beautiful costumes and staging, preparing us for New Year in the town.

New Year’s Eve in Phuket brought madness and chaos; Bangla road bustled with locals and tourists alike partaking in the ritual of spraying silly string on everyone in sight. With everyone subscribing to that New Year’s feeling, crowds moved down the main pedestrianised road throughout the evening, eventually leading the street party to the beach concert at midnight, where a traditional sky lantern release kept us hypnotised for hours. After watching the sight of a sky crammed with thousands of flickering lights spellbound, we walked along the beach-front, exploring the makeshift bars and stalls. Live music still blared from the impressive beach party and the white sand was still crammed

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with groups of friends dancing and families gathered, celebrating into the early hours.

After a much-needed day wind down, after the frenetic energy of the night before, we enjoyed a New Year’s day treat of amazing full-body massages, facials and pedicures—rivalling the most luxurious of London salons – at one of the many local parlours to choose from around our hotel. This taste of the slow life put us in anticipation of our next stop in Ko Phi Phi, where we would really have an opportunity to unwind.

Ko Phi Phi, famous for being the island closest to Maya Bay where Leonardo di Caprio’s The Beach, was filmed, is a completely undisturbed environment.

The island, when approached after the three-hour ferry ride from Phuket, rises from the sea like a majestic fortress.

Sheer limestone cliffs tower overhead and the turquoise sea meets the strikingly vegetation-covered undercut which borders the entire island.

Phi Phi island is H-shaped, one side of the 100m strip classified as the quiet side; the other is lined with beach clubs pumping out music until the early hours. The two ends of the island are mountainous, rich with tropical vegetation and a hiking path to the East offers visitors the opportunity to climb 186 metres above sea level and admire the village and ‘double boomerang’ bays from what feels like the top of the world.

One of our favourite activities on the Island was enrolling in Pum’s Thai Cooking School. Renowned for being one of the best in Phuket, the school has opened a second branch in Tonsai Village, Ko Phi Phi Don, so that before departing for the drizzle of London, you can truly master the local cooking and feel as if you are taking some of the sunshine home with you.

Eight days, three dives, two longboat snorkeling expeditions, one island hike and a lot of beach time later, we departed the laidback island for our long transfer back to Bangkok. After falling head over heels for what we had seen so far on our tour of the South, we were thrilled to see what this unpredictable country had to offer next.

After touching down in Bangkok, we instantly detect the urgency of city life, in PAGE 28

stark contrast to the comfortable pace of the rest of our trip. We hurry to book a taxi to take us to spend our final days in Thailand at the opulent Oriental Residence.

Arriving at the five-star hotel, we sweep up the oval driveway to the glass-fronted entrance where we are greeted with icedtea. Located in the business district of Siam and Sukhumvit, the hotel is a stone’s throw from the famous BTS Skytrain, which connects you to the rest of the city, and Central Embassy mall (any excuse to shop…). We arrived at our beautiful suite and began to plan the rest of our itinerary, taking care not to miss anything off a jampacked ‘to do’ list for the few days we have in the city.

With the ever-popular hotel restaurant, Café Claire, fully booked, and after 12 days of feeling as if we had been eating the best Thai takeaway ever, we decided to venture out for our first dress-up meal of the trip.

We resolve to try Hotel Muse, a hotel famous for its secret rooftop speakeasy bar, located near to the Oriental Residence.

We devour truffle pasta and lobster linguine in minutes, spending longer to admire the in-restaurant opera singing, and are jolted back to reality with a £114 price difference between this bill and the average in Phuket.

We decide that we would try to keep the remainder of our experience authentic and research the rest of our culinary ventures

in rather more depth for the remainder of the trip. The renowned Issaya Siamese Club, an avant-garde dining experience, which blends modern culinary trends with traditional Thai recipes, by celebrity chef Ian Chalermkittichai becomes one of our favourites in the city. The restaurant is set in a 100-year-old Thai villa and lush gardens, with boldly painted rooms and artwork – décor reminiscent of ancient Siam – complete with an upstairs lounge bar, or self-proclaimed ‘old-school’ Siamese Club, affording my companion and I a much more genuine taste of Thailand.

Located centrally in arguably the best location the city has to offer, the Oriental Residence overlooks Lumphini Park – the largest in central Bangkok. The hotel and private-residence complex offers complimentary park maps to those earlyrisers wishing to explore the running and bicycle paths.

We spend our morning trawling through the vast mega-malls which Bangkok is famous for: Siam Paragon (so vast it contains an Ocean World Aquarium on its basement floors) and Terminal 21 (a concept mall with a different city replicated on every floor). We spend the afternoon relaxing in Lumphini Park, following the advice of the Oriental Residence concierge. We’re satisfied with a selection of rowboats to choose from on the park’s PAGE 29

artificial lake after enjoying a light picnic, and momentarily escape the hubbub of the city.

After choosing from an exceptional breakfast spread at the Oriental Residence; of traditional Thai curries, risottos, pies, a full Continental selection and an optional à la carte menu for Western and healthconscious guests, we embark on our final day in the city. We travel to the Grand Palace and surrounding temples by longboat, along the Chao Phraya River, and see the Wat Kanlaya temple on the way before catching sight of the imposing majesty of the seventeenth-century temple, Wat Arun. The latter is covered in colourful porcelain and is reflected in the water from the west-bank of the river.

We spend the afternoon exploring the vast, intricately decorated of temples and buildings comprising Wat Pho, and the unmissable Grand Palace, home to the Thai King for 150 years. Wat Pho and its holy buildings and temples are best known for housing the famous gold reclining Buddha statue and the breathtaking 15th century Emerald Buddha. Thai people from across the country arrive at the holy site in droves to visit the iconic architecture and have their own spiritual experience.

It is touching to watch the emotion felt by these people when they are praying to the Buddha at Wat Phra Kaew, whose robes are still ceremoniously changed by the King along with the change in season.

Our time comes to an end in Bangkok, and as we take a final glance back at Wat Arun to see the sun set over the distinctive ‘prang’ (tower), we can’t help but feel satisfied and just a little overwhelmed by our Thai experience, from the country’s largest island to the quietness of the smallest, to the buzz of standstill traffic and rickshaws thundering down side roads in the overpopulated capital. We’ve seen local floating food markets and the luxury mega-malls found on every corner in Bangkok. We’ve seen a lot, but can definitely subscribe to the opinion that there is never enough to see in the Land of Smiles.

Starting room rate at Oriental Residence Bangkok: Prices start from GBP 151++ per night for a Grand Deluxe room with breakfast for two. Price is exclusive of VAT and service charge. Subject to season and availability.

To book visit www.oriental-residence.com

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EARTHLY PLEASURES SARAH RODRIGUES samples the delights - edible, quaffable, and cultural - of Piedmont.

‘Here, grapes are life’, says my spa therapist as she squishes the warmed ‘uve’ into my skin. It’s an odd sensation, but as I’m determined to believe that wine – and lots of it – is the key to my survival, it’s only right that my chosen skin treatment should mirror the attention I’ve been lavishing on my insides since arriving at Relais Sant’Uffizio.

The recent refurbishment of the hotel’s spa has significantly upped the luxury at this four-star hotel; one wonders what the former inhabitants (it was originally a monastery) would have made of the pool, complete with hydrotherapy chairs, as well as the high-end products and five treatment rooms, one for couples. The monks were, however, well versed in the beneficial properties of grapes; I’m told this treatment is based on their ancient principles. It’s also very messy: after I peel myself giggling off the bed and into the shower, deflated purplish blobs fall from my – admittedly now smooth and silky – body. It’s quite a departure from any of my previous spa experiences.

My grape-buffed exterior now feels as well lubricated as my Insides; this region of Italy, tucked up in the far northwestern corner of the country, right where the soft flesh of the thigh might appear if Italy really were a boot, is well known for its wines, and from the hotel windows, through which light spills into the tiled corridors with frescoed ceilings, you see vineyards combing the surrounding hillsides into neat rows. An afternoon visit to Roberto Bruno’s Cantina del Glicine doesn’t do much to curb my enthusiasm for wine – nor for this part of Italy and the wildly romantic notions it inspires at every cobbled twist and turn.

Originally the private cellar of a nobleman, this tiny subterranean drinkery has been in existence since 1582 and was only revived by Roberto’s family recently, after lying dormant for

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many years. The Cantina produces around 35,000 bottles a year, and mushrooms stud the recesses of the cellar where the temperature is kept constant between 9 and 13 degrees. It’s a welcome relief to venture up into the cosy tasting room and shop, where we feast on salume, breads and cheese, while sampling bottles such as La Sconsolata, a full and fruity Barbaresco. I’m already feeling rather glad to be alive at this stage, but a visit to Crea only heightens that sense of gratitude. The town’s chapel, Sacre Monte di Crea, has a corridor which is lined floor to ceiling with a multitude of artworks – of wildly varying quality and detail – produced by people who have, in some way, faced and avoided death. There are drawings of road accidents, people being gored by bulls, falling from ladders and windows, suffering in beds…

One even has a car tyre blowing up in their face. Macabre and fascinating, it’s an incredible insight into human nature and into that compulsion to ‘share’ experience, whether grisly or fortunate. Tucked away in a place of worship it may be, but in many ways, it’s not so very different from social media.

The hill atop which the church sits is visible from Tenuta Tenaglia wine estate. Manager Sabine Ehrmann hosts here with a warmth and energy that’s just as deliciously heady as her wines.

‘Wine is Love’ is the company slogan and Sabine’s passion for the business and the region, which she’s been fortunate enough to call home for over 20 years, is evident as she regales us with tales of the winery’s history and of clients. Her discretion is admirable though, leaving us with only the most faintly sketched outlines of the characters involved – and just as eager for more details as we are for more wine, which we arrange to have delivered to us back in the UK.

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Italy is, of course, as enthralled with food as it is with wine, and this particular corner of the country is well known for its truffles – especially its famed white, and very pricy, variety – which grow symbiotically at the roots of certain trees, such as hornbeam and poplar, commonly found in the hills surrounding Alba. At restaurants in the town we’re charmed by the local equivalent of corkage – BYO truffle and pay a small charge to have it shaved onto your dish. Bringing your own truffle is more feasible than you’d think – just around the corner is Tartufi Morra, where, if you can get past the somewhat overwhelmingly earthy smell, a veritable cornucopia of fungi awaits. There are plenty of ‘produced’ options, such as infused oils and chocolate; but truffles can also be bought (albeit with a hefty price tag and the requirement that they be used within a few days) in their original, spore-riddled, misshapen form.

‘The price of the truffles depends on several factors, but the quality improves as the season advances.’ explains Chiara Dellapiana, who is showing us around the basement, where piles of truffles are being washed and prepped. ‘Truffles unearthed in November are more expensive than those found in October.’

Snow puts a stop to truffle gathering, since it blankets not only the ground but also the scent that leads the dogs to them.

The world of the trifolao (truffle hunter) is as fascinating as their finds are delicious.

Working under the cover of early morning or evening with two dogs – one young, one old – their relationship to their animals is critical to the success of their hunting endeavours.

A trifolao’s wife, it is said, allegedly complains that their man loves the dogs more than they love them. The dogs used are always female, because the acute sense of maternal smell they have is ideal for scent-led hunting, for which they are trained from puppydom for three years. Constant rewards are also the key to their success: the dogs soon learn truffle finding results in tasty treats and lavish praise; to see the contrast between the younger dog, bounding joyfully around her master, and the older, yet no less devoted, dog gravely accepting the spoils of her finds, is enough to make my eyes prickle – and that’s even without the emotion-heightening effects of wine. Surely it’s time for another glass soon, so we head back to the cosseting warmth of the Relais Sant’ Uffizio for dinner with Giorgio Conterno of Paolo Conterno 1886, whose vineyards surround the hotel – saluti!

Relais Sant’ Uffizio www.relaissantuffizio.com

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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

LIKE A FINE WINE KATE WEIR checks into the Le Saint-James hotel in Bordeaux Bordeaux, so hot right now. After hipster hub Darwin Ecosysteme took residence in the city’s former military barracks (a space of communal working, talks by creatives, games of bike polo and craft brews, with a giant skate park and organic grocery store, natch) everyone seems to be hopping on the cheap, fast flights over there.

Bordeaux’s ongoing excellence at churning out top plonk is likely responsible too – hell, even the airport is styled like an oenological Disneyland, with giant bottles atop the baggage carousel and parking bollards, and its own bijou vineyard. However, this story takes place a little outside Bordeaux, in petite comune Bouilac (dubbed the ‘balcony of Bordeaux’, for good reason) – one of those pretty French enclaves that compel people to drop their life savings on an abandoned wine vat and convert it into a minimalist crash pad as Kevin McCloud balefully scrutinizes from afar: houses are strewn with vari-hued ivy strands; virulently blooming flower troughs dot the streets; and unhurried citizens walk dinky pooches. We’re here for the wine, but also to experience Le Saint-James Bouliac hotel, an elegant Relais & Chateaux stay. An art-packed, russet-hued cross between a barn and a château (in fact, a converted 18th-century farmhouse with extensions by architect Jean Nouvel) with its own merlot vineyard out the back, which harvests around 600 bottles a year – perfect.

The hotel’s front porch, which bears a resemblance to an elegant greenhouse, overlooks a citrus garden dotted with curious seated and standing cast-iron figures. It’s our first taste of the hotel’s art collection, which is at once engaging and inscrutable. There are figures painted on dented metal sheets, tortured abstracts and more jovial Giacometti-esque figures.

The furniture follows suit, with Panton- and Bouroullec-style seating, orange Eames elephants, and almost-too-museum-quality-to-sitin driftwood imagingings. The stay isn’t too much of a departure from its rustic Gallic setting though – there are beautiful Moresque tiles lining the halls, grand fireplaces where needed, and a terrace with seductive o’er hill and vineyard views that are conducive to wine drinking.

Our suite – up in the eaves through meandering sleek corridors

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(along the way I’m taken by windows overlooking the foliage that look like framed paintings) – is white and bright, with grilled windows overlooking the vineyard to the back. The bed is set in the middle facing the greenery for maximum snoozy views, and we’re taken with the tastefully monogrammed bathrobes and towels, Hermès toiletries and plate of madeleines that awaits us. However, we quickly forget about the interior’s many merits on discovering the terrace, and thus, our own private, open-air Jacuzzi. Arms flail, clothes fly from our bodies, we flop like majestic seals into the warm bubbly water and bask under the sun. There’s a large swimming pool in the grounds – we can see lithe Gallic bodies stretched out alongside it from our balcony, but to be away from prying eyes, with a view to sigh for, is incredibly special.

Our first gastronomic encounter takes place at Cafe de L’Esperance – which works in tandem with the hotel – located in Bouliac proper, just a lazy stroll away. It has a polished modern look, but the food is French to its core; we dine on cured country ham, farmyard cheeses and smoked salmon; an enormous platter of boeuf; and profiteroles and sorbet to cap our gluttony. It’s all washed down with immensely fine wine. And later, a little more wine while we marinade in the Jacuzzi while watching Black Mirror, the vineyard below lit up in livid greens.

The next morning, a fleet of waiters bearing trays knock at our door; they are met by a tableaux worthy of Caravaggio’s more maudlin works: we are dressed, just, prone on the beds that are thankfully soft; hands gesture appreciatively from under the duvets.

Bordeaux has defeated us. But soon, after hoovering up pastries, ham, salmon, eggs, sausage, coffees, juices and whatever else we ticked on the breakfast door-hanger after our indulgences, and we’re ready to attempt a trip into town. Bordeaux central is around a 30-minute drive away (taxis can be pricey at up to €30 each way.).

We dither past impossibly ornate statues of nymphs, cherubs and Gods with physiques like The Rock; we dip in and out of elegant boutiques and delis; we marvel at the historic archways and creamy stone facades, the clean pavements. Then, we say ‘sod it’ and duck into the nearest café for canelés and a restorative wine.

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Website: www.saintjames-bouliac.com Address: 3 Place Camille Hostein, 33270 Bouliac, France

‘Cuisine is haute, haute, haute: amuse-bouches and dainty starters arrive on cushions of hay, seated on a slab of tree trunk or cocooned in a corn husk.’

Before Ubering back, we attempt a spritz in riverside’s refreshing fountain installation, Miroir d’eau; but what we really need is more food, a feast of a chef’s wildest imaginings, and Saint James delivers. The two-Michelin-star-holding restaurant is almost entirely glazed, so you needn’t take your eyes off the view for one second. When the sun starts to set, all the lights are dimmed for the ‘Magic Moment’ where the sun collapses into psychedelic oranges, purples and pinks on the horizon. The waiter brings us champagne – naturellement – but this meal will be washed down with leagues of the hotel’s very, very drinkable merlot. Chef Nicolas Magie has plundered the Aquitaine region for the finest ingredients; in fact, the menu dutifully traces the origin of each, in case you wanted to flash test the waiters. We have the elaborate decouverte tasting menu. Cuisine is haute, haute, haute: amuse-bouches and dainty starters arrive on cushions of hay, seated on a slab of tree trunk or cocooned in a corn husk. Wood-smoked, grilled sturgeon is sprinkled with grated chestnuts; Iberican ham is trussed up with Perigord walnuts and romanesco broccoli; then a sweet dish of crisp hazelnut logs is followed by a Honduran coffee and chocolate emulsion. It’s accomplished and confident cuisine with just enough whimsy to charm rather than grate.

Having witnessed and devoured the chef’s work, I’m a little skeptical of the hotel’s cookery class (dubbed Côté Cours) we’ve enrolled in for the next day. I aspire to goddess-like domesticity, but the microwave is my utensil of choice. But, under the tutelage of extremely patient sous chef Célia Girard, we make bacon foam,

chop and steep endives in orange juice, and roll shortbread biscuits into a satisfying clingfilm sausage. As budding chefs dice and peel around me, I muddle through. However, I do have the sensation of being naked in front of the class in a dream – I’m not, I have donned an apron for maybe the second time in my life – but it doesn’t help that my vegetables look uneven, my poached egg collapses into a yolk-y puddle, and my biscuit-sausage is ineffectual. All the same, the resulting meal is delicious and I take full credit; the pumpkin soup – made with a full udder of cream – with onion, garlic, egg and toasted seeds is warming and smooth; the terrine of foie-grasstuffed chicken with citrusy endives is rich and filling; and the lime and chocolate tart (which we were not entrusted to make), is a fitting finale – to both our meal and stay.

Saint James bears Bordeaux’s burgeoning modernity while staying true to its tried-and-tested strengths. It’s a cutting-edge gallery you can slob around in, where Aquitaine cuisine is both haute and hearty, and you can almost see the wine grow. Here you can learn how to cook like a Michelin darling (well, almost) and gorge on slick aesthetics, while pretending you’re a bit part in Jean de Florette – any cigarette-chuffing, navel-vague-pondering feels oh-so far away.

Hangovers and diminished respect for my cookery skills aside, je ne regrette rien, except perhaps that we didn’t experience the Harley Suite – a room with an inexplicable motorbike within. All i all, when it comes to vin-peddling, country-set stays, Le Saint-James win(e)s by a nose.

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GOURMET COURMAYEUR Fine mountain-farmed cheeses, meats and more ensured TANI BURNS and ANDREW HANCOCK were well fed on their trip to the Italian Alps.

Land in Geneva, cross the border into France, head through the 12km Mont Blanc Tunnel, and you’ll find yourself in Courmayeur, Italy’s highest commune. It’s set beneath the awesome gaze of Mont Blanc on the peak’s southern side, mirroring France’s (more famous) ski destination Chamonix. There, nestled in the autonomous region of the Aosta Valley lies a pristine slice of alpine heaven, a Christmas playground for North Italy’s elite families, former hunting grounds of royalty and still as perfectly kept as any grand estate. The resort town’s picturesque mountain scenery makes it an attractive year-round destination, but what it is lesser known for, perhaps, is its ever-growing status as a foodie hotspot.

It’s such a singular place that every year, for the Mountain Gourmet Ski Experience, Heston Blumenthal – along with Sat Bains, Claude Bosi and Jason Atherton – takes time away from his global restaurant empire to prepare a series of inimitable dinners on the slopes, so that visitors can enjoy the region’s supreme cuisine and wines, on and off the pistes.

Courmayeur sits more than 4,016ft above sea level, enriched with a wealth of produce, from farming cattle and game, that lends itself to the simple but traditional cuisine of the region, which is hearty and flavourful. In the extreme north west of the country, the Aosta Valley brings together the best of traditional Italian food and mountain flavours. The region is renowned for the quality of its local salamis, meats and cheeses – including Fontina, the delicious, symbolic cheese of the Aosta Valley.

The region’s micro-climate allows vines to grow up to 3,937ft (!), so the quality of wine on offer is truly stunning. More than 20 wines are designated as originating from the valley, including Donnas and Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle.

Now that Skyway Monte Bianco is up and running, connecting Courmayeur to Punta Helbronner, visitors can take a trip to an altitude of 3,462m – the closest to the Mont Blanc summit you can get, exposing visitors to a majestic realm of snow and rock, through the pathway to the Italian side of the Roof of Europe.

This is not just a simple means of transportation, but – in your silent bubble – a great way to experience the intense emotions evoked by this wild, beautiful and invigorating landscape as you get closer and closer to the peak.

Or, as we did during our visit, you can pause at Pavillon du Mont-Fréty for a meal and a tipple at high altitude. Cave Mont Blanc is an experimental high-altitude winery and a true feat – the result of a project started in 2007 at the Monzino Mountain Refuge (itself situated in one of the most spectacular positions on Mont Blanc and named in memory of the young Milanese climber Franco Monzino). Cave Mont Blanc produces only white wine, and it is superb: Vallée d’Aoste DOC Blanc de Morgex, la Salle ‘Cuvée des Guides’, exquisite spumante… The process is completely unique – yeast is removed by freezing the neck of the bottle in snow – and all at an altitude of 2,173m! This altitude and temperature results in distinct and uncommon characteristics.

We wondered if the wines would be best served at altitude, but a bottle brought home to London did not disappoint the palate (even if it didn’t match the experience of tasting it at the summit).

To soak up the alcohol, head to Bellevue Restaurant (also at Pavillon du Mont-Fréty), which, as its name suggests and as you would imagine, boasts quite the view, directly facing the gorgeous Val Veny as well as allowing a fantastic panorama of Mont Blanc. Typical local dishes retrace the Aosta Valley tradition using ingredients such as polenta and game, as well

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as specialities, including thinly shaved lardo and the region’s famous motsetta (a dried, cured meat produced in the Aosta Valley and northern Piedmont), served traditionally with rye bread and a beautiful pear compote.

Aside from the Skyway, eateries in Courmayeur range from cosy, chalet-style joints to grand fine-dining spots. Of the former, there’s no better example than ambient Chateau Branlant, ideally situated at Plan Chécrouit, close to the Chiecco slope. It’s just a short stroll from the cableway arrival station (yes, the best are always halfway up a mountain), and it can also be reached by skiing. The cuisine is classic, respectful of the ingredients’ quality and origin. Tastes are harmoniously balanced with their territory in a warm alpine ambiance. Visit with friends and end your night with the grolla, or Coppa dell’Amicizia (Friendship Cup), a tradition from the Valle d’Aosta; the wide, shallow wooden bowl has a lid and several spouts to drink from à la ronde. It’s a true ritual that follows strict rules: each person takes a sip then passes it in a clockwise direction until the cup is empty.

Once the ronde has begun, it should never be put down until all the contents are finished, otherwise it will bring bad luck.

Traditionally filled with Caffè alla Valdostana (coffee with a lot of grappa, sugar and coffee, with orange, juniper, cloves and cinnamon), this is trickier than it sounds…

In Courmayeur’s little old town, choose from old-world glamour and old-world curiosity. We like both. Pop in for a cosy drink and nibble at the part-medieval Caffe della Posta, or stop by the rather grander Royal Golf Hotel, to settle on one of its cosy, mountain-facing sofas, with one of their many, many gorgeous cocktails in hand. If you like gin, they have 25 varieties (and counting). For something laid back in the daytime, ski in and ski out of Skibox Courmayeur, a street-food market. Grab yourself a gourmet burger, fish and chips, pizza or falafel (or stick to the region’s cheeses and meats) and fuel up for an afternoon on the slopes.

‘Once the ronde has begun, the cup should never be put down until all the contents are finished, otherwise it will bring bad luck. Traditionally filled with Caffè alla Valdostana (coffee with a lot of grappa, sugar and coffee, orange, juniper, cloves and cinnamon), this is trickier than it sounds…’

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TOP-TO TOE-IN FUERTEVENTURA ADAM JACOT DE BOINOD discovers the windswept charms of Fuerteventura…

With only a week’s holiday you don’t want to fly for eight hours or suffer jet lag. Luckily, it only takes four hours to fly from London to Puerto del Rosario, the airport and capital of Fuerteventura.

The wind is permeating but not piercing (apart from in September when it lulls); but there’s also heat, not just warmth.

The island has a small population, which makes the landscape seem even more expansive. There’s a real chance for peace and quiet here, with remote spots where you can indulge in the solitude. I slept both in view of, and to the sound of, the sea: a winning combination that I never tire off.

A perfect deep sleep!

The island is interesting for its bleak contrasts. Of the sweeping surrounds, the desert (a consequences of volcanic eruptions) certainly makes you appreciate vegetation where you can find it. And then there are the cacti with their own distinctive shapes and character. It’s a great place to get a sense of the real desert, it’s even reminiscent of the Sahara (which is on the same latitude) as camels lope across the road. Fuerteventura’s hues are relaxing and wonderfully harmonious with the blue sky and latte-coloured sand; there’s the occasional green shrub, white clouds and the sea’s shades of teal and aqua.

The waters provide respite from the arid land and the coastline, with its curvaceous humps, resembles Cornwall at times.

For culture seekers there’s Vallebrón, a hamlet of a hundred or so inhabitants located south of the quiet, administrative centre that is La Oliva. It’s set in a broad U-shaped valley sandwiched between two mountainous headlands. And then there’s Betancuria, the former capital that retains a real sense of history, with her ancient doorways and 17th-century church. There’s even a museum dedicated to salt. To get a feel of arriving in advance of your flight, I recommend the novel ‘Sandy Shores’ by Kris Moller. It’s a ripping yarn involving a pact with the devil between a thief and a skipper, all set in and redolent of Fuerteventura.

The island has also become a top spot for kite surfers. They enjoy the guaranteed wind off the east coast, while board surfers flock to the west coast. El Cotillo is a surfing town full of cool bars and restaurants for the ‘dude’ community, with a famed seafood joint called Vaca Azul. The beaches and

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lagoons lie prostrate before the agitated sea and black-wet-suit-clad fun-seekers.

Golfers come from afar for the one spot of greenery here.

As for wildlife, there are noticeably few dogs or cats. In the north there are seabirds (especially Gorriones seagulls that have arrived from Africa). In the south there are barbary ground squirrels, and goats, of which there are more than 30 different types across the island. They scavenge meals from the meanest terrain, from thorny bushes in rocky outcrops to scrubby foliage among the sand dunes. Three hundredodd camels arrived on the island with the Normans in 1405 and are both wild and tamed for tourist rides – soon there will be camel milk available. It’s rich in protein, but has 40 per cent less cholesterol than cow’s milk and a high content of minerals and vitamin C.

I first stayed at the Gran Hotel Atlantis Bahia Real. It’s set on a white-sand beach bordering the Corralejo Dunes and looks across to the Isla de Lobos and Lanzarote beyond. My room was right on the beachfront. The decor and style is an intriguing mix of Moroccan as well as Andalucian in the Neo-Mudéjar style.

Birds flit around the interior courtyard’s tropical garden and the patios that surround the swimming pools. There’s a new extension to the east, currently with a pale yellow façade, that will cater for VIP guests.

It’s special to be able to walk straight out, past the hotel beach and onto the famous dunes. They are inspirational, though marred somewhat (especially given their ‘national park’ status) by two hotels planted in the middle – the trade off for the owner, and the Ilsa de Lobos, in allowing ramblers access to the island.

My favourite beach, Playa de Cofete, was down at the southern tip of the island.

Finding it required going off the tarmac and into the unknown. It’s situated eight miles along a dirt track, then there are a few single-track hairpin bends to take, before you reach the summit. There’s a truly stunning view across a series of rocky ridges, all angling down towards the stretch of deserted beach. Only a sailing boat in the distance showed any sign of human intervention.

While neighbouring Lanzarote has a certain conformity of design, as a result of PAGE 38

‘The island is interesting for its bleak contrasts.

Of the sweeping surrounds, the desert (a consequences of volcanic eruptions) certainly makes you appreciate vegetation where you can find it.’ the great architect César Manrique, with his white-washed walls and green doors; here things can be more fluid. And I was lucky enough to be moving into my next stay, the Occidental Jandia Royal Level Suite. Here, at this adults-only section of a large resort, I was made to feel not just welcome, but rather special, as my black wristband allowed me to ‘access all areas’ – including a ‘premium’ breakfast and dinner restaurant. The food was excellent, with fresh orange juice and frequent barbecues – and every meal was cooked before my very eyes. There’s a buffet full of fruit and vegetables, but there are also treats.

I strongly recommend Fuerteventura – strong winds and all.

Adam Jacot de Boinod was a researcher for the first BBC television series QI, hosted

by Stephen Fry. He wrote The Meaning of Tingo and Other Extraordinary Words from around the World, published by Penguin Books. gatwickexpress.com chepstowcars.com Classic Collection Holidays (0800 047 1064; classic-collection.co.uk) offers a two-centre, three-night holiday at Gran Hotel Atlantis Bahia Real, on a bed and breakfast basis; and three nights at Occidental Jandia Royal Level Suite on an all-inclusive basis, from £1,279 a person.

The price is based on two adults sharing and includes return flights from London Gatwick to Fuerteventura (flights are available from up to 16 UK airports) and all private transfers. Departing April 2018.

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SHOPRILLA WORDS: SID RAGHAVA Fashionistas, Kate Middleton, Chinese tourists and luxury shoppers who particularly like more than just a bit of a bargain love Bicester Village. Bicester, a little town between London and Birmingham houses this sophisticated shopping mall and attracts both Brits and tourists in heavy numbers. The wonderfully quaint outlet, dressed in the style of an English village (complete with barn houses as shops), is just a 45-minute train ride from London.

It’s so popular among Chinese visitors, that it ranks second only to Buckingham Palace as a tourist attraction, in terms of sheer numbers. Three out of four Chinese tourists visiting the UK make a quick hop over to the Oxfordshire town to stock up on quality offerings from their favourite luxury and designer labels. Bicester Village has definitely got its ABCs right when it comes to shops – heavyweights like Armani, Barbour and Chloé vie for attention with boutique and appropriately grandiose labels, like Amrapali for Indian jewellery, Bamford the British lifestyle brand and Clive Christian for its much sought-after perfumery. Importantly, this is not just about replicating Bond Street in bucolic surroundings.

Bicester Village is littered with loads of touristy and foody diversions, which makes it a perfect getaway for a family day out too – all complemented with a satisfying shopping experience.

A quick example to give the reader an idea of the bargains at hand: a Givenchy jacket may be netted for a sixth of its original high-street retail price - whatever you’re looking for, there is a choice of over 160 designer brands waiting to be picked up.

Since the start of 2018, Orlebar Brown, who had an exclusive pop-up shop till autumn last year, have now established a permanent outpost. The label’s tailored and colourful swimwear collection is ideal for the sophisticated, style-conscious man; the pieces reference 1960s culture, such as Slim Aarons’ iconic photographs of the Riviera and Palm Beach life.Additionally, Bicester Village and Debrett’s are partners in their ‘Guide To British Style’, which includes handy tips for outfitting oneself for various social events – country wear, black-tie events, work settings.

The recent expansion in October 2017, the biggest since the mall’s opening in 1995, has upped the ante. The newest additions to the esteemed circle includes The Apartment, a by-appointment-only VIP space designed by Carden Cunietti.

The Village was re-landscaped by Wild at Heart founder Nikki Tibbles and featured a specially commissioned art installation entitled Moon Blooms from renowned British artist Bruce Munro.

The trick at the heart of Bicester Village is to keep things fresh and exciting as each season unfolds and holidays come and go; to offer the biggest bargains on the choicest brands, from designers of the highest calibre, and to provide a complete outing rather than just plain retail therapy. And, the latter is the biggest reason to visit this very happening bit of Oxfordshire.

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ABOUT BICESTER VILLAGE Bicester Village is located just 46 minutes by train from London Marylebone direct to Bicester Village Station. This luxury destination is home to more than 130 boutiques of world-famous brands, each offering exceptional value with savings of up to 60% on the recommended retail price. Together with a selection of restaurants and cafés, including Le Pain Quotidien Restaurant and Farmshop restaurant & cafe by Soho House & Co, the Village offers a suite of services that include Valet Parking, Hands-free Shopping, and an onsite tax refund and money change service.

Bicester Village is one of the Collection of 11 Villages in Europe and China, the most recent of which, Shanghai Village, is located at the heart of the Shanghai International Tourism and Resorts Zone, adjacent to Shanghai Disney Resort, and opened its doors in May 2016. together with a selection of restaurants and cafés, the Village offers luxury services that include Valet Parking, Hands-free Shopping, the award-winning Bicester Visitor Centre, and onsite tax refund and money change service.

Bicester Village have partnered with a collection of hotels including The Landmark to facilitate a seamless trip from London begin your shopping experience.

Recent Pop-Ups: The Kooples, Karl Lagerfeld, Goat and Bash.

Enjoy the ultimate luxurious shopping experience in partnership with Bicester Village. Please visit www.landmarklondon.co.uk/promotions/shop-till-dropday-package for more details.

222 Marylebone Rd, Marylebone, London NW1 6JQ, UK

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WE’RE LEVIN IT SID RAGHAVA enjoys a knock-your-socks-off stay at The Levin hotel in Knightsbridge.

The Levin and the adjacent Capital are sister hotels, the latter of which hosts the Michelin-starred Outlaw’s Restaurant.

Knightsbridge may heave with tourists and shoppers, but this boutique hotel provides a perfect home-away-from-home experience; however, this home is a palace with 12 gorgeous bedrooms. Comfort and luxury abound within the pale-blue walls and there’s a welcome familiarity and a promise that you’ll be well looked after. The Levin has been voted one of the best boutique hotels by The Telegraph and a host of other tastemakers, for all the right reasons. It is a delectable property in the heart of London and guests and visitors can expect a great degree of personal attention and care, which – coupled with the location and high levels of service – makes for a wonderfully satisfying experience.

About the location: you can virtually step right into Harrods – and that’s just the start of the shopping extravaganza that awaits. It is a quick jaunt away from the high-end designer stores of Sloane Street, the joys of Harvey Nichols and the boutiques of Beauchamp Place, while the Knightsbridge London Tube stop is right around the corner to whisk you away to the heady treats of Bond Street, Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus. All this is further enhanced by The Levin’s location on a quiet residential street; so, if a guest would like to detach themselves from the busy beat of London, they surely can. The wonderfully informal restaurant, The Knightsbridge Metro, within the premises, is a hidden gem with a seasonal menu that highlights fresh produce and includes many classic British favourites, and it doubles up as a café/bar. All-day dining includes goodies like Cornish mussels, cider cream and parsley; their renowned classic fish and chips, tartare sauce and crushed peas; another favourite Cornish rarebreed beef burger, cheddar cheese, tomato, pickles and fries; and chocolate mousse, peanuts and lime syrup for dessert.

The Levin scores on all counts: luxury, good service, prime location and quality food and drink. It awaits as your home-awayfrom-home whether you’d like to shop, have an indulgent stay in Central London or pop over to Nathan Outlaw’s restaurant next door. The choice is entirely yours.

Sid Raghava stayed at The Levin Hotel (www.thelevinhotel.co.uk) in the heart of Knightsbridge. Double rooms (two sharing on a bed and breakfast basis, including VAT) from £284 a room, each night. Reservations: www. thelevinhotel.co.uk (020 7589 6286). Prices quoted subject to availability.

‘The Levin has been voted one of the best boutique hotels by The Telegraph and a host of other tastemakers, for all the right reasons.’

Nathan Outlaw’s Michelin Starred Restaurant in London

A Taste of Cornwall in Knightsbridge

At Outlaw’s at The Capital, Nathan Outlaw and Head Chef Andrew Sawyer Champion the Best Seasonal and Sustainable Seafood Caught Predominantly Around the Coast of Cornwall.

@OUTLAWSinlondon 22-24 Basil Street, Knightsbridge SW3 1AT

020 7591 1202

www.capitalhotel.co.uk

HOLIDAY, CELEBRATE We need a holiday… Luckily, we know exactly who to turn to: Mr & Mrs Smith, the travel club for hotel lovers.

Heavy-on-the-romance hotels for milestone anniversaries; the cute home-from-home stays where they bake their own cookies and don’t look askance when you put your be-socked feet on the upcycled coffee table; the kind of villas where party-worn friends are found snoozing on the loungers, sofas, rugs, etc. the morning after the night before: they have it all. And, they can do U-rated family stays, too.

The Kensington & Chelsea Review got the lowdown on 2018’s hottest hideaways.

BEST FAMILY HOTEL First up, one for the kids – before their bedtime. Taylor River Lodge is the kind of Coloradan getaway you fantasise about as you sit behind a desk all day and long for fresh mountain air and the brush of a fir frond against your skin. Mmm, pine-y. Here little ones can hold a wild rumpus in the Great Outdoors; there’s a teepee, horses to ride, rapids to raft and bikes to borrow – just don’t watch The Omen before you check-in, axe tossing and BB-gun shooting is child’s play here.

COOLEST CREATIVE HUB Freelancing! The dream. Freelancing! Off-peak holiday rates.

Freelancing! UberEat-ing. Freelancing! Working in your PJs. Freelancing! What was that noise? Freelancing! Forever alone.

Communal workspace! In the words of Abed Nadir from Community, Public New York is ‘cool – cool, cool, cool.’ Well, it is the progeny of Ian Schrager – Mr Studio 54, himself. Aside from being the go-to spot for showing off your touch-typing skillz, it’s party up top and down low, with a bar on the roof and basement nightclub.

ABOVE AND BEYOND This category assesses a hotel’s manners and largesse, but the winner is literally – to paraphrase Tal Bachman – so hiiigh, high above me, but so lovely… Chamba Camp Thiksey, in the Himalayas, is 3,500 metres above sea level. But, just because your nearest neighbour is likely a mewling yak, doesn’t mean you’ll lack for luxury. Each tent could hold a wedding disco, and has a four-poster bed facing The View; you’re also assigned a knowswhen-to-knock personal butler. Here, alongside mountain vistas and wonderful wilds, you get dinner and a show: a troupe of local dancers troops up to this eyrie come evening to perform at dinner.

LOCAL HOTEL HERO Not all hotels wear capes, but the winner of this gong, Nay Palad Hideaway, in the Philippines, is a true hero for its eco-friendly ways. Pow! It’s crushed… its carbon footprint. Kablooey! It’s cut down… unnecessary plastic usage. Zorp! (?) it’s smashing… this ‘supporting the local community’ thing. Its halo is definitely solar powered. But, this is no sandals and hemp kinda joint – no, local materials have been harvested and styled into hanging loungers and four-poster beds with swooshy white veils. There are only nine villas on teeny Siargao Isle too, so chances of small talk are slim.

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BEST SMITH VILLA Annandale’s Scrubby Bay was not christened auspiciously, but despite its moniker, this looker of a villa could cause your eyes to pop out in Tex Avery-cartoon style. It’s so remote you’ll need a helicopter or off-road vehicle to ‘get away from it all’, but its ‘at the end of the world’ schtick appeals. You can stare wistfully out at the lake and former-volcano-turned-scenery and pretend you’ve survived an apocalypse – or, act out your doomsday scenarios in the hot tub, or cosied up by the fire pit if you choose. This is harder to do within: do dystopian rebels wear cashmere pyjamas? Would they really chug free flutes of Louis Roederer? Hey, we’re all just trying to survive here *sip*.

BEST GOURMET GETAWAY Kaiseki cuisine is the finest of Japanese dining, and washoku is a catch-all term for Japan’s unique cuisine, which is healthful and artistic to the point that it’s a Unesco-recognised heritage. So, it’s absolutely time for a cultural foray, with an equally hungry attaché, to Zaborin Ryokan, an elegant minimalist hotel in Hokkaido. Chef Yoshihiro Seno works with local farmers, forages for ingredients and combines his knowledge of both culinary disciplines to create exquisitely composed kita-kaiseki dishes (a more nature-focused style of cooking). Each segment of the 11-course tasting menu is delicately flavoured and styled to within an inch of its life, until you take a fork to it, that is.

BEST POOL WITH A VIEW Some pools are more equal than others – Tierra Atacama Hotel & Spa’s is the most equal, according to Smith ruling. But, well, this is no mere pit of chlorinated water: the reeds lining its banks bow their heads in awe of its beauty; the Atacama Desert’s lunar immensity reaches out for miles around; and in the distance Licancabur volcano mooches around as if it’s waiting to be invited in. The rarified crowd who do get to wallow in these waters can sit back and admire the scenery on a curvaceous sunlounger and while away the hours till wine-tasting o’ clock.

BEST-DRESSED HOTEL Who are you wearing, Le Roch Hotel & Spa? You look fabulous!

Interior designer Sarah Lavoine has done this Parisian stay proud with a look that nods to Paris’ classic elegance and à ce moment hipness. She’s dressed rooms in the sea’s coolest shades (navy, teal, turquoise), and forest greens, and keeps things lively with subtle hits of pattern, warm wooden accents and eye-catching silhouettes. We especially love the restaurant with its velvetupholstered chairs and well-loved Persian rugs. Does Lavoine dress people too?

MOST SPOILING SPA We’re more used to swigging wine from a glass at the KCR (only the finest, mind), but we’re elated to discover that being soaked and scrubbed in French plonk has an equally soporific – hangover free – effect. The Vinothérapie Spa in luxury Bordeaux hotel Les Sources des Caudalie harnesses the power of the wine list to create mineral-rich facials and scrubs, and you can make like a fine vintage and soak in a barrel, filled with natural spring water drawn from a deep well. The charmed rustic stay also has a wine bar, and if you book through Smith you get a free tasting, too.

Smooth bottoms up all round…

WORLD’S SEXIEST BEDROOM Aspiring Iron Man lair Soneva Jani, in the Maldives, took top spot for World’s Sexiest Bedroom for a bevy of reasons: the seclusion within a huge overwater villa, the view of endless blue-on-blue horizon you can see by barely lifting your head from the pillow (we’re sure if you ask nicely your butler would give you a hand), and elegant styling using restful beachy hues. But, you can also hit the button by the bed to open the retractable roof and suddenly be sleeping under the heavens. And, if stargazing from your bed isn’t sexy enough – villas have their own water slides too. Skinnydipping just got interesting…

BEST DATE-NIGHT BAR Jazz… Nice. The coolest place to try and sport a pork-pie hat and click your fingers at random intervals is the Roxy Hotel’s Django club in New York, a Parisian boîte reimagined in Manhattan. Set deep in the belly of the hotel, it’s an artfully dishevelled type that would probably wear a beret if it were human, but would still look rather dashing. Amid walls with the paint peeling off them and patches of exposed red brick, guests can sip rum punched up with sour cherry and cinnamon or a mouth-puckering Gibson with gin, vermouth and a beetroot-pickled onion. Great.

BEST SMITH HOTEL Villa La Coste is an art gallery housing a who’s who of painters and sculptors in buildings designed by the likes of Norman ‘Gherkin’ Foster and Renzo ‘Shard’ Piano. The best bit: this is an art gallery you can pretend to live inside. The scale of the place is breathtaking, with three tall iron towers bequeathed by Louise Bourgeois (and one of her spiders hovering above the estate’s lake); installations

by Tracey Emin; an antique tea pavilion. And when you’re not admiring the artwork, you can wander the Provençal château’s grounds, enjoy the Michelin-recognised chef’s cuisine or taste the fruits of the on-site vineyard – a winner indeed.

For more information and to book, visit www.mrandmrssmith.com

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THE FAMOUS OLD EATING HOUSE SUE SAUNDERS finds historic hearty dining at Simpson’s in the Strand.

100 Strand, London WC2R 0EW www.fairmont.com/savoy-london/dining/simpsonsinthestrand Simpson's in the Strand is steeped in history and has a particularly masculine flavour. Built on the site of the Fountain Tavern, home to the celebrated KitCat Club of literary fame, it started life as Samuel Reiss's Grand Cigar Divan, a simple smoking lounge, complete with comfy sofas. Soon it evolved into a gossipy and popular coffee-house, where gentlemen could enjoy their smoke with a stimulating brew, while indulging in lengthy conversations about the politics of the day, perusing the papers and relishing each other's company in leisurely peace, far from any distracting feminine influence. Its club-like atmosphere was reinforced by the pricing system; it was possible to enjoy bottomless coffee and use of the facilities for a year for a payment of one guinea.

But there was also a splendid additional excuse to remove oneself from the ties of home or office for elastic lengths of time: chess.

Throughout the 19th century this hallowed place became what Lord’s is to cricket and Wimbledon is to tennis. Top players from all over flocked to the venue, and in 1851 one of the chess-world's greatest matches, between Anderssen and Kieseritzky, was played there. The beautiful mosaics – a red and white chess-board with gold and silver pieces adorning the front entrance, and a green and white games board set into the lobby floor – are testament to the golden age of a grand passion. A display by the stairs proudly shows off a fascinating collection of memorabilia. If you really have an urge to play a game there these days (a waitress told me a young boy requested to the other week) they will obligingly set up a board for you - but don't expect to still find top-hatted runners dashing about, carrying news of each move from coffee house to coffee-house in cross-town competitions, as you would have in its hey-day.

When Simpson's re-opened in 1904, following a temporary closure and a big shake-up by the new owner, Rupert D'Oyly Carte, (son of the famed operatic impresario, founder of the adjacent Savoy) he had chucked out all the historic wooden fittings, including the largest solid mahogany dining table in existence. Gone, too, was chess as a serious feature, and without its famous home, the British game lost out to places like Vienna and Berlin, which still boasted dedicated clubs.

So what was now the main draw of this time-honoured establishment, I hear you ask? Roast meat and plenty of it – good British meat with excellent, yet un-fussy accompaniments, as it had been served since the tumultuous year of 1848. That was when the esteemed caterer John Simpson was brought on board, the premises were expanded, and 100, The Strand began to gain its reputation as one of London's greatest restaurants. It swiftly became the fashionable choice of the great and good, with illustrious regular patrons such as Gladstone, Disraeli and Dickens. But far from being merely trendy, it fast became an institution, a by-word for Britishness, the epitome of the food men fantasise about, when the ultimate meal is envisaged as a reward for tough times, comforting as nursery food, satisfying and

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celebratory as Christmas dinner.

From films to fiction,a solid meal at Simpson's came to represent the nostalgic, aromatic dream that could pull a man through hard times, and restore him back to life. In The Guns of Navarone, David Niven's character leans over his wounded, dying companion, and tells him that when he recovers, they will return to London and go straight to Simpson's to have roast beef. In PG Wodehouse's Cocktail Time, it is the restaurant that Cosmo Wisdom chooses to lunch at after leaving prison. When Sherlock Holmes needs sustenance after a gruelling week spent faking a deadly disease in The Dying Detective, he remarks to Watson, ‘When we have finished at the police station, I think that something nutritious at Simpson's would not be out of place.’

Luckily for myself, ladies have been allowed into the wood-panelled dining room at lunchtime since 1984. Here I enjoyed potted shrimp followed by Daphne's Welsh lamb, served from the trolley, revealed in all its succulence as the waiter lifted the huge silver lid, which must have mirrored so many famous faces on its polished antique dome… We washed down our beautifully cooked and presented food with British sparkling wine, and indeed we began our respectful visit to this 'restful temple of food' with a pre-prandial gin-based cocktail in the very welcoming Knight's Bar upstairs.

A recent controversial revamp has seen some modern tweaks to the menu, and, more necessarily, a re-plumping of old upholstery. But, as you glide through the gleaming revolving doors, and are greeted by the charming staff, your dining experience is one of comfort and joy, leaving you with a pleasing warmth that stays with you afterwards.

Don't change any more, Simpsons - at least, not in any so-called forward direction. You didn't gain your fame by frills or fads - we love you just the way you are

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‘It was once possible to enjoy bottomless coffee and use of the facilities for a year for a payment of one guinea…’

DARCIE + MAY GREEN Grand Union Canal, Sheldon Square, Paddington Central W2 6DS WORDS: HARRIET BEDDER Would monsoon rain deter us from dining on a barge on the Grand Union Canal? Au contraire…

Despite us picking a very wet evening to visit Darcie + May Green – two delightful little canal boats docked outside Paddington Station – both were bulging with guests. They’ve been designed by ‘The Godfather of British pop art’, Sir Peter Blake; best known for co-creating the album artwork for the Beatles’ album ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’. With bright popping colours lining both barges, they float on the canal as homage to his early work. Darcie – where we dined – and May, the busy floating bar next door, were continually photographed by passing pedestrians and considered by prospective diners, who sadly had to turn away into the miserable night due to a full reservations list.

To my mind, the crowded diner suggested we were off to a good start. Our waitress described the menu as ‘Antipodean inspired, with bold fresh flavours and a homey feel.’

Her Australian accentautomatically lulled me into trusting every word. The whole menu read like an exciting narrative. I haven’t seen halloumi fries on

a menu outside of Oli Baba’s Levantine food stall in Camden’s Kerb Market, so these automatically went on to our ‘must-try’ list.

Darcie Green set the scene for a reunion meal on this otherwise grim evening. An ex-colleague of mine and I agreed it was a perfect pick for the meeting: a restaurant with a casual atmosphere, teeming with noise, where delicious scents hint at the kitchen’s flavourful fare. We felt comfortable in this easy, unimposing environment, and so had an amazing time catching up. Alongside our deliciously cheesy starter, we opted for succulent, spicy tuna tostadas – an excellent choice – with yuzu cream that perfectly complemented the kick of added candied chilli – a decidedly moreish combination!

After our first taste of true Australian cuisine – a hotly debated subject over the course of the evening – we were encouraged by our waitress to order the chicken parmigiana. I thought this was a classic Italian dish, and I was surprised to be informed it was a staple of Australian cuisine that we must try. The panko-crusted chicken schnitzel was served with prosciutto, crushed tomatoes

and a welcome side of creamy burrata balanced with the crisp freshness of the house salad and deliciously rich duck-fat fries.

At this point we were Aussie-cuisine converts, and we were being eyed up by our companion diners in amazement as we devoured dish after dish. The sashimi salad was next to arrive at our table; a more traditional Australasian combination of sea bass, salmon and tuna sashimi, mixed greens, avocado, pickled ginger, sesame and soy dressing.

By the end of the meal, it would have been quite plainly rude not to heed the encouragement of staff who urged us to try the Melbourne Mars Bar cheesecake ball (with double cream) – two insisted this was the eatery’s signature dessert, which had quickly become one of its most-loved dishes. I demolished it – a worthy sacrifice the interest of our readers – it did not disappoint.

We highly recommend stopping by, not just to take a photo of this novel floating double-act, but to book a table and venture Down Under to discover what these barges have to offer.

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A LUNCHTIME WHODUNNIT KATE WEIR gets a Clouseau as she turns detective on vintage train the Belmond British Pullman www.belmond.com We’ve just pulled out of Victoria, it’s 11.10am precisely, and we’re comfortably settled in velveteen-upholstered armchairs on the Belmond British Pullman Express train – as the vintage carriages chug out of London, and the scenery gets greener, and the champagne flows more freely – it couldn’t be more idyllic.

But, events are about to take a darker turn, because, there’s ‘moider’ afoot… If I had a Poirot-esque moustache, I’d be lavishly stroking it as I side-eyed my fellow passengers. Sadly, I lack the facial furnishing for such theatre, but fortunately for a certain Mr Clinton Flick (deceased) the killing is all cloak and dagger – part of Belmond’s murder-mystery lunch.

To ride on the Belmond British Pullman is to take a dainty step into the past. From the window, past a softly glowing art deco lamp, I can see the – more modern, much scruffier – overground train that I frequently take to

Penge, which adds a dose of surreality to proceedings. To ensure a true Golden Age of Travel feel, all porters and servers are liveried in smart white dinner jackets; all have impeccable manners, of course. Guests can dress up too, and there are groups in their Twenties finest.

The train itself is beautifully restored, with wood veneers, polished mirrors and real, comfortable armchairs. Our table is set with silverware and Georgian-blue bone china – it’s reminiscent of the lavish trains in doorstep-sized Russian novels, and quite far removed from your typical commute.

The murder mystery evolved from detective tales such as Edgar Allen Poe’s Murders on the Rue Morgue and the Sherlock Holmes series, and were inspired by real-life ‘whodunnits’, such as the late-19th-century Road Hill House murder, where 16-year-old Constance Kent confessed to murdering a child amid a fugue of

suspicion.To capitalise on the public’s macabre interest, parlour games such as Jury Box were released, the predecessors to the enormously popular Cluedo. Belmond reimagines the murder mystery with all the intrigue, glamour, and sly silliness of Agatha Christie’s potboiler, Murder on the Orient Express (an ode to the Pullman’s sister vessel).

Guests enjoy a leisurely lunch as the train bombs through Kentish countryside, and we’re introduced to various culpable characters: wives, daughters, business partners and secretaries, all with their own motive and a sniggeringly elaborate name. As the smart waiters deftly serve Loch Duart salmon salad with pomegranate and watercress; and truffleoil-drizzled celeriac-and-apple soup, we start our interrogations. We’re told poor Mr Flick had three marks on his forehead – a clue? Or a red herring? We’re left bamboozled as we

notice the three bowling-ball dots on Tallulah Quimby’s business card; the three hatpins Mrs C Blount-Flick (wife of the deceased) is sporting; the three pens personal-secretary Braddock Aloysius Pert has in his breast pocket. The train chugs on down to the coast; we tuck into Gressingham duck breast drizzled with a thyme and port jus – a feast made using British produce, wherever possible.

As the suspects are narrowed down, and we scribble increasingly nonsensical

theories on the papers provided, a cart piled with British cheeses arrives: Keen’s Cheddar, Tuxford & Tebbutt Blue Stilton, Golden Cross goat cheese and Catherine Mead’s Cornish Yarg. Excellent, if we’re to crack this case we need sustenance. A beautifully presented apple tart follows, and by now we’re Jessica Fletcher sniffing out her next source material; Miss Marple tucking into crumpets as the body count rises; we are Colombo’s wagging finger; the Mystery Machine zipping along to its next

deserted theme park…

Well, almost… In spite of having no idea of the motive and a mental ‘detective string chart’ that’s tangled in knots, we take a stab in the dark (pun unintended) and choose the person with the least motive. We won’t say who, but we will say that we came in second; our efforts are rewarded with a gilt-edged, hardback of Murder on the Orient Express. Really, we’re just glad justice was served – all in a day’s work for these super sleuths…

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Copyright Rah Petherbridge Photography

AN EVENING OF MEAT The only thing I’m expecting for certain from An Evening of Meat is, well, meat… As we enter the mouth of the graffitied tunnels of Waterloo’s Vaults, we’re not quite sure what we’re descending into. The last time I saw a character so psyched about meat it was in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre… The holdingarea bar, where journos are milling around with glasses of prosecco, gives the odd hint: intricate – and surprisingly realistic – wire sculptures of figures in thrall or ecstasy, the logo, a female figure in silhouette, on all fours. In fact, director Kate March (of the I Am collective) created the piece to investigate this submissive stance. The show’s travelled through Sydney, New York and beyond, gaining rave reviews.

Then we’re led down a darkened tunnel to a dining room; here, under suggestively red lights, women clad in underwear, fishnets and cloaks lie prone along the long tables.

We take our seats, and I’m face to face with one of the ‘sleepers’. As someone who’s

dabbled in performance art before, I’m familiar with this Brechtian style of disruption, of art as confrontation, the political present. And, I’ll admit it has a potency; however, I’m also unsure of where to look – I am British after all.

Soon, wine is served and I find myself more prepared to tackle whatever the evening entails.

The dancers are furies as they struggle to break free of their all-fours position. They judder like movie monsters, convulse and crawl, scratch and fight. Aside from trivial concerns – is this table strong enough? Will my wine glass fall over? – the performance is curiously powerful, and it’s even more entertaining to watch an audience who are equally rapt and baffled.

As the evening draws out, the girls manage to rise ‘like a phoenix’, and then the fun, and audience participation, begins: people are pulled up and made to run back and forth by the most domineering of the girls, I’m instructed to stroke one girl’s hair, pairs of performers pour wine over each other. It’s all

gone a bit Bacchanalian, yet, it’s liberating – long gone is our shyness about staring, we do as we’re told when we’re told – a subtle power shift occurred between voyeur and subject without us really noticing.

The six-course menu to accompany (courtesy of chef Chavdar Todorov) is indeed meaty, although a vegetarian option is available too. We carnivorously gorge our way through mini ice-cream cones of chicken-liver parfait, salt-baked potato sprinkled with pancetta, beef carpaccio, mutton shoulder, a rare-breed pig-cheek oyster, and 70 per cent Guanaja chocolate and olive oil ganache sprinkled with coconut bacon flakes. It’s delicious, so much so, that I don’t immediately connect it with the performance; but, after such a fun, immersive and, frankly, startling night, I’m quite hungry for more flesh…

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www.thevaults.london/an-evening-of-meat and ‘Now running till 2 June 2018’

WIN TICKETS TO SEE JEFF BECK & KAISER CHIEFS AT ‘LIVE AT CHELSEA!’ Kensington and Chelsea Review have got a pair of tickets to see Kaiser Chiefs (June 14th) and Jeff Beck (June 15th) at their concerts at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, as part of this year’s Live At Chelsea Concert Series.

Over 13 years since their debut single ‘Oh My God’ kickstarted an incredible run of hits for the indie-rock band, the Kaiser Chiefs will take to the stage at the Sir Christopher Wren designed site of the Royal Hospital as one of Britain’s most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, meriting an inclusion in Rolling Stone’s list of the all-time top 100, Jeff Beck’s distinguished 50-plus year career in music has seen him twice be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame – once as a member of The Yardbirds in 1992, and again in 2009 as a solo artist.

The Live At Chelsea Concert Series returns for its 4th year in 2018, having fast become a unique staple in London’s summer calendar. Concerts have entertained thousands of audience members as well as the Chelsea Pensioners themselves who live in the immaculate and immersive hospital grounds.

Every year a portion of the ticket sales from the event is donated towards the care of the Chelsea Pensioners, as well as the maintenance of the Grade I listed site which has provided care and comradeship to ex-military personnel since 1682 when it was founded by King Charles II. For more information on the Chelsea Pensioners and the Royal Hospital Chelsea, please visit: www. chelsea-pensioners.org.uk For a chance to win, email competitions@kensingtonandchelseareview.com with your name, telephone number and answer to the following question: What did the Kaiser Chief’s Predict? a) Donald Trump’s presidency b) a Riot

c) Leonardo DiCaprio winning his first Oscar in 2016

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CUBÉ 4 Blenheim Street, Mayfair London W1S 1LB WORDS: SERENA DOHERTY Entering the heart of London at this time of year, rushing through the cold and bundled up to your eyeballs, feels like chaos. Your step speeds up in the anticipation of your destination and an unpredictable night. Take two turns off Oxford Street, and past the throng of afterwork pub patrons, you’ll find Blenheim Street, where you’ll see the well-lit window of Cubé.

The quiet street makes it an ideal haven away from the masses.

On entering this new Japanese restaurant in Mayfair, you’ll find the wood-on-wood space near-empty. The jarring move from one extreme to another comes as a bit of a surprise. As a native Londoner, I always looks for a halfway point between the currently underappreciated gem and the next big thing. On closer inspection, reserved notices on each table promise busier times and inspire the coveted ‘I found it first’ feeling.

We are immediately led to a table for two and handed various menus to choose from.

Deciding from a bounty of main dishes, sushi,

drinks – and later dessert – we have to ask our server for recommendations. We’re advised to try the signature cocktail, the calpico (a yoghurtlike Japanese drink) cocktail, The Cubé, which has a bitter, tangy finish. We balance it out with the frothy sweetness of the Mio Bellini which hits a peachy note.

Following the server’s lead once again, we start with crunchy edamame drizzled in truffle oil, from the list of nibbles, and a butternut squash miso soup. It turns out the cocktail menu had only been the beginning, as an owner’s cellar menu followed. We opt for the Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc from the abundant options. Acidic notes of lemon zest and orange blossom complement the food throughout.

The next food course is salmon carpaccio, plus crispy duck and pickles from the cold tapas selection. Then we have simply delightful, robustly flavoured scallop pieces in uni butter, from the hot tapas menu. All dishes arrive together, we arrange the sharing plates on the

table and crack apart our chopsticks to get started. Still hungry, our eyes wander to the sushi and we order five nigiri pieces, the chef’s choice.

The sushi – well-laced with wasabi – is a welcome insight into that excellent menu, but doesn’t quite entice us to pay the £75 price tag for their omakase menu (where the chef chooses the courses), served at the counter.

The main set menu offers assorted tapas to start, nigiri and maki, and soup. It was intriguing to guess at how the subtle flavours – some with a lingering bitterness – would translate to the dessert menu, but the sour, salty and sweet matched up perfectly. The vanilla ice cream with sweet soy sauce was akin to salted caramel, with a thicker toffee-style consistency.

Those who want to play it safe have the option of fresh fruit with a plum-wine geleé – a grownup jelly bowl to end the party.

to the bar, past the restaurant on the ground floor, had me anticipating great things, and by this point I am Ready. To. Eat. We order a starter of beef carpaccio and tuna tartare. The beef carpaccio was delicious and infused with truffle oil; a perfect combination of flavours which enhanced the bitter frisée adorning the plate. My tardy dining companion – my mother, who is 34 years my senior and grew up on the Fulham Road – says it is the best beef carpaccio she has ever had, which is high praise from my foodie influencer.

As we wait for our main courses to arrive, the smell of wood-fire cooked pizzas, alongside the aroma of truffle from a rich macaroni and cheese starter, wafts over as they’re delivered to the table close to ours – we’re now voraciously hungry. I opt for the steak, which i perfectly cooked, with a side dish of broccoli, chilli, garlic and almonds, while my mother chooses roasted hake with squid-ink-dressed broccoli. We share a side of rocket, almond and pecorino salad.

Simple yet high-quality classic ingredients are

served to subtly complement our main courses are washed down with glasses of pinot noir and chablis respectively.

The evening’s coup de grâce is the rich and creamy tiramisu, served with a perfectly chosen glass of port to accentuate the taste of the cognac. My mother was envious after being a little disappointed with her flakey, chocolate and pistachio brownie after the tastiness of her previous courses.

By the end of the night, The Sicilian was firmly forgotten, and we found ourselves sunk into an aged Chesterfield, lit by flickering candlelight, in the Chelsea Prayer Room. We pick our poison from one of the many hymn books scattered about the room. Who knew that my casual Friday-night dinner could turn into secret earlymorning secret cocktails in a speakeasy in the same venue? Open until 1am on weekends, Goat really does have it all.

GOAT 333 Fulham Rd London SW10 9QL WORDS: HARRIET BEDDER Goat is an unassuming restaurant-cum-DJ bar located on the Fulham Road, which has been converted from a popular 300 year-old pub, The Goat in Boots. Its New York-pizzeriastyle interior combines metal, raw wood, faded paintings, blue button-back leather sofas, and – crucially – an open kitchen with pizza ovens and exposed beams.

We enter Goat for a pre-dinner apéritif in the cocktail bar upstairs; I was delighted to find a mixture of comfy armchairs, stools and traditional tables; meaning that while I waited for my guest to be obscenely late, I could kick back and enjoy a Hendrick’s gin and tonic (or two in Happy Hour) and devour more of my novel, The Sicilian by Mario Puzo. The cosmopolitan feel of the cocktail bar, alongside the traditional Italian heritage of the new ownership, really made me feel as if I was tucked away in the back of a restaurant in the Bronx.

Finally, my companion arrives and I put my book away. An hour before, when I’d walked up

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THE SKY UNLIMITED KATE WEIR joins the jet set for fine dining at 40,000 feet. www.jetcard.co.uk At one time, flying by private jet seemed an unfeasibly glamorous mode of transport, relegated to rockstars and high-net worthers; however, in recent years the sky has become less of a limit to, well, maybe not mere mortals, but someone with a not-too-ridiculous salary who’s looking to treat themselves.

Air Partner introduced their JetCard 14 years ago, pioneering a wonderfully flexible approach to private air travel. JetCard is a sort of upmarket Oyster for private jets, with somewhat steeper top-up fees. However, fixed and fully inclusive hourly rates mean no terrifying surprises at touchdown: landing charges, de-icing fees (things a seasoned EasyJet traveller such as myself wouldn’t even consider budgeting for), fuel and catering costs are all included. Everything is tailored to the clients’ desires, and unlike jet-sharing services, Air Partner is a more bespoke option. And, your credit doesn’t expire at the end of the month – customers can fly at a leisurely pace, when they choose.

Roundtrip discounts, a generous cancellation policy and fully global coverage are other boons – and you can use it towards swisher toys, such as helicopters and turboprops if you so wish. Fliers leave when they choose too, with a minimally disruptive security check (someone takes and scans your bag and drops it on the plane). Birthday coming up? You could even give one as a gift card (with credit up to £1 million), covering all six categories of jet (a fleet of 7,000 planes, suited to solo missions and sky-high parties for up to 200). Well, a travel journo can dream…

We’ve been invited to experience Air Partner’s new luxurious dining experience, a collaboration with On Air Dining (https://onairdining.com) that polishes up airline food’s dim reputation. CEO Daniel Hulme worked his way through Michelin-starred kitchens and luxury yachts, and realised his experience could be translated to private-jet dining. He partnered with lauded London eateries Sumosan, Tamarind and Maroush in his efforts to recreate high-end meals for an even higher end. The company

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work with Air Partner for all outbound flights from London and the South East, and alongside some European providers ensure top-quality menus are available across 34 airports on the continent. Air Partner have clearly put their back into finding dishes that are still haute at high-altitude.

It’s no easy task as we discover at lunch – the science behind airplane food is incredibly involved. Food has to be heavily salted and seasoned because tastebuds are dulled in the air; and the consistency of certain foods doesn’t hold up well after take-off. Sizing is another consideration – microwaves on planes are rather dinky (even on lavish private jets), but On Air Dining’s offering takes attendants into consideration. Meals come in perfectly sized packages and they’re largely pre-styled – a demonstration with a tuna salad saw cubes of perfectly pink tuna, string beans, egg and dainty dollops of sauce assembled in a matter of minutes.

Menus vary from French, to Japanese to Russian: yes, you can enjoy sushi and caviar at altitude if you wish. The presentation is exceptional too; it harks back to the Golden Age of travel: real crockery, real cutlery, and food arrives in elegant presentation boxes. But, well, is it any good?

Firstly, it’s certainly more thrilling than a choice of chicken or fish; I had the French menu (knowing Gallic pride in food and presentation, perhaps one of the hardest to pull off. The olive- and caramelised-onion-topped pissaladière is aesthetically pleasing and tasty, decorated with edible flowers, and the dessert of chocolate marquise with cherry compote goes down remarkably well. Alternatives run the gamut of truffled asparagus, tuna ceviche and kaiso salad, or rare roast lamb with baby turnips, fig jam and goats cheese emulsion. Homesick patrons can request authentic borscht, or Malaguese specialties such as pumpkin-jam-filled borrachuelos. Ending the meal on a sweet note, there’s pistachio and brindisi oil cake or an indulgent sticky-toffee pudding with obligatory vanilla clotted cream and butterscotch sauce accompaniments. Meals are halal certified, too.

I’m taken with the idea that the food offering has been created to act as an extension to the holiday – if you enjoyed a dish while in Europe, its equivalent awaits to perk up your spirits as you fly home (until you next whip out your JetCard that is…). I once booked a weekend away on the strength of a Pinterest image of a dish in an Estonian restaurant, and the dining scene is always the first thing I scope in a new destination… So, make food an integral part of the journey too and I’m sold.

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MAGGIE JONES’S

6 Old Court Place, Kensington London W8 4PL WORDS: HARRIET BEDDER Maggie Jones’s is tucked away in a cul-de-sac between Kensington High Street and Kensington Church Street. We walk in on a blisteringly cold evening; anticipating the second coming of the ‘Beast from the East’, we decide that – from its Instagram photos – Maggie Jones’s looks an unmissable, heartwarming rustic experience.

We navigate the dining room’s creaky wooden floorboards, ducking overhanging wicker baskets filled with dried lavender, then head up a rickety narrow staircase into a desperately romantic space on the first floor. Here cosy booths, lit with candles in old champagne bottles, line the walls and large informal tables adorn the main floorspace. I can almost see the eatery’s famous namesake patron dining in a dark booth on a similarly cold evening.

Maggie Jones’s, which actually opened in 1964 as Nan’s Kitchen, was a local favourite of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowden, who lived nearby in Kensington Palace. They would book their reservation under the alias of Maggie Jones.

Nan’s Kitchen decided, with such a unique history, that it would change its name, and in the 1970s it became Maggie Jones’s. By this point,

Princess Margaret and her companions likely no longer haunted the space.

The restaurant, described as a farmhouseinspired British restaurant, feels more like a rustic country kitchen in a Montpellier vineyard. I can almost imagine the ivy green shutters with ivy crawling up the window next to me…

We are shown to a small, candlelit table in the corner of the restaurant, where we squeeze in next to a vintage beehive (uninhabited) and have an excellent view of the room. While enjoying a bottle of house wine, we watch patrons make their own food choices – having had much trouble deciding on our own.

We opt for the avocado-and-crab salad and the onion soup to start; the latter is the clear winner for me and a dish that Maggie Jones’s must surely be famous for – the rich bouillon, gratinéed with croutons, gives way to an abundance of flavoursome caramelised onions at the bottom of the dish. I feel as though I am transported to the South of France.

I decide on the roasted rump of lamb, recommended by our cheerful waiter; my companion chooses the salmon with new

potatoes. The lamb melts in the mouth, with the subtle taste of rosemary and garlic evident in each bite, and it’s perfectly complemented by the wine we chose earlier on. We order cauliflower cheese and red cabbage to accompany the main dishes, which proves an excellent choice.

We manage to squeeze in a dessert, and I can wholeheartedly recommend the lemon sorbet to anyone dithering over the list of all-filler traditional puddings. A choice between the apple crumble and the chocolate mousse left us a little disappointed, when, after the mousse won, it turned up hardened with refrigeration. A glass of port and a second spoon for the sorbet made up for this.

In the end, we had to prise ourselves away from our cosy corner and return to the cold night air; by this point, we’re happy with red wine and full of delicious hearty food which made us feel we could take on the Beast with no fear. The moral of our review is, if you go – which you must – try the onion soup and the rump of lamb; we promise you won’t be disappointed.

ZUMA 5 Raphael Street, Knightsbridge London SW7 1DL WORDS: HARRIET BEDDER Tucked away on Raphael Street (an alleyway opposite Harrods), behind the Bulgari Hotel and parallel to Burberry, Japanese eatery Zuma is a hidden gem at the heart of the neighbourhood that epitomises London luxury. Most people walking along Raphael Street are heading to or departing from Zuma – a testament to the restaurant’s 15-year tenancy on this quiet backstreet.

Go through the extensive open-plan bar and you emerge in the main dining room, where the lighting creates a refined ambience that feels authentically Japanese. The sushi counter, cut from a vast block of granite, steals the limelight; it surrounds the open kitchen and robata grill.

Amid this organised chaos, I feel as if I have stepped into the heart of Tokyo.

We try the tasting menu and are not disappointed by the vast selection of food offered. There’s a mixture of cold dishes, followed by hot courses. The soft shell crab was exquisitely cooked, its delicate meat balanced with an accompaniment of sharp wasabi mayonnaise and a complementary portion of crispy fried squid.

Orders are brought to the table in rounds, some impressively presented on stands, others in wooden bowls filled with ice – we feast on dishes from land and ocean: seared beef glazed in soy, ginger lime and coriander, and marinated black cod. Surprisingly, I found the showstopper was the ‘hourensou no gomaae’ (steamed spinach with sesame sauce), so much so, I researched recipes after the meal.

I have not yet been able to successfully replicate its unbelievably rich and creamy dressing as a weekday treat, but have reserved it as a ‘must’ to order on my next visit to Zuma

A selection of classic, premium nigiri and sashimi are offered, along with tuna tartare on

a long-tail-boat-style platter; as expected, these were delicious and varied in taste. Acting as an amuse-bouche, the thinly sliced yellowtail is served with green-chilli relish, ponzu and pickled garlic. The first taste gave me such a high that I could only be disappointed, knowing that the mouthful would come to an end. Trying to savour each morsel before moving on to the other was impossible and I wish I’d had several hours to graze respectfully and appreciate everything before me. In fact, there are few restaurants where I imagine you could never tire of the food – this is one of them.

As for apéritifs, the imposing bar houses no less than 40 different types of sake. We were brought a little to taste, expertly recommended, before our dessert. This was my first time trying this rice wine designed for sipping, and I found its sweetness not dissimilar to port or sherry.

It was both more-ish and a perfect lead into a decadent dessert.

The chocolate fondant with caramel and praline was my clear favourite, followed by the vanilla ice-cream chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) with exotic fruits and sweet, fresh mochi. Zuma is prized for its extensive cocktail menu and destination bar Eager to try it I order the Hokkaido Blossom: a Tanqueray gin and champagne cocktail with notes of lemon and orange blossom, and – I was told – the sweetness of plum sake.

My evening at Zuma comes to an end, despite my efforts to drag it out as much as possible. As we leave, the bar is buzzing with latecomers hoping for a last-minute table, and the restaurant fills with evening diners familiar with the classic Japanese fare. I’m sad it’s over, but I am determined to return and ask the chef what is really in the ‘hourensou no goma-ae’.

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KETTNER’S TOWNHOUSE

29 Romilly St, Soho London W1D 5HP KATE WEIR celebrates the return of a Soho institution with a very decadent breakfast.

Kettner’s Townhouse has had a past both illustrious and unseemly, when August Kettner (allegedly Napoleon III’s chef after the Emperor’s banishment to Chislehurst) first opened his French restaurant in 1867 it was thought Soho’s prostitutes would drive the more elegant punters away; but its reputation prevailed, thanks to a well-publicised letter of praise, and the likes of Sir Winston Churchill, Oscar Wilde and Agatha Christie braved the sin-riddled neighbourhood to enjoy Kettner’s fine French fare. It was even reputed to have a secret tunnel to the Palace Theatre (just around the corner) so Edward VII could carry out his affair with actress Lillie Langtry in secret.

During its recent renovation no such tunnel was found, but – even with the Soho House group name (and Soho House next door) to pull punters and private members in – a new hotspot benefits from the lingering perfume trace of scandal; wallmounted corsets in the lobby cheekily wink at the past. The hotel’s Romilly Street location is vastly changed in the century-and-a-half since Kettner’s inception (and its brief incarnation as on-of-the-posher Pizza Express restaurants), and the restaurant has been subsumed into seven neighbouring townhouses, holding 33 rooms.

However, it’s dressed in fin de siècle Art Deco finery – chandeliers, tassels, lots of touchy-feely textiles and William Morris prints – with a modern

sensibility. The greeters and waiters who attend to us may have tattoos and haircuts, but the service is silver all the way.

Kettner’s evening menu is a wallet-flustering affair of Fine de Claire oysters, Swaledale côte de boeuf, and Perigord truffles, which can be shaved over a dish for £50 per 100 grammes.

The breakfast menu succeeds in being equally decadent – these are morning after the night before dishes fit for a king (before he sends his mistress on her merry way down his secret sex tunnel). Breakfast with a little top hat on the capital ‘B”. Orange juice is cheek-puckeringly fresh; their breakfast cocktail was citrussy with splashes of Grand Mariner and Ruinart Rose; and – lest you feel your dish beneath your status – Exmouth caviar can be spooned on for £10 a go.

My lobster royale comes pre-caviar-ed and the pliant crustacean is a delicate foil to the rich hollandaise and buttery muffin. My companion’s vol-au-vent, filled with creamy scrambled eggs and truffle shavings. Both are delicious, Otherwise, eloquent versions of a full English and avo on toast sit by boudin noir and cured trout on rye.

We’re not too full to waddle to the rooms and poke our head into the hotel’s bars.

The Jacobean Suite is the hotel’s centrepiece, with its canopied bed and copper bath tub, but even the Tiny rooms have old-school charm.

When looking for a knees-up, guests can choose between piano music and lashings of champagne (although the bars are adjacent, so flitting between is encouraged) in the so-named bars.

Congregate around the deco-style main counter and scope out any slumming royals under the low-lit French-glass lights. Trust us, even before you’ve pored over the flutes, coupes and vintage bottles on the menu, you’ll feel as flush as though you’ve been liberally sprinkled with caviar.

STREET EATS

A WALKING DINNER ALONG LONDON’S SOUTH BANK The Kensington & Chelsea Review joins a high-end walking and dining tour of the South Bank’s best restaurants.

The Southbank is one of London’s loveliest stretches, whether you’re sipping wine on the Royal Festival Hall’s Terrace, rummaging through the books in the market outside the BFI; getting a cultural double-whammy at the Globe theatre and Tate Modern, or simply admiring St Paul’s cupola. However, most of the decent dining spots along the bank are tucked away, leaving the haplessly hungry to duck into Las Iguanas for a tray of margaritas, or Giraffe for pan-chain dining. Walking Dinner – a Dutch company with several routes in the UK – plan to guide these poor souls into the South Bank restaurants they actually want to eat in.

Our mission, was to hit three stops – Brasserie Joel, Brasserie Blanc and Omnino Steakhouse – over the course of an evening. First for a starter, then a main, then dessert, with a promised glass of wine at each stop. I’m someone who, once cosy, is quite hard to move from one spot, so I wonder how I’ll cope with all the added exercise. The tours are usually selfconducted (details are sent in a booklet beforehand), but the Kensington & Chelsea Review were invited to a group version to test the new route. Hungry, and with comfy shoes on, I exit Waterloo station…

BRASSERIE JOEL TO START Mushroom and ricotta ravioli with chestnut-cream sauce and roasted hazelnuts.

I check the email with the list of restaurants obsessively as I search for the first stop, convinced that I have confused Joel and Blanc.

Luckily, deep within the Westminster Plaza Hotel, I find people waiting in the sleek gold and red interior of the brasserie. We’re greeted with prosecco and a menu personalised to the tour (a nice touch). There’s a wide-ranging choice of elegant French fare (foie gras, terrine, onion soup), and my starter is a not-too-filling three-piece dish of earthy ravioli, with nutty flavours that remind me of Perigord cuisine. It’s washed down with a glass of robust Ayrum tempranillo.

THE VERDICT A strong start.

BRASSERIE BLANC THE MAIN Toulouse sausages and mash in a Lyonnaise sauce We are slightly giddy on exiting Joel’s brasserie – we bomb along the South Bank stopping to ooh, aah and take pictures of the London Eye – no stragglers as of yet, but the group is getting a little looser and we’re already running a little behind.

Our host informs us that restaurants are fairly flexible for Walking Dinner guests (although that does have some limits…). Luckily, Brasserie Blanc, Raymond’s famed string of eateries, is close by.

I order the Granfort Merlot and Toulouse sausages in Lyonnaise sauce (a close relative of French onion soup) and pomme purée (essentially mash potato wearing a beret.) The service runs a little slow, but we’re happy enough, and my meal is the hearty, meaty, potatoey feast I was craving.

THE VERDICT Très bien

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

OMNINO STEAKHOUSE FOR DESSERT Dulce de Leche pancake with vanilla ice-cream The third course is the most trying for me – by now I am full, comfortable, a little buzzed. I want to stop by Doggett’s Coat and Badge for a pint then head home. This is maybe the longer stretch of walk, too, down to St Paul’s neighbourhood. But, I soldier on, buoyed by the thought of dessert and a nightcap. We ramble through the night; some take diversions, some consider going AWOL into a bar, but we all make it to Omnino Steakhouse, a bright, buzzy space. We are really rather late by now, but the waiters are graceful, and present us with a dessert menu. I’m tempted by the Malbec-soaked pear, but the dulce de leche pancake is too tempting – so much so that a lactose-intolerant guest orders it too… It’s a god choice, and to make up for the pear I finish with a glass of Malbec. By now we are gesticulating wildly and cackling at the kind of stories you probably shouldn’t tell on a press trip, but we’re having a blast, and we’re not too tired from our walk – I guess I’m more athletic than I think…

Cheers!

THE VERDICT Super sweet…

Overall, I’d recommend Walking Dinners to tourists who want to see the sights and get a taster of London’s restaurant scene.

The timing element makes it a little tricky for first dates when the time tends to get lost, but perhaps a later date could be spent roaming the city for food. Whichever company you keep on it, it’s a novel way to dine in a city that thrives on the new and different.

Visit www.walkingdinner.com for more information.

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

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

BYE BYE BABYLON Babylon may be shutting its doors, but we sent along our top reviewers, Tracy and Eleanor for a farewell dinner at this West London institution…

TRACY What did you order?

I started with the goat’s cheese mousse and beetroot salad, followed by roasted sea bream.

It was all beautifully presented and utterly delicious, and – unusually for me – I was too full for dessert! To drink, I had a glass of the house white, which was definitely well above average.

What were three highlights of your visit?

The staff were very friendly and welcoming, from booking to receptionist to sommelier and waiting staff. All faultless. The food was fantastic. The views were just amazing.

Was the restaurant family friendly?

All the staff made my daughter feel very welcome – but not in a condescending way. She enjoyed being treated like a ‘grown up’.

Is this the kind of place you would usually go to for a special outing?

I would consider it for a special treat. Evening service didn’t start until 6.30pm, so it made for a late night.

Did the place feel welcoming?

Absolutely. The staff struck the right balance between making my daughter feel comfortable but also treating her with the same courtesy as an adult. She appreciated being given a drink in a wine glass, and not having to eat with ‘kids’ cutlery’!

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

My daughter loved the fish tanks in the loos – great entertainment while washing and drying her hands! She was also thrilled with the live

music – particularly when the saxophonist gave her a wave.

Did you think the kids menu was imaginative?

Absolutely. It had a great range of kid-friendly classics – all of excellent quality. My daughter chose the pizza, which was obviously homemade. She was less keen on the starters, but plumped for a healthy salad. (Some of which I ate, admittedly!) The real highlight, though, was dessert: heart-shaped marshmallows with chocolate dipping sauce. Her face said it all: utter rapture.

How do you think it compares with typical kids’ menus?

It was very high quality, but not too ambitious.

We’d all like our kids to chomp on pad thai and grilled monkfish, the reality is that younger kids can feel intimidated by too many exotic choices.

Doing familiar dishes such as sausages and mash or lasagne really well – as they did at Babylon – was the right approach.

Were staff accommodating?

The service was exceptional. Attentive and friendly without being fussy or invasive. It helped create a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. It says a lot about the attentiveness of the waiting staff that they noticed me eyeing my daughter’s dessert in a very green-eyed way, so brought me a miniature version. Heaven!

table. I defy anyone to guess the answer!

ELEANOR What did you order?

I had a mixed salad for starter, then a margherita pizza and dipping marshmallows for pud.

What was your favourite dish?

The marshmallows. I loved dipping them in the warm chocolate sauce… And I managed not to drip it all over my white top.

What didn’t you like?

They didn’t have any kids’ colouring or other activities so I got a bit bored while we were waiting for our food, which seemed to take a long time (although Mum said it didn’t).

Were the staff friendly?

Yes – very friendly. They were very smiley and asked if I was enjoying myself.

Was the restaurant fun?

My favourite thing was the fish tanks in the loos.

I loved watching the tropical fish and would have stayed in there a lot longer if Mum had let me. I also really liked the cutlery!

Did you get any special gifts?

No, but I enjoyed trying to work out the riddle on the table – even though it didn’t make any sense.

What were your expectations of the restaurant before? And did it meet them or even exceed them?

I expected Babylon to deliver stunning views, and it didn’t disappoint. I didn’t know what to expect with the type or quality of food, but both were exceptional.

If you could improve the restaurant in any way, what would you do?

Have some activities that kids can do at the table.

Would you improve anything?

I can’t think of anything that I would improve – except perhaps the ‘riddles’ on each

Babylon and the Kensington Roof Gardens will be sorely missed, but at least it went out on a high.

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Can you score the restaurant out of 10?

9.5

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

TREDWELLS

4A Upper St Martin’s Lane London WC2H 9NY Mini reviewer Dominic (and mum Elizabeth) took a trip to Tredwells in Covent Garden to try their lavish kids’ tasting menu.

ELIZABETH WHAT DID YOU ORDER?

Adults order off the à la carte menu, which gives you the opportunity to match your wine to every course. I had scallops as a starter and duck for a main. There was a great selection of things to choose from.

WHAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR VISIT?

Dominic’s visit to the kitchen to serve himself ice cream was a definite highlight!

IS THIS THE KIND OF PLACE YOU WOULD USUALLY CONSIDER FOR A SPECIAL OUTING?

From the outside, Tredwells doesn’t look child friendly. It’s not somewhere I would have thought to bring children, because I would worry that they might be out of place. And I didn’t expect them to have a separate children’s menu, but it definitely felt family friendly. There were quite a few children there and the staff seemed very patient. Nobody batted an eyelid when Dominic lost his fork under a seat. It had a calm atmosphere, too. I think because the staff were so friendly and the menu so much fun, children felt very engaged. Dominic really enjoyed the experience – he felt very grown up! We will definitely go back.

DID THE AMBIENCE FEEL WELCOMING AND ACCEPTING OF CHILDREN?

Children were definitely made to feel welcome.

Every member of staff was very friendly and put Dominic at ease. Towards the end of the meal he was happy to go with our waiter to the kitchen to help serve his own ice cream, leaving me at the table.

WAS THERE ANYTHING DOMINIC ATE THAT SURPRISED YOU?

Dominic eats a wide range of food, so I thought that he’d probably be happy to eat most of the tasting menu. He wasn’t keen on the beetroot, apple and rhubarb cocktail, but cleaned his plate with all other courses.

WAS THE SERVICE OF A HIGH STANDARD?

The service was very good. All the staff were very friendly and answered Dominic’s questions directly to him. They treated him as they would an adult diner, which I thought was very nice.

All the food and drinks came in a timely manner and no mistakes were made. The service was definitely first rate.

WHAT WERE YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF THE RESTAURANT? DID IT MEET THEM?

We were very excited to try Tredwells, mainly because we had heard of the children’s tasting menu. We therefore had high expectations, which were definitely met. The food was tasty, the atmosphere welcoming and the staff were very helpful and solicitous.

WOULD YOU IMPROVE ANYTHING?

I would have the option of an adult’s tasting menu so that the dining experience for parents and children was more similar.

DOMINIC WHAT DID YOU ORDER?

I had seven courses. One was crispy buttermilk chicken. It was delicious.

WHAT AGE RANGE DO YOU THINK IT’S BEST SUITED TO?

Dominic is seven and he loved it. Although, while the children’s tasting menu offered a wide range of dishes, I think the lack of choice might be a problem for fussier or younger children. My five year-old son wouldn’t have eaten a few of the items on the tasting menu, although he would have liked some. For children over seven it’s a fabulous place.

DID YOU THINK THE KIDS’ MENU WAS WELL-CONCEIVED?

The kids’ menu was fantastic, very far from usual; there wasn’t a chicken nugget or fish finger in sight! It’s the reason why we’d come again. There was a beetroot, apple and rhubarb cocktail alongside miso-glazed aubergine, coconut and coriander, and crispy buttermilk chicken, the seven courses were very diverse. I was concerned how it would match up with the adult courses; however, several of the children’s dishes came together on one plate, so we ate our meals at roughly the same time. This is something I find really important when dining with children and it was done very well here.

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WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE DISH? I liked the roast-beef salad and the chicken.

WHAT DIDN’T YOU LIKE?

I didn’t like the beetroot, apple and rhubarb cocktail and the miso-glazed aubergine.

WERE THE STAFF FRIENDLY? VERY!

WAS THE RESTAURANT FUN? WHAT PART OF THE MEAL DID YOU MOST ENJOY?

I think it was fun. They let me go into the kitchen and I helped make my ice cream.

WOULD YOU GO BACK? Yes.

IF YOU COULD IMPROVE THE RESTAURANT IN ANY WAY, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

I would make it bigger. I would add 100 tables so that everyone can eat there.

CAN YOU SCORE THE RESTAURANT OUT OF TEN? 10 out of 10.

BEAUTY AND WELLBEING

SPRING PREENING Spring is the perfect time for a facial freshen-up. LISA CURTISS looks at some of the most effective options.

NON-SURGICAL EYELID LIFT Say goodbye to ageing, drooping eyelids in an instant, with the very latest PLEXR technology. Dr Maryam Zamani, Consultant Oculoplastic Surgeon and Aesthetic Doctor at the Cadogan Clinic in Chelsea recommends this aesthetic blepharoplasty for removing excess skin on the upper and lower eyelid and brows.

The full results appear in just two weeks, and last up to seven years. The procedure takes less than an hour, and there’s minimal downtime too.

COMPLEXION PERFECTION WITH MICRO-NEEDLING This latest treatment involves a series of tiny injections that encourage the body to create a wound-healing response and renew the skin cells. This promotes the production of collagen and elastin, helping to combat scarring, enlarged pores, lines and wrinkles, loose and non-elastic skin, eye-bags, sun damage and age spots.

FACIAL REJUVENATION THROUGH PRP Platelet-Rich Plasma is an anti-ageing treatment that uses the growth factors from the patient’s blood to rejuvenate the skin, healing it from the inside out. A series of tiny injections are made in the troublesome areas to stimulate the healing process in the skin, to rejuvenate its texture, volume and tone, as well as treating concerns such as wrinkles, fine lines and scars.

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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

BEAUTY AND WELLBEING

THE BEAUTY EDIT LISA CURTISS picks up the scent of the perfect summer perfumes…

SPRINGTIME SCENTS Frederic Malle – Portrait of a Lady 50ml, £158, from Liberty Sophisticated yet feminine, a fragrance rich with notes of Turkish rose, raspberry, patchouli, sandalwood and frankincense.

Zarkoperfume Pink Molécule Eau de Parfum 100ml, £8, from John Lewis A Nordic-inspired fragrance with fresh florals, scents of the sea, pink champagne and elderflower.

Bella Freud - Psychoanalysis Eau De Parfum 100ml, £165, from Liberty With neroli, petitgrain, tobacco flower, amber, cedarwood and deep musky notes, this is a romantic, memorable and distinctive fragrance.

Vilhelm Parfumerie – Harlem Bloom 100ml, £155, from Liberty A deliciously scented oriental floral for him and her, with hints of spiced damascena rose, violet, cedar and leather.

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Eau de Parfum, 100 ml, £99, from John Lewis An explosion of spring flowers: Centifolia Rose, Sambac Jasmine, Cattleya Orchid and India Osmanthus.

FRESH-FACED BEAUTY YSL Touche Éclat £25.50, from John Lewis YSL Nude Lipstick £25.50, from John Lewis

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PAGE 59

SUMMER IN THE CITY LISA CURTISS’ picks looks for London’s unpredictable weather patterns

WALKING FOR WELLBEING Barbour Triple Sweat £69.95, Hairpin Skinny Jeans, £79.95

ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY Barbour Leeward Jacket, £199

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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

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

IMAGES: LUKE PENNEY

MOTORING

JAGUAR E-PACE With its sportscar good looks and SUV practicality – whether used for city living or countryside escapes – this new model from Jaguar is already a firm favourite of the motoring media and celebrities alike.

Its eye-catching design was inspired by the stunning F-TYPE sports car, with the distinctive Jaguar grille, muscular proportions, short overhangs and powerful haunches – all alluding to ample power and strength.

Inside, the cabin is superbly appointed and luxurious throughout. Of course, being a Jaguar, there’s all the latest infotainment, ambiance, safety and performance gadgetry and tech at your fingertips too.

It may be under 4.4 metres long, but the E-PACE has exceptional interior space and can seat five in comfort – as well as holding a weekly Waitrose shop, boxes of Jimmy Choos and golf clubs in its boot with ease.

It is available with a range of powerful and efficient Ingenium petrol and diesel engines. The 300PS petrol turbo version powers the sporting SUV from 0–60mph in just 5.9 seconds, and, for customers who want the ultimate efficiency, the front-wheel drive 150PS diesel delivers CO2 emissions of a respectable 124g/km. www.jaguar.co.uk

NEW LISTER THUNDER 200+MPH SUPERCAR LAUNCHED All-British specialist sports car maker, the Lister Motor Company, takes on the glossy Italian marques with its most powerful, luxurious and fastest model yet – the Thunder.

Strictly limited edition, with a run of just 99, and priced from £139,950, this stunning model boasts a top speed in excess of 200mph, with a blistering 3 second 0–62mph sprint, powered by no less than 666 bhp.

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

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NEW INFINITI QX50 A refreshing alternative to the more mainstream marques, Infiniti proves it’s more than capable of producing one of the best compact SUVs around.

With its elegant yet muscular exterior lines, super-ergonomic and luxurious cabin, super drivability and practicality, the new QX50 is the car you wish you’d known about before buying anything else. Especially as it’s prefect for both city and country life.

As tech-forward as always, the model is also the first production vehicle ever to feature an engine with variable compression: Infiniti’s new VC-Turbo petrol engine. This is seen as the next major step in optimising efficiency and emissions of the internal combustion engine, literally transforming between power and efficiency on demand.

The QX50 has a front engine / front-wheel drive configuration with an all-wheel drive option. Designed to set a new level of refinement, rigidity and interior space in the compact premium SUV segment. It also incorporates the company’s pioneering ProPilot autonomous drive-support technologies to assist the driver when accelerating, braking and steering during single-lane carriageway driving, while still allowing them to retain ultimate control over the car.

‘All-British specialist sports car maker, the Lister Motor Company, takes on the glossy Italian marques with its most powerful, luxurious and fastest model yet – the Thunder….’

‘Mercedes-Benz reveals its latest model, which not only redefines modern luxury in the compact class, but revolutionises interior design too.’

NEW CITY-SLEEK MERCEDESBENZ A-CLASS As youthful and dynamic as ever, but grown-up and comfortable like never before. Mercedes-Benz reveals its latest model, which not only redefines modern luxury in the compact class, but revolutionises interior design too.

Perfect for city life, the new A-Class may be compact, but it’s spacious, luxurious and practical too, and fully loaded with an incredible amount of tech.

It’s even able to drive semi-autonomously for the first time, and all models are powered by new, efficient diesel and petrol engines.

Bold and eye-catching with plenty of curb appeal, the new model features a host of visually appealing aesthetic touches. Longer and slightly wider than before, it looks solid and more squarely planted on the road. Inside, the cabin is far more fresh and futuristic looking, with many neat touches, including no less than 64 colours of ambient lighting.

It’s tech rich too and has freestanding display variations, a new multimedia system MBUX, Mercedes-Benz User Experience, which also ushers in a new era in Mercedes me connectivity.

A unique feature of this user-adaptable system is its ability to learn thanks to artificial intelligence.

Further features include the highresolution widescreen cockpit with touchscreen operation of the media display, the navigation display with augmented-reality technology, plus intelligent voice control with natural speech recognition. A head-up display is also available.

More spacious than it looks from the outside, the A-Class has more shoulder, elbow and headroom plus easier access to the rear, and a larger and more family- and recreation-friendly luggage compartment. All-round visibility has also been considerably improved too.

Powered by a range of new and efficient petrol and diesel engines, the lowest emissions are just 108g/km, and its fastest speed is 0–62mph in just 6.2 seconds.

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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW

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