All of a sudden a man appeared dressed in a powder pink suit and straw boater. He explained he was the caviar man and was going serve us some pearls of deliciousness alongside two strips of bread and a miniature cheesy egg. This wasn’t the standard icebreaker for an afternoon tea but then we weren’t at any standard place. We’d ventured through the door of 9 Conduit Street and into the magically whimsical world of Sketch to sample the recently-launched Christmas afternoon tea. Think sandwich combinations you’d never dream of - broccoli layered on top of bread and truffle-infused cheese toa...
Read more →Afternoon Tea 9
Step out from the cold and take a trip down the rabbit hole to one of our favourite London hideaways, Sketch. The centrally-located wonderland, just off Regent's Street at 9 Conduit Street, promises to transport you away from the hubbub to an oasis of calm. This Christmas, the venue doesn't disappoint with another festive twist on its afternoon tea menu. On a rainy Wednesday in the Big Smoke, I stepped out of the wetness, through the front door curtains into a twinkling cavern of cool. After dropping our wet coats off at the front desk, we made our way through to the Gallery, where we were...
Read more →If you go down to Shepherd's Bush today, turn right before the bridge and walk down Richmond Way road, you'll be in for a big surprise. Tucked away on this quiet residential street is K West, a former BBC recording studio, which is now a hotel, bar and spa. Although it's been open for more than ten years, I'd never been to the spot. But a friend informed me the understated haunt is a big hit with music industry crowd. 'Everyone used to record here from Bob Marley to Amy Winehouse,' I was told as I was shown around the building, which still carries a sort of office-like vibe. I'd de...
Read more →'You'll love it there!' my friend text me as I made my way to the Bingham in Richmond for the first time. I was informed that this hotel and restaurant - set within two Georgian townhouses - had been here for a number of years but I hardly ever trek too far west as I live firmly east. However, this is a somewhere I'd be sure to make the effort to return to. I was venturing to the riverside venue to test out its new monthly supper club which is set to launch soon. On walking into the place, I was bowled over by its refined yet cosy atmosphere. The gentle rattle of a cocktail shaker ...
Read more →A pianist was tapping away on a grand piano as I pondered which cake to delicately plough my fork into. If you're looking for the ultimate afternoon tea in London, then Fortnum & Mason has to be it. It was a Sunday and I'd ventured to the Royal purveyor - located around a 20 minute walk from Buckingham Palace - with a friend who was visiting from America. On walking into the place, you're hit by a waft of old-school charm. Smartly dressed servers fettling the cake trolley, zany English art hanging from the wall and soft carpet rolling underfoot. We were booked in for the cla...
Read more →'I've never actually stayed in a hotel in London,' my friend Alice said to me as we opened the door to our suite at the Conrad London St James Hotel, which recently marked its two year anniversary. Attending a school reunion dinner at the historic East India Club in Mayfair that night, we were ideally situated at the Conrad. We'd barely been in the room for long when a slip arrived under our door informing us that drinks and canapés were going to start in 15 minutes at 5:30pm. All of the suites at the Conrad come with access to the 'executive lounge', located on the first floor of the...
Read more →The original Bea’s of Bloomsbury will always hold a special place in my heart; just a few steps from my old office, I spent many an afternoon gossiping with colleagues over a cup of tea and a slice of their red velvet and never did a birthday go by without a dozen cupcakes ferried over to the office. But Bea’s have just opened their 5th site in Marylebone and I have to say, they’ve excelled themselves here. The café is beautiful – with sugar-sweet pastel décor, it’s an amalgamation of an upmarket French boutique bakery and an American diner. What could be better than a Bea’s cake ...
Read more →Sipping on a negroni with an olive to hand and the soft sun on my skin, I felt like I could have been in Venice where I'd been just the week before. It was only when I spotted a red London bus peeping over the top of the manicured garden hedgerow that my Italian mind trip suddenly veered off track. I'd stopped by at the 5-star Baglioni hotel's recently renovated restaurant, renamed Osteria 60. Nestled in the heart of Kensington, it's just a hop, skip and a jump away from Hyde Park and the Royal Palace - or for the shoppers, Harrods and Harvey Nichols are also within close proximity. A...
Read more →Sketch has become something of an establishment in London. Few, or arguably none have managed to match its quirky, original interior and its unique environment. Meshing high-end dining with such a whacky setting was previously unheard of and something, which on paper, shouldn’t work. But punters keep coming back to this magical wonderland, drawn in by its big personality but also the exceptional food.
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