Lifestyle

  • Blair’s firecracker memoir
    Thursday, 2nd September 2010
    The former PM pulls no punches in this rollocking, belligerent tell-all
    Zoe Strimpel
    A JOURNEY BY TONY BLAIR Hutchinson, £25 Very unusually, no review copies were sent out, nor was a serialisation deal struck. So it was amid intense hype and speculation that Tony Blair’s madly anticipated autobiography, A Journey, hit bookshops yesterday. It didn’t disappoint. One of the most delicious assertions in this overall rather delicious tell-all and Brown-bashing is that Blair himself was responsible giving the Bank of England independence – something that Brown had always touted as one of his proudest achievements. “I allowed Gordon to make the statement and indeed gave him every... [Read more]

  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 2nd September 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    LES MISERABLES AT THE BARBICAN There can’t be many people left who haven’t seen Les Mis, but the Barbican’s forthcoming, brand new production might be the show to convince naysayers what a remarkable... [Read more]
  • VEXED IN THE CITY
    Thursday, 2nd September 2010
    SOLVING YOUR WORK-LIFE PROBLEMS
    I’d so rather be on the beach than at work DEAR VEXED: I’ve just returned from a three week holiday and I’m swamped at work. Worse, I’m really not feeling like being here. It’s like I can’t remove... [Read more]
  • Tasty delights of the season
    Thursday, 2nd September 2010
    Autumn’s larder is rich with colour, nutrients and vibrancy. Enjoy it
    Zoe Strimpel
    For foodies and cooks, there is no better season than autumn. As a crispness enters the air, a cornucopia of colourful vegetables emerges from British fields. Not only is autumnal food delightfully... [Read more]

  • Jaguar’s new lease of life
    Wednesday, 1st September 2010
    The new Speed Pack ramps up the XKR in a big way, and the result is a luxe thrill-ride
    RYAN BORROFF
    IT might have been disappointing but it came as no surprise that there was no chance for me to test the maximum speed of Jaguar’s fastest XKR yet, even at Goodwood’s race track. Jaguar’s latest... [Read more]
  • CAR TALK
    Wednesday, 1st September 2010
    RYAN BORROFF
    PEUGEOT’S FULL HYBRID DIESEL This is the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 Crossover, the first full hybrid diesel production car. With its 2.0 litre diesel engine plus a 37bhp electric motor, the car can achieve... [Read more]
  • Raising the steaks in the City
    Tuesday, 31st August 2010
    The new outpost of Mayfair’s favourite steakhouse will utterly thrill beef lovers
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    Goodman City 11 Old Jewry, EC2R 8DU www.goodmanrestaurants.com Tel: 020 7600 8220 FOOD SERVICE ATMOSPHERE Cost per person without wine: £50 FOR some people – sensible people – no amount of fancy... [Read more]
  • THREE OTHER MEAT-LOVERS’ HOTSPOTS
    Tuesday, 31st August 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    GAUCHO SMITHFIELD Most people are familiar with Gaucho’s Argentine steaks and wine. The formula is so successful – a chain, but glamorous with a hint of the gourmet – that it’s expanding at a rate of... [Read more]
  • FOOD & BOOZE NEWS
    Tuesday, 31st August 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    FASHIONABLE COCKTAILS AT THE TRAFALAGAR To prepare for Fashion Week, the Trafalgar Hote’s ground floor bar Rockwell will be serving cocktails inspired by the season’s key looks. The menu includes... [Read more]
  • Looking good, kid: autumn style
    Friday, 27th August 2010
    Cute patterns and grown-up looks are both par for the course
    Zoe Strimpel
    WHEN I was a child in the US, back-to-school fashion (we didn’t have uniforms) was a matter of two new scrunchie hairbands and a new pair of spandex rose-patterned cycle shorts. Oh, and a side pony... [Read more]
  • The angry wannabe queen
    Thursday, 26th August 2010
    All hail another royal corker from Gregory
    Zoe Strimpel
    THE RED QUEEN BY PHILIPPA GREGORY Simon & Schuster, £18.99 MEGA-novelist and Tudor historian Gregory returns to her new series, The Cousins’ War, with an instantly, electrically gripping story... [Read more]
  • GOING OUT
    Thursday, 26th August 2010
    Take a world tour in London bars and clubs
    TIM BADHAM
    IT may still be peak holiday season but in our cosmopolitan capital you can complete a world tour whenever you like by taking a glamorous (if slightly less exotic) journey around London’s more... [Read more]
  • Should Daddy David really take leave now?
    Thursday, 26th August 2010
    A couple of fathers-of-two debate the importance of paternity leave
    ANDREW WATSON YES AS experienced a father as David Cameron may be, he absolutely needs to be around in these first formative weeks not just to build a relationship with the baby, but to help his... [Read more]
  • Feisty, fun, and a little confused
    Wednesday, 25th August 2010
    Mazda’s new MPS car is sporty and has pep. But it’s marred by some strange features
    RYAN BORROFF
    THE Mazda3 MPS was once the most powerful front-wheel-drive hot hatch you could buy, an accolade that now belongs to Ford’s Focus RS. Even so, it’s quite possible you may not even be aware of its... [Read more]
  • CAR TALK
    Wednesday, 25th August 2010
    RYAN BORROFF
    CITROEN’S LIMITED EDITION HOT HATCH This is the DS3 Racing, the latest hot hatch from Citroën. With a specially tuned 1.6-litre 207hp engine, a top speed of 146mph and a 0-62mph time of just 6.5... [Read more]
  • Stress-busting for City professionals
    Tuesday, 24th August 2010
    A course at a spa in Hampshire is dedicated to helping you feel better at work
    Laura Ivill
    IT seems pretty impossible to avoid stress at some point in the working week, but is stress a word we use too easily? Neil Shah, world-renowned well-being expert and director of the Stress Management... [Read more]
  • Efficient running requires a close relationship to your heart
    Tuesday, 24th August 2010
    FITNESS WATCH
    Keith Anderson
    PERSONAL COACH AT FULL POTENTIAL THE human heart weighs about nine ounces and beats 2.5 billion times in an average lifetime. But what has it got to do with your running? Well, its performance and... [Read more]
  • The finest dining to be had on High Street Ken
    Tuesday, 24th August 2010
    Park Terrace is not yet perfect, but there’s a lot to enjoy about it
    Zoe Strimpel
    Park Terrace Royal Garden Hotel 2-24 Kensington High Street W8 4PT 020 7937 8000 www.parkterracerestaurant.co.uk FOOD SERVICE ATMOSPHERE LIKE the hotel that houses it, Park Terrace looks blandly... [Read more]
  • FOOD & BOOZE NEWS
    Tuesday, 24th August 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    A GOURMET END TO RAMADAN Break the Ramadan fast in style at Malaysian restaurant Awana. Dishes include a date korma as well as roti canai, a Malaysian bread made from a traditional family recipe, and... [Read more]
  • Manhattan’s new breed of design hotels
    Monday, 23rd August 2010
    Wall Street and Midtown have become attractive places to say
    Timothy Barber
    YOU could argue that New York does hotels better than any city in the world. Historic luxury landmarks, hipster crash-pads, fashionable design hotels, groovy boutiques, high-tech business places – it... [Read more]
  • Old-fashioned luggage for the modern male
    Friday, 20th August 2010
    Go vintage when you’re packing for a stylish weekend away
    Timothy Barber
    HERITAGE, tradition, craftsmanship – these are the menswear values du jour. A perfectly constructed brogue has never been more fashionable, a tailored tweed suit is oh so very now. Which means you... [Read more]
  • It’s action all the way with Sly, Bruce et al
    Friday, 20th August 2010
    Film Review the expendables Cert: 18 Rhys Griffiths IT’S arguably the action cast to end all action casts. In charge, Sly Stallone. Then there’s Bruce Willis, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li,... [Read more]
  • Get ready for the gaming revolution
    Thursday, 19th August 2010
    Xbox is the latest developer to invent a new way of playing
    Juliet Samuel
    YOUR City A.M. gadgets correspondent had a sneak preview of Xbox's brand new Kinect sensor last week. The sensor, which will be on sale in November in time for Christmas, is an accessory to the new... [Read more]
  • Social Network advertising to top $3bn
    Thursday, 19th August 2010
    Advertising on social networking sites will reach $3.3bn this year, according to research by eMarketer, an online marketing research firm. This means that advertising revenues are up 31 per cent on... [Read more]
  • iPad nano in the works
    Thursday, 19th August 2010
    Online communities are buzzing with the news that Apple will be bringing out a new iPad by the end of the year. According to the Chinese paper Economic Daily News, which correctly predicted the... [Read more]
  • Go surf ‘n’ turfing in Farringdon
    Thursday, 19th August 2010
    A new steakhouse offers everything from beef to oysters. It would do well to recall that less is more
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    Redhook 89 Turnmill Street, EC1M 5QU Tel: 020 7065 6800 FOOD SERVICE ATMOSPHERE Cost per person without wine: £40 THE restaurant industry has a huge crush on Farringdon. Farringdon is the cool girl... [Read more]
  • THREE OTHERS: OUR FAVOURITE STEAK RESTAURANTS
    Thursday, 19th August 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    GOODMAN This Russian-owned steakhouse is widely considered the epitome of red meat in London – and now there’s a City branch. The 150 day-aged corn-fed USDA beef is second to none, and there’s lots... [Read more]
  • FOOD & BOOZE NEWS
    Thursday, 19th August 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    PATISSERIE POP-UP AT HARVEY NICKS Get the cakes in – in spectacular style – at Harvey Nichols this autumn where American super-patissiere Claire Clark will be opening a pop-up for two months. Goodies... [Read more]
  • A very grown up car indeed
    Wednesday, 18th August 2010
    With an interior like a luxury hotel, it’s hard to relax in this beautiful but conservative new convertible
    RYAN BORROFF
    Like an ageing playboy, this Lexus has a handsome face, but is let down somewhat by its rather bloated rear end, inflated no doubt by the installation of its excellent folding tin top roof. Maybe an... [Read more]
  • CAR TALK
    Wednesday, 18th August 2010
    RYAN BORROFF
    VAUXHALL NEW WARRANTY Vauxhall has announced a new lifetime warranty on all its new cars, trumping Kia which offered the best warranty up until now. The Vauxhall Lifetime Warranty applies to the... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 18th August 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    OPERA AND DINNER UNDER THE STARS Dining outdoors in a frescoed courtyard while being entertained with soaring opera is pretty much a win-win plan for an evening, right? If you agree, then nab the... [Read more]
  • How to send jet lag packing
    Tuesday, 17th August 2010
    ways to stave off the after-effects of long-haul travelling
    Timothy Barber
    NUTRITION Nutritionist Charlotte Fraser recommends making sure you slot back in with the eating routine wherever you are locally. Consequently, if it’s breakfast time, eat breakfast – whether your... [Read more]
  • FITNESS WATCH
    Tuesday, 17th August 2010
    Running is a great workout but it’s easy to hurt yourself
    KEITH ANDERSON
    PERSONAL COACH AT FULL POTENTIAL INJURY is perceived as a natural by-product of running. And while it’s true that two out of three runners suffer injury each year, with careful planning, many can be... [Read more]
  • Eastern lights: Asia’s sleepless city
    Monday, 16th August 2010
    Hong Kong is perfect for sport fans, culture vultures and partyers
    Esther Shaw
    A BRILLIANT meeting of East and West, it offers an unforgettable introduction to the Orient, and is the perfect place to explore a different culture while taking in the rugby at the Hong Kong Sevens... [Read more]
  • Rugby and more: Hong Kong Sevens
    Monday, 16th August 2010
    THE end of March marks the time when the rugby nations come to town for three days of non-stop action on the pitch at the Hong Kong stadium near Happy Valley. Off-pitch it's a non-stop party in the... [Read more]
  • Shyamalan’s new fantasy is anything but fantastic
    Friday, 13th August 2010
    The once-lauded Sixth Sense director has hit a new low with his latest slice of mystical hokum
    Film THE LAST AIRBENDER Cert: PG ASTITLES go, “The Last Airbender” is more likely to induce guffaws than the awe and wonder intended. Not as many guffaws, though – for British audiences anyway – as... [Read more]
  • GOING OUT
    Friday, 13th August 2010
    In August, look local for cool new bars
    TIM BADHAM
    August is the quietest month for clubs and so openings are thin on the ground in the West End. Last week however saw the launch of one of the biggest new venues in London (yes, Camden is in London)... [Read more]
  • OUT THIS WEEKEND
    Friday, 13th August 2010
    PREVIEWS
    FILM FIVE EASY PIECES Starring Jack Nicholson, one of the greatest films of the Seventies, on re-release. THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES Argentine thriller that won this year’s Best Foreign Language Oscar... [Read more]
  • Let the game begin
    Thursday, 12th August 2010
    The Glorious 12th means shots ringing out across the British countryside
    Timothy Barber
    THE City can seem a pretty quiet place at this time of year – for the action, you need to head to the countryside. “Glorious” August 12 being the start of the game season, keen shots will today be... [Read more]
  • A car with a very high iQ
    Wednesday, 11th August 2010
    Toyota’s tiny little newcomer feels a lot bigger than it looks
    RYAN BORROFF
    MOST motorists can appreciate that there’s something outrageous about one person commuting to the City in a car designed to carry at least four grown ups in it. Whichever way you look at it, it’s... [Read more]
  • CAR TALK
    Wednesday, 11th August 2010
    RYAN BORROFF
    NISSAN’S BRAVE NEW WORLD UK order books for Nissan's LEAF car open on 1 Sep. The LEAF – which stands for Leading, Environmentally friendly, Affordable, Family car – has a top speed of 87mph and a... [Read more]
  • A Sunday service with edge
    Tuesday, 10th August 2010
    a virtuoso shave in a boys’ own shop a recipe for relaxation
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    WHAT’S your idea of perfect Sunday relaxation? Climbing into a barber’s chair and getting lathered up probably isn’t first on many lists, but after discovering the grooming service on offer at West... [Read more]
  • Diet must be an integral part of every runner’s training regime
    Tuesday, 10th August 2010
    FITNESS WATCH
    KEITH ANDERSON
    PERSONAL COACH AT FULL POTENTIAL GOOD nutrition is vital for health and wellbeing. For runners there’s the additional significance of enhanced performance, faster recovery between sessions and the... [Read more]
  • FIT IN THE CITY
    Tuesday, 10th August 2010
    How you can maximise your gym session
    LAURA WILLIAMS
    FITNESS & DIET EXPERT Make sure you use those all-important minutes at the gym as efficiently as possible to get the most out of that lunchtime workout. Forget endless reps Research has shown... [Read more]
  • How to find the perfect Maldives
    Monday, 9th August 2010
    In Part Two of our special on the idyllic islands, Leo Bear shows that whether you’ve got kids in tow, love diving or are feeling pinched for cash, there’s something for you
    Leo Bear
    BEST FOR: FAMILY FUN ANANTARA DHIGU Lots of resorts in the Maldives have kids’ clubs, but it’s the little touches at Dhigu that make a difference. From dusk til dawn, your sandy, sticky-handed brood... [Read more]
  • Get shirty with the tailor
    Friday, 6th August 2010
    What you wear under a suit should be bespoke as well
    Timothy Barber
    THE difference between an off-the-peg suit and one that’s been properly tailored is usually pretty easy to spot – the latter will have a better fit, smarter hang and finer structure at the very least... [Read more]
  • Black and white style
    Friday, 6th August 2010
    TO go with that bespoke shirt, look for cufflinks that are crisp and understated, like these stylish two-tone examples. AUSTIN REED £25 www.austinreed.co.uk BROOKS BROTHERS £109 www.... [Read more]
  • The star power of Cruise and Diaz can’t save this action flop
    Friday, 6th August 2010
    Film review Knight and Day Cert: 12A Rhys Griffiths THIS action-comedy proves that no amount of star power can make up for a lazy script, lazier direction, a total lack of depth and a seriously bad... [Read more]
  • Head gear for the holidays
    Thursday, 5th August 2010
    Juliet Samuel finds the best new headphones that’ll make your iPod sound spectacular
    Juliet Samuel
    DENON AH-C560R £99.99 www.denon.co.uk It would take some particularly good in-ear buds to make me pick them instead of over-head headphones – normally I find them uncomfortable, I fret about what... [Read more]
  • NICK BOOTHTECH TALK
    Thursday, 5th August 2010
    Phones, apps and gadgets for the hi-tech youth of today
    NICK BOOTHTECH
    I’VE seen the future of British youth – it’s half man, half desk. Why? They can’t relate to anything unless it’s writ large on a glowing screen at chair level. But now the school PCs and whiteboards... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 5th August 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    LAST CHANCE: AFTER THE DANCE Anyone who’s been riveted by Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance in the BBC’s updated version of Sherlock Holmes should check out his tremendous starring role in After the... [Read more]
  • Safe & sound
    Wednesday, 4th August 2010
    Safety is still the foremost feature of this newly glamorous Volvo. Nothing wrong with that
    RYAN BORROFF
    DRIVING along in the new Volvo S60, I am so engrossed in conversation with my passenger that I’ve completely taken my eyes off the road. This is why I don’t see a pedestrian in front of me.... [Read more]
  • CAR TALK
    Wednesday, 4th August 2010
    RYAN BORROFF
    PORSCHE’S GREEN LEAD Dreams can come true...Porsche has announced it will build its astonishing 918 Spyder concept for the road. The mid-engined plug-in hybrid super-sports car should have a top... [Read more]
  • How to pull off a last-minute holiday body
    Tuesday, 3rd August 2010
    No need to starve yourself to look good
    Timothy Barber
    NUTRITION IT MAY be tempting, but crash dieting isn’t to be recommended. Any nutritionist worth their salt will tell you how, at best, it may give you the impression of quick weight loss but you’ll... [Read more]
  • Track, trail or sand: the secret to a good run starts at the shoe shop
    Tuesday, 3rd August 2010
    FITNESS WATCH
    KEITH ANDERSON
    PERSONAL COACH AT FULL POTENTIAL SO you’ve decided to take up running and you’ve made a great decision. Along with obvious health benefits, a great advantage over pastimes like golf or cricket is... [Read more]
  • REVIEW: SEASONAL PEDICURE
    Tuesday, 3rd August 2010
    FRUITY TOOTSIES, THE SPA AT BROWN’S
    Zoe Strimpel
    **** BROWN’S has the seasonal pedicure market cornered. So simple, yet so lovely. Summer brings Fruity Tootsies: so, tired of my bashed up, blistered feet and overgrown (and in-grown) toenails – the... [Read more]
  • How to find the perfect Maldives
    Monday, 2nd August 2010
    So many idyllic resorts, so little time. Here is Leo Bear’s two-part guide to the chicest resorts to down towels in this autumn. Next week: best family spots and more
    Leo Bear
    BEST FOR: SPA COCOA ISLAND Voted best hotel spa in Africa, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean in this year’s Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Awards, Cocoa Island is the go-to resort for spa... [Read more]
  • Get a lunchtime appetite for running in the #4miler
    Monday, 2nd August 2010
    EVER thought about upping your fitness levels but just can’t find enough hours in the day? Well, here is an initiative just for you. City.A.M have teamed up with Garmin, leaders in satellite... [Read more]
  • Pity these fools – The A-team flops
    Friday, 30th July 2010
    Big action sequences can’t save a pointless remake of the 1980s television favourite
    Film THE A-TEAM Cert: 12A Rhys Griffiths A quarter of a century years after the finale of the TV show, the A-Team blunders its way into the twenty-first century – and what should be a film providing... [Read more]
  • OUT THIS WEEKEND
    Friday, 30th July 2010
    PREVIEWS
    FILM Karate kid Shame on you Jackie Chan. Remake with Jaden “son of Will and Jada” Smith as the kid. south of the border Oliver Stone’s documentary about South America’s left wing resurgence.... [Read more]
  • More than a simple stopwatch
    Friday, 30th July 2010
    Luxury chronographs are worth their price
    Timothy Barber
    A WATCH that tells the time is one thing. A watch that tells the time, the date, the temperature and has an alarm and stopwatch is – well, child’s play in the world of digital technology, but really... [Read more]
  • SOCKS IN THE CITY
    Friday, 30th July 2010
    STYLE COUNSEL
    SARA HOLLAMBY
    WHY would you want to draw attention to a skinny, sometimes hairy piece of leg between your trousers and your shoes? Is it because you’re particularly fond of the knobble on your ankle and it... [Read more]
  • Tourbillon: the ultimate complication
    Friday, 30th July 2010
    IF chronographs are at one end of the complications scale, at the other you find the tourbillon. Originally developed by the Abraham-Louis Breguet in the 18th century, it’s designed to lessen the... [Read more]
  • A sorry tale for our times
    Thursday, 29th July 2010
    Jonathan Coe’s hero turns his chronic dulness into tragedy
    THE TERRIBLE PRIVACY OF MAXWELL SIM BY JONATHAN COE Viking, £18.99 by Zoe Strimpel JONATHAN COE represents the pinnacle of British picaresque – his iconic novel about 80s Britain, What a Carve Up,... [Read more]