Lifestyle

  • The comeback cad trying his luck in the Med
    Wednesday, 3rd March 2010
    A Spanish venture is James Hewitt’s chance to restore his reputation
    Roger Baird
    JAMES Hewitt – former lover of Princess Diana, ex-solider, comeback cad – throws his head back and laughs at what I have just said. “Yes, I suppose this is like Rick’s in Casablanca,” he says when he recovers. “And everyone comes to Rick’s.” We are having dinner in a corner of Polo House, his bar and restaurant on the Golden Mile in Marbella. It is a sizeable venue that seats 130 and is fitted out like a London club full of dark wood with a long bar running along one side. The place opened last April and cost “close to €2m” to refurbish, says Ram Nandkishore, 65, a Malaysian businessman – or... [Read more]

  • London is the big smoke for cigar connoisseurs
    Monday, 4th January 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    Those resolutions are going up in flames in the city's new breed of smoking terraces, writes Timothy Barber SITTING back on a luxurious sofa with a glass of fine champagne in one hand and a cigar in... [Read more]
  • The top spots to see in the new decade
    Wednesday, 16th December 2009
    Bid farewell to the Noughties in style, whether by boogying or with a gourmet meal. Here’s where
    Zoe Strimpel
    BLACK AND WHITE BALL AT BEACH BLANKET BABYLON Think art nouveau and film noir with a dash of Casino Royale – if your mind stretches that far. Notting Hill’s most glamorous restaurant/bar is offering... [Read more]
  • New book reveals the City by night
    Monday, 14th December 2009
    Photographer Andreas Schmidt has captured the beauty and desolation of the Square Mile
    Jeremy Hazlehurst
    WORKING in the City, our lives are often stressful and fast-moving. It is easy when you are rushing from meeting to meeting to forget that the Square Mile is also one of the most striking places in... [Read more]

  • Taking on the rat race, the Fiennes way
    Monday, 14th December 2009
    The world’s greatest explorer tells Timothy Barber that you are nothing without rivals
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    IF YOU thought there wasn’t much of a parallel to be drawn between sitting in the comfort of your office and trekking through a polar blizzard in the world’s most unforgiving wilderness, think again... [Read more]
  • What to drink this Christmas
    Monday, 7th December 2009
    From sherry to Champagne, we have the festive tipple for you
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    Champagne As chosen by Esme Johnston, director of www.fromvineyardsdirect.comPerrier Jouet Belle EpoqueCream and honey, brioche and lingering nutmeg notes make this special edition bubbly a... [Read more]
  • Flash the cash on a few of the nicer things in life
    Friday, 27th November 2009
    If you're out buying Christmas gifts, get yourself something stunning too
    Timothy Barber
    SHOPPING season is here, but that generally means shopping for presents for other people. There’s nothing like mooching around department stores looking for expensive gifts to make you realise... [Read more]
  • The prezzies kids will really want to find under the tree this year
    Tuesday, 24th November 2009
    Hamsters, scooters and the classic teddy are flying off shelves, so hurry
    Zoe Strimpel
    THE TOY WORLD has been set alight by a renewed desire for gift-buying after a year of belt-tightening and anxiety. And boy is there demand – John Lewis is doing a roaring trade (up 15 per cent... [Read more]
  • Indulge with a basket of gourmet treats
    Tuesday, 24th November 2009
    The foodie treasures in this year's Christmas hampers are better than ever
    Timothy Barber
    IN the season of excess, hampers overflowing with foodie favourites and boozy delights have become central to our idea of seasonal indulgence. And these days they’re better than ever –... [Read more]
  • DOWNTURN LANGUAGE SWEARING BY IT
    Monday, 23rd November 2009
    JEREMY HAZLEHURST
    Has workplace language really changed in the downturn? Of course, new words have entered our vocabularies. Some have a sort of grim humour, and presumably aim to cheer up miserable workers. Take... [Read more]
  • Now's the time to shoot the puppy
    Monday, 23rd November 2009
    The downturn has produced lots of slang, writes Adam Jacot de Boinod, so make sure you know your bear-hugs from your stoozers
    Adam Jacot de Boinod
    ALL professions lend themselves to slang, but few are as fertile as the City and Wall Street. Since the term “credit crunch” emerged, a host of other terms have entered the lexicon. A... [Read more]
  • Art collections at banks are becoming a big business
    Wednesday, 18th November 2009
    Corporate involvement is good for both the companies and the artists
    Timothy Barber
    YESTERDAY it was announced that Asia’s biggest art fair, the Hong Kong-based Art HK, is to be sponsored for the next five years by Deutsche Bank. The fair’s previous sponsor, Lehman... [Read more]
  • Life in the fast lane on the Cote d'Azur
    Tuesday, 17th November 2009
    Ben Griffiths stays in the hotel with the best seats for the world's most famous car race
    Ben Griffiths
    ANYBODY with even a passing interest in Formula One motor racing will have seen the Fairmont Monte Carlo hotel, although they may not realise it. The hotel is perched on the edge of the harbour and... [Read more]
  • Motown and soul-food come to the home of the jet set
    Tuesday, 17th November 2009
    Claire Coleman pays a visit to Monte Carlo's hottest new nightclub
    THERE’S a reason that Monte Carlo is known as the playground of the rich and famous. Not only is it home to some of the world’s wealthiest men and women  – Philip Green,... [Read more]
  • Englishness and ethics the rebirth of luxe
    Tuesday, 3rd November 2009
    The entrepreneur behind a new name in the luxury goods industry talks to Timothy Barber
    Timothy Barber
    KEVIN Baker is getting extremely excited about a pair of leather eyeshades. You might think those crinkled polyester items you nab off the plane are all that’s needed to keep the light out, but... [Read more]
  • Koffman goes for one final foodie push
    Tuesday, 3rd November 2009
    This could be your last chance to eat that famous pig's trotter
    Jeremy Hazlehurst
    WE ARE the Napoleons of the kitchen,” chuckles the affable Pierre Koffman. He is sitting with his trusty lieutenants, fellow Michelin-starred chefs Eric Chavot and Bruno Loubet, in the lounge... [Read more]
  • A supersonic joyride in a bullet-holed combat plane
    Monday, 2nd November 2009
    Ben Griffiths had the flight and time of his life when he took to the skies in a former military jet, complete with bullet holes
    BEN GRIFFITHS
    SOARING at almost 10,000 feet above East Anglia in a jet aircraft, the view of the coast and out to sea never fails to amaze and delight. Far below, villages and towns are just tiny specks, while... [Read more]
  • Cornering the watch market
    Tuesday, 27th October 2009
    Timothy Barber picks some of the smartest timepieces which show that it's hip to be square this autumn
    Timothy Barber
    MONACO V4, BY TAG HEUER£65,000www.tagheuer.com CAPE COD GRANDES HEURES, BY HERMES £5,965www.hermes.com DA VINCI, BY IWC£4,500www.iwc.com FACET WATCH, BY DUNHILLPrice to be... [Read more]
  • Showing off some silky skills
    Tuesday, 27th October 2009
    A pocket hanky will add colour and style to a suit
    Timothy Barber
    THERE are two schools of thought when it comes to what to wear in the breast pocket of a suit. You can keep it cool and crisp with a clean white pocket square, or you can embrace your inner dandy and... [Read more]
  • Pawn industry gets a boost from the woes of City slickers
    Tuesday, 27th October 2009
    A whole new generation is cashing in on its baubles to pay the bills
    Timothy Barber
    THE old-fashioned interior of Suttons & Robertsons isn’t really the kind of place you’d associate with cutting-edge modern art. Across the road from Victoria station, the venerable... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Tuesday, 27th October 2009
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    HAPPY HOUR AT GREEN’S RUNNER BARLeave work before seven this week and you’ll be in time for cut-price drinks at the Runner Bar at Green’s: 50 per cent off house cocktails, wine and... [Read more]
  • On women, work and savoir faire
    Monday, 26th October 2009
    Zoe Strimpel meets the best-selling author and former CEO who is helping women in business get ahead
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    MEETING the author of French Women Don’t Get Fat, the bestselling diet book, is a rather daunting prospect for someone who is neither particularly thin nor  remotely French –... [Read more]
  • Top lady shot takes the helm at a new City member's club
    Monday, 12th October 2009
    An art dealer turned huntress is making waves with the opening of a new social hub in the Square Mile
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    CLAIRE Zambuni could be dangerous. A leggy blonde with Baywatch-style features and a big smile, I’d not be surprised to hear that men routinely fall at her feet. But its her way with a gun that... [Read more]
  • Sweeten your home the Candy way
    Wednesday, 7th October 2009
    The developers to the jet set push interior design to the limit
    Timothy Barber
    FROM time to time we all sit and wonder about the kind of home we’d have if money were no object. Imagine the bedroom. Vast flatscreen telly? De rigueur. Cavernous walk-in wardrobe? Yes please... [Read more]
  • Pulling MACHINE
    Wednesday, 7th October 2009
    If towing is your game the new Range Rover has the power, and it's less thirsty than you'd think
    VICTORIA MACMILLAN BELL
    AS I write this, I am sitting watching the sunset across the Gulf of St Tropez, about to drive back to Blighty towing a photographer friend’s two-tonne boat. My friend Kos, you see, is a yacht... [Read more]
  • Designed by a City woman: a wardrobe that works, even at 7AM
    Monday, 28th September 2009
    A new business is dedicated to kitting out business women. The founder talks toZoe Strimpel
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    IT is not easy to pin Tamara Rajah down. At 27, she is a full-time management consultant at a top firm, a fashion designer, retailer and in the process of setting up a mentoring scheme for women... [Read more]
  • Pity in the City for Lehman victims
    Wednesday, 16th September 2009
    One ex-Lehman Brothers worker became an exotic dancer, so should we feel sorry?
    YESJEREMY HAZLEHURSTWHEN City workers lose their jobs, there will always be plenty of people who cheer. There is a perception out in the country that everybody who works in the Square Mile is an... [Read more]
  • Years of hard work yield success for London's first couple of wine
    Monday, 14th September 2009
    Making wine is not just a passion for Nicole Rolet, it's a job and a half
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    WHEN wine-lover Xavier Rolet, the new CEO of the London Stock Exchange, first saw the house known as La Verriere in southwest France in 1992, he knew he liked it. What he didn’t know was that... [Read more]
  • Doing a Fuld might make you happy, but not always popular
    Wednesday, 9th September 2009
    The ex-Lehman boss is lashing out over criticism. Is this how to deal with failure?
    YESZOE STRIMPEL I WAS recently trying to coordinate a weekend out with my parents, who were visiting from the States. I put a lot of plans into the mix – I tried to be a bit flashy, to show... [Read more]
  • When pearls have to pay for house tax
    Wednesday, 9th September 2009
    VEXED IN THE CITY SOLVING YOUR RECESSION PROBLEMS
    DEAR VEXED: Dear Vexed, I’m moving house but we’re a little short of money. Should I pawn my jewels to pay for stamp duty? Millie, 31, banker OH dear, things have come to a sad pass,... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 9th September 2009
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    STARS AT TOWER FESTIVALThe Tower Festival is upon us yet again: hurry to get tickets for Nigel Kennedy on Thursday – on Friday there’s a Sadler’s Wells extravaganza not to be missed... [Read more]
  • Superfly guys
    Tuesday, 8th September 2009
    Three enthusiasts believe online TV can revolutionise air-shows
    Ben Griffiths
    TURNING a passion into a business is the dream of most budding entrepreneurs. But three American men already successful in their chosen fields are pouring their energies into a new venture designed... [Read more]
  • BESPOKE SERVICE BEATS NET DATING
    Monday, 7th September 2009
    ROB DAVIES
    THE online dating experience tends to involve browsing endless pictures of strangers before plumping for someone based on a mutual interest in alcohol. This is not always a successful recipe. I... [Read more]
  • Dating gets personal
    Monday, 7th September 2009
    Face-to-face interviews are the keys to a new route to falling in love
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    I  FEEL like I’ve stepped into a scene from Sex and the City, where Carrie is investigating a new dating technique. Indeed, right now I am the Carrie figure, here to observe how exactly a... [Read more]
  • Swapping blue chips for poker chips
    Friday, 4th September 2009
    Thousands headed to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker, but for some the game may not be the best investment strategy
    DOMINIC WELLS
    IN LAS VEGAS the locals have a new term for betting. It’s not gambling, it’s a “contributory anti-recession programme”. Even the bell-boy who attends to your special-price... [Read more]
  • Avoid the orange look and follow the golden rules of fake tanning
    Tuesday, 1st September 2009
    There are simple ways to prevent the pitfalls of bottled bronzing
    Catherine Slattery
    WHAT do sunbeds, mustard gas and chimney sweeping have in common? Well, as of last month, they are all listed as certain causes of cancer by the International Agency for Cancer Research, a branch of... [Read more]
  • Gunning for the glorious grouse
    Wednesday, 12th August 2009
    The UK's moorlands will be buzzing with activity today as the game season gets underway
    Timothy Barber
    THE City can hardly be short of people who consider themselves pretty crack shots when it comes to hitting clay pigeons or scoring the odd pheasant on a hospitality jaunt to the countryside. But true... [Read more]
  • Mastering the art of flirtation is essential in and out of the office
    Tuesday, 21st July 2009
    Whether networking or dating, you've got to know how to impress a stranger
    Zoe Strimpel
    IRATHER expected Elizabeth Clark, the author of the new manual Flirting for Dummies, to sound ditzy. Or glitzy. Or flirty. Or anything other than the down-to-earth, brisk and businesslike woman that... [Read more]
  • My assistant dresses like a major frump
    Wednesday, 8th July 2009
    VEXED IN THE CITY SOLVING YOUR RECESSION PROBLEMS
    DEAR VEXED: My assistant has been working for me for about a year. She’s great, but there’s something that really annoys me about her, even though it’s trivial. Basically, her dress... [Read more]
  • Standing room only: coming soon to an airline near you
    Wednesday, 8th July 2009
    Ryanair announces that it's considering letting fliers stand.But is it a good idea?
    <!--StartFragment--> YESJEREMY HAZLEHURSTTHE news that Ryanair is offering standing seating to customers should come as a surprise to nobody who has ever travelled on the carrier. Indeed, it is... [Read more]
  • The sun has come out to play, but not everyone is celebrating
    Wednesday, 1st July 2009
    After the hottest day of the summer so far, should we embrace the heatwave?
    YESZOE STRIMPELPOOR weather gods. They just can’t win, not in Britain anyway. The age-old refrain on these isles – when other conversation dries up – is how crap the weather is. The... [Read more]
  • Baring too much skin at work is a risk
    Wednesday, 1st July 2009
    VEXED IN THE CITY SOLVING YOUR RECESSION PROBLEMS
    DEAR VEXED: I work in a bank and the dress code is very professional. All the same, I’ve not been able to help myself from baring some skin lately. But I’m worried I’m being judged... [Read more]
  • A swim under the sun
    Tuesday, 30th June 2009
    The ultimate summer experience is right on your doorstep
    Zoe Strimpel
    BROCKWELL LIDOBROCKWELL PARK, SE24 0PA, TEL: 020 72743088, WWW.BROCKWELL-LIDO.COMTHE POOL: A south London gem, this pre-war, charity-funded lido is a Grade II listed Art Deco structure, which has... [Read more]
  • Cycles that mean business
    Monday, 29th June 2009
    Summer is the best time to travel by two wheels, so we test out some of the best folding bicycles for the City commuter
    FIRST there was the Tube strike, and now a heatwave. Travelling on London’s un-airconditioned, heat-trap of an underground system has never been less appealing. So this is a perfect moment to... [Read more]
  • The gravy train shows no sign of hitting the buffers
    Wednesday, 24th June 2009
    With a recession in full swing, is all this corporate hospitality still a good idea?
    YESTIMOTHY BARBERIF the size of RBS boss Stephen Hester’s pay package wasn’t already invoking the wrath of the new breed of mealy-mouthed ascetics, the news that his bank is spending... [Read more]
  • Just say no when it comes to pay holidays
    Wednesday, 24th June 2009
    VEXED IN THE CITY SOLVING YOUR RECESSION PROBLEMS
    DEAR VEXED, with all this talk of firms asking to take a pay holiday, I am worried that my boss might ask me to work for free. I can’t afford it, but I’m worried that it might be a trick... [Read more]
  • Making sure you're fashionably on time
    Monday, 22nd June 2009
    Timothy Barber looks at watches with both style and substance
    Timothy Barber
    THE true sign of a top-notch timepiece is not the beautiful design of its exterior, but the technological quality of its interior. The leading Swiss watch producers pride themselves on a level of... [Read more]
  • If you want a good quality of life, Helsinki's your city
    Wednesday, 17th June 2009
    London failed to make the top 50 in a survey of cities. So is it actually any good?
    <!--StartFragment--> YESZOE STRIMPEL THAT London hasn’t made it into the top 50 places to live in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s liveability survey doesn’t surprise me. These... [Read more]
  • Ascot snub has me worrying about my job
    Wednesday, 17th June 2009
    VEXED IN THE CITY SOLVING YOUR RECESSION PROBLEMS
    DEAR VEXED: It used to be that my bank sent everyone on corporate entertainment trips. I’ve never missed Ascot – until now, that is. What with the cut backs and so forth, I’m not... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 17th June 2009
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    <!--StartFragment--> BOOK NOW: A STREETCAR NAMED DESIREBritain’s Oscar-winning actress Rachel Weisz will be taking on one of the great female roles in modern theatre later this summer, when... [Read more]
  • FATHER'S DAY SPA TREATMENTS
    Tuesday, 16th June 2009
    THESE days spas and pampering are not just for women. So what better time to treat your dad to a refreshing facial or a professional shave? This year, there is a wide choice for men. Spa at Chancery... [Read more]
  • For the daddy who has (nearly) everything
    Tuesday, 16th June 2009
    Father's Day is a chance to show your love with a smart, well-made gift
    Timothy Barber
    CHANCES are, your father doesn’t make a song and dance about the items on his wish-list. Desperate for new cufflinks, more single malt or a nice new pen? He might be, but you’ll be hard... [Read more]
  • Bringing the glamour back to poker
    Monday, 15th June 2009
    Two City boys are hosting a 10,000 tournament. Who mentioned recession?
    Timothy Barber
    MOST of the headlines in the City over the past few months have tended to focus on redundancies and doom, with an added dash of gloom. It’s all too easy to assume that the Square Mile’s... [Read more]
  • The winner from the tuna debacle? Nobu
    Wednesday, 10th June 2009
    The furore about the bluefin is misguided
    Zoe Strimpel
    THE speed with which Pret a Manger and M&S have put to use The End of the Line, a film about the overfishing of bluefin tuna that hasn’t even been released yet, is astonishing. Another... [Read more]
  • My crush is ruining my concentration
    Wednesday, 10th June 2009
    VEXED IN THE CITY SOLVING YOUR RECESSION PROBLEMS
    DEAR VEXED: I’m working hard and am on track for promotion. The only problem is that a beautiful woman has joined the company and I cannot stop thinking about her. You could call it a crush... [Read more]
  • Sweat in the City
    Tuesday, 9th June 2009
    The capital's financial heart is a great starting point for runs that should suit all tastes, says Jeremy Hazlehurst. Who knew?
    Jeremy Hazlehurst
    THERE is only so much good that you can do to your body with pilates, and other such exercises where lying down features heavily. Those people who rattle on about the importance of “... [Read more]
  • Daredevil for a day
    Tuesday, 9th June 2009
    Anybody can try aerial Formula One, discovers Ben Griffiths. And you don't even need a licence
    Ben Griffiths
    ANYONE who has marvelled at the aerial spectacle of the Red Bull Air Race must surely have wondered what it is like to hurtle along in a small aircraft at high speed just feet above the ground. The... [Read more]
  • The Apprentice winner Yasmina uncovers the sweet side of Sugar
    Monday, 8th June 2009
    Last night's chosen one tells City A.M. what she really thinks of her new employer Sir Alan
    GRAEME ALLISTER
    Yasmina is excited. Very excited. “It just feels amazing”, she says of her victory. “Phenomenal. Amazing. Great. Ecstatic. You’ve caught me at a good time. I’m in the... [Read more]
  • Chocolate gives finalists plenty to chew on
    Monday, 8th June 2009
    BOARDROOM DEBRIEF
    GRAEME ALLISTER
    Nearly there. After 13 firings, ten challenges and one peerage, the lowest budget Apprentice to date was drawing to a close. Sir Alan congratulated his finalists before bringing on The Apprentice... [Read more]
  • Oscar-winner who loves London stage
    Monday, 8th June 2009
    Gauloise-smoking playwright Ronald Harwood is flourishing at seventy-four
    Zoe Strimpel
    I ARRIVE 20 minutes early at Ronald Harwood’s Chelsea mansion block, and rather than knock, I sit on the steps outside. I don’t want to risk the ire of the man who won an Oscar for The... [Read more]
  • The long summer break may be making a big comeback
    Wednesday, 3rd June 2009
    Is this the year to take a lengthy holiday? Two of our writers debate
    YESJEREMY HAZLEHURST FIRST, a simple fact: there is more to life than work. Really, that’s all you need to know. It follows that, if you can, you ought to take as long as possible eating... [Read more]
  • VEXED IN THE CITY SOLVING YOUR RECESSION PROBLEMS
    Wednesday, 3rd June 2009
    Am I too ugly to get ahead at the office?
    DEAR VEXED: A recent study said that attractive people go further at work. I’m working myself to the bone to hang in there but I have to be frank: I’m no looker. I’m overweight and... [Read more]
  • Life's a Picnic
    Tuesday, 2nd June 2009
    Make those summer afternoons outside as comfortable as possible with some well-chosen items
    Zoe Strimpel
    WITH summer looking likely to pull through for us this year, numerous picnics and hours spent in parks and gardens lie in wait. If you yearn for something more than grass stains on your bum and... [Read more]
  • OUT THIS WEEKEND PREVIEWS
    Friday, 29th May 2009
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    FILMOBSESSED Ropey drama with Beyonce Knowles and The Wire’s Idris Elba. 12 ROUNDS Former wrestler Jon Cena takes on the action hero mantle. JONAS BROTHERS: THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE... [Read more]