Roll up for a host of new hot openings December 8, 2010 THERE have been a number of bar openings dotted around the capital in recent weeks. The iconic Oxo Tower (www.harveynichols.com/restaurants/oxo-tower-london) has seen the launch of its new bar with stunning views across the Thames to St Pauls and beyond. The impressive space mixes classic cruise liner-esque lines with modern touches provided by designer Shaun Clarkson, [...]
TASTING NOTES: BILTONG AND WINE December 8, 2010 WE don’t say we ‘want’ biltong, we say we ‘need’ biltong,” says Neeleen Strauss, co-owner and sommelier of High Timber, the steak and wine restaurant facing Tate Modern. The “we” in this context is South Africans, and biltong, if you don’t know already, is the dried beef the country prides itself on and which can [...]
TOP FIVE DRIVES December 7, 2010 THE NÜRBURGRING Sooner or later any sports car owner that knows his stuff is going to want to take his car for a spin around the Nürburgring, the German race track generally considered to be the toughest and most dangerous race circuit in the world. The Nürburgring remains the benchmark by which car manufacturers measure [...]
Introducing the One-77 December 7, 2010 LEANING over one of the first examples of Aston Martin’s new One-77 supercar to look at the engine, my belt buckle comes within millimetres of scratching its left, front wing. The room falls silent, a couple of the engineers look agitated, the PR guy looks ashen. I have come as close as I ever want [...]
The new four-seat frontier December 7, 2010 SHOULD a high performance sports car be practical and should practicality even be a consideration in terms of its design? What if the car is an Aston Martin? Good grief: has the world gone mad? Well it seems not, because these days when 50 is the new 40, a four-seat supercar can well be all [...]
Q&A December 7, 2010 Designer of the Aston Martin Rapide and the One-77 supercar, Marek Reichman oversees design for the Aston Martin brand, including Works Tailored cars, a unique, bespoke car tailoring service that includes cars such as the Stratstone DB9, a series of just 10 cars. Q: What makes a beautiful car? A: It starts with great proportion. [...]
True Class December 7, 2010 PROBABLY like most men, my first encounter with Aston Martin was through James Bond. That image of Sean Connery looking ineffably sharp in his Sixties suit, leaning casually on 007’s DB5 – hands in suit pockets, half-smiling expression of supreme assurance – remains the quintessential embodiment of the “women want him, men want to be [...]
SCENTS FOR CHRISTMAS December 6, 2010 Guerlain: Arsene Lupin fragrances Exclusively available at Harrods’ brand new centre of male indulgence, the Gentleman’s Lounge, and inspired by the French gentleman thief. £135 (100ml) www.harrods.com Carthusia: Uomo A subtle, luxurious fragrance with light refreshing top notes of sea air and fresh fruit, with warm, refined tones of leather and musk. £55 (100ml) from Avery [...]
OUT OF OFFICE December 6, 2010 SAVILE ROW SUIT UP FOR GRABS Fans of fine tailoring can get their hands on an exclusive bespoke suit made by Savile Row legends Norton & Sons in an online auction being held by industry body the Campaign for Wool. The suit will be made from wool woven by cloth merchants Taylor & Lodge from [...]
Top City gyms for losing that seasonal flab December 6, 2010 NUFFIELD HEALTH & WELLBEING CENTRE 4 Cousin Lane, EC4R 3XJ www.nuffieldhealth.com 0845 2413836 Membership: £82-£96 per month Partly situated in dramatic arches next to the river near Cannon Street station, this is the biggest gym in the Square Mile, with four studios, three gym areas, two swimming pools and two spa pools, one of which [...]