Office affairs are rarely wise June 2, 2010 IN OFFICE HOURS BY LUCY KELLAWAY Fig Tree, £12.99 **** by Zoe Strimpel STELLA, Bella, Rhys and James are four employees at fictional City-based oil giant Atlantic Energy. Stella is an executive in her mid-forties with two kids and a stable – if slightly unexciting – marriage. Bella is a PA, with an alcoholic ex-boyfriend [...]
OUT OF OFFICE June 2, 2010 COFFEE TABLE MUST-HAVE Lifestyle group Quintessentially has launched the definitive coffee table book in the form of Perfume, an educational guide to the history of perfume featuring some of the world’s most renowned fragrance noses including Roja Dove and Jo Malone. £25, www.quintessentiallypublishing.com. WILLIAM CURLEY DESSERT BAR The chocolatier (left) has added a sumptuous dessert [...]
VEXED IN THE CITY June 2, 2010 I’m a lawyer and I want to ask out a trainer at my gym DEAR VEXED: I really fancy a trainer at my gym. I want to ask him out but I’m afraid of what my colleagues will think. Many of them go to the same gym, but also I’m afraid it would appear odd [...]
All roads to all people June 1, 2010 The Audi A4 Allroad has been launched into another new segment that Audi seems to have created. You can probably count the number of four-wheel drive estates you know of on one hand. The others are Audi’s own A6 Allroad, the Subaru Forester and the Skoda Octavia Scout which at its heart is an Audi [...]
PREVIEW | MOTOREXPO 2010 AT CANARY WHARF June 1, 2010 Docklands is going to become petrolhead heaven next week as the area plays host to the annual Canary Wharf London Motorexpo. The free event see Canary Wharf’s spaces filled with displays of many of the zippiest, funkiest and downright grooviest new cars from some of the biggest names in the auto industry. It’s a chance [...]
Dust off and scrub up for summer sun May 31, 2010 FOR HIM MAN-ICURES AND PEDICURE, Nail Girls Men may balk at going to a place called Nail Girls to get their tootsies in ship shape for sandal-wearing, but the sisters at this super-cute – and yes, a little bit girly – shop off Upper Street have just the thing for a well-groomed man. Man’s mani [...]
I can see (very very) clearly now May 31, 2010 LASER CORRECTIVE SURGERY WITH DAVID GARTRY AT MOORFIELDS EYE HOSPITAL ITHOUGHT laser corrective surgery had long since become old hat when I had it done three weeks ago. But when I explained to people why my eye was a bit bruised-looking on Monday after the Saturday procedure, I was met with fascination. “What was it [...]
NYC sends a slice of Gallic heaven May 31, 2010 Bar Boulud Mandarin Oriental, 66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA, tel: 020 7201 3899 Cost per person without wine: £45 THE name Daniel Boulud is a huge deal in New York, where everything is either a huge deal or offensively passe. The Lyon-born chef’s cluster of Manhattan eateries has managed to remain on the “huge deal” side [...]
TASTING NOTES: THE EL BULLI OF COCKTAIL BARS TURNS ONE May 31, 2010 TODAY is the first anniversary of 69 Colebrooke Row, an Islington bar. Hardly a shocking statement. But when you consider the bar in question, it starts to become a good deal more interesting. The brainchild of super-mixologist Tony Conigliaro (right), 69 Colebrooke Row is the El Bulli of cocktails. It has the only drinks laboratory [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS May 31, 2010 PRÊT-À-PORTEA IS BACK AT THE BERKELEY The Berkeley’s world-famous Prêt-à-Portea is back with a new collection of goodies.?Inspired by the latest catwalk looks, the tea includes Yves Saint Laurent cakes and Christopher Kane macaroons – apt after a day of shopping at Harvey Nichols and Harrods. Other treats include a Jason Wu-inspired poppyseed cake, a [...]