New cars to look out for in Geneva February 23, 2010 THIS time next week the Geneva International Motor Show will be underway, with the latest designs, concept cars, fresh innovations and new launches. After the travails the motoring world has suffered over the past year, including the near collapse of General Motors and the calamities recently befalling Toyota, the industry will be hoping that the [...]
Torode offers more sizzle than steak February 22, 2010 The Luxe On hearing the name of John Torode, those in the know are likely to grunt with satisfaction as the image of a large, juicy steak enters their head. Perhaps they’ve even read his book, called Beef. Others will murmer an approving “ah yes” as a great cocktail, smoothie, or debaucherous night out at [...]
THREE OTHER MEATY RESTAURANTS February 22, 2010 MAZE GRILL Jason Atherton’s more casual offshoot of Maze, the emphasis here is on steak, though everything else is good too. A waiter appears with a bundle of raw meat, from which you choose what appeals. There’s a range of British and American beef of different ages, and Wagyu. Not cheap, but certainly delicious. 10 [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS February 22, 2010 CALLING ALL FRUIT BEER LOVERS Fruit beer lovers who shop at Waitrose rejoice: a delicious new one from Liefmans has been added to the range. Based on Liefmans Cuvee Brut, a famous brown beer brewed just once a year and left to mature for 18 months on fresh, whole cherries, this beer is then blended [...]
Find a new you with a new look February 22, 2010 LAUREN Luke’s life was not going anywhere when she decided to ditch her job as a taxi dispatcher in a town near Newcastle and begin selling makeup on eBay. To accompany the products, she took photos of herself wearing the makeup to show how it could be used. Her buyers started asking more about how [...]
OTHER LEADING CRUISES FOR ALL TASTES February 21, 2010 Silversea Seabourn’s only serious rival for luxury, it’s possible that Silversea even exceeds Seabourn when it comes to room design and service – the Silver Whisper ship, for example, has more space per passenger than any other ship in the world, while the staff to passenger ratio is an almost excessive 1.3 to 1. Its six [...]
New day, new port: a view of the world from a luxury cruise February 21, 2010 WHEN Oasis, the world’s biggest cruise ship, launched last year in Miami with all the fanfare of a royal spaceship, I recoiled. The idea of a floating carnival/town/funfair/shopping mall/beach resort holding 6,296 passengers, a good portion of whom may well end up sunburnt, drunk, disorderly and seasick, is about as far from my idea of [...]
TRAVEL NOTES February 21, 2010 Explore Tanzania African tour specialist Wild about Africa has added seven new itineraries in Tanzania, ranging from eight to 13 days. They focus on the quintessential quartet of Tanzania’s “northern circuit” – the Serengeti, Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Parks, and the Ngorongoro Crater. Camping is in comfortable dome tents, while walking safaris ensure you’ll [...]
Where to take the family for a splendid Easter February 21, 2010 Sunny escape in the south of France Les Jardins de Saint Benoit is a beautiful riverside estate in the Languedoc region of the South of France, with vineyards, olive groves and renovated medieval gardens. This Easter break children aged four to 16 can enjoy the daily Kids Club, with activities that get them closer to [...]
OUT OF OFFICE February 21, 2010 HENRY MOORE AT TATE BRITAIN Opening this week, the Tate’s new retrospective revisits the legacy of one of the giants of British art in the twentieth century, and arguably the country’s greatest-ever sculptor. In the age of Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin, it’s easy to forget the dramatic experimentation and poetic power of Moore’s strange, [...]