I don’t have time to get into a relationship March 15, 2010 DEAR VEXED: I am desperate for a relationship but my work is so demanding I have no time during the week and tend to be exhausted at weekends. Work is really important to me and I’m not willing to switch down a gear or change professions – does this mean I must make my peace [...]
OUT OF OFFICE March 15, 2010 Sweet nothings La Ronde author Arthur Schnitzler’s play, known originally as Flirtation, nailed 1890s Viennese society with its look at the tragic couplings between four foolish young people. David Harrower’s new version at the Young Vic is directed with stylish panache by Swiss-born Luc Bondy, and stars tom Hughes, Kate Burdette, Natalie Dormer and Andrew [...]
London rejoices as maestro returns March 15, 2010 There are two types of people that will thrill at Bistrot Bruno Loubet, the quietly trendy Zetter Hotel’s latest restaurant incarnation. Type one are the gastronomes – otherwise known as foodie geeks – who follow the movements of top French chefs. They will be excited – indeed they are excited – that this Gallic maestro [...]
THREE OTHER FINE FRENCH BISTROTS March 15, 2010 TERROIRS Charing Cross suddenly hit the foodie map with this proper French wine bar and restaurant full of charcuterie, terrines, cheeses, rich mains and clever little dishes such as Lincolnshire smoked eel and boudin noir with fried eggs. Wine is a magnificent selection of European winners with a French angle; much is biodynamic, too. 5 [...]
Food & booze news March 15, 2010 ST PATRICK’S DAY FEASTS Celebrate Ireland’s Saint’s day with a feast inspired by food from the Emerald Isle (such menus don’t appear every day). At the Ebury in Pimlico there’s Cashel Blue with Boxty potato pancakes; and corned beef with bacon, cabbage, Guinness sauce and prunes. Across town at Maida Vale’s The Waterway you’ll find [...]
Make the most of your World Cup holiday March 14, 2010 SO, we know now where England will be based for this summer’s World Cup in June and July. Fabio Capello’s guys will set up their training camp in the small town of Rustenburg, 70 miles from Johannesburg and 60 miles from Pretoria. Aside from being a football haven come June with four World Cup stadiums [...]
TRAVEL NOTES March 14, 2010 Plane Food’s healthy picnics Now the health-conscious jet-set can make sure they stay well fuelled on board. Stuart Gillies at Gordon Ramsay’s Plane Food in Heathrow’s Terminal Five has created a picnic menu called Plane Beautiful that uses nutrient-loaded ingredients thought to “bring out beauty from within while airborne” – think lots of Omega-3 and [...]
Lions and luxury in SA’s top resort March 14, 2010 IF the job of a hotel is to make guests feel at home, then you can’t really beat the Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa. When the French football team arrive there this summer they will be greeted with a barrage of “bonjours” from the staff, who are all taking French lessons, just to ensure that [...]
You can only put your best foot forward if you care for your shoes March 14, 2010 THERE’S no point in splashing out on an expensive suit if the shoes you wear with it don’t look the business. In fact, while you can get away with an inexpensive suit and still look smart, accessories like your watch, cufflinks and shoes are the things you just can’t fake. Once you have your elegant [...]
OUT OF OFFICE March 14, 2010 KURSK RETURNS TO THE YOUNG VIC Having had a triumphant run at the Young Vic in 2009, the award-nominated show about fateful events onboard Russia’s doomed submarine, the Kursk, is making a welcome return to the theatre. Byron Lavery’s show is a nail-biting immersion in a submariner’s world – a promenade show, the audience is [...]