Spies and?Russians in classic le Carré London September 15, 2010 OUR KIND OF TRAITOR by john le carré Viking, £18.99 A LE Carré book is an event whether you’re a fan or not. He is the last great British thriller writer, a former spy for MI5 and MI6, and a man with an intellectually political core. He also manages to provide page-turners in a way [...]
FUND MANAGEMENT NEWS September 14, 2010 GROSVENOR FUND’S £110M LLOYDS DEAL Grosvenor Fund Management UK announced earlier this week the completion of a new £110m debt facility with Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets for its £400m Grosvenor London Office Fund. The three-year deal replaces the existing facility with Lloyds Banking Group, which expires this month. The fund’s loan-to-value ratio is low at [...]
Mixed signals from Mazda’s crossover September 14, 2010 FROM the outset, Mazda makes a pretty bold claim: a crossover car with the practicality and space of an SUV combined with the sporty driving dynamics of a sports car. And not just any sports car, but an MX-5, one of the best sports cars ever and certainly one of the most fun to drive. [...]
CAR TALK September 14, 2010 LEXUS HATCHBACK GOES ZERO CARBON Emissions are now officially the new battleground. Lexus has announced that its new CT 200h compact hatchback will have emissions as low as 96g/km of CO2 – beating the magical sub-100g/km figure – thanks to its full hybrid powertrain. This means road tax will be zero when the car goes [...]
Four hot hair looks for autumn September 13, 2010 IN the spirit of renewal and productivity after a long, lax summer, autumn style is all about change. We’re leaving all things floaty behind and moving into the manic run-up-to-Christmas push. The sea change applies to hair as much as to clothes. No more the laid-back sun-streaked locks of summer. Rather, big and bold are [...]
FIT IN THE CITY September 13, 2010 IF you’re struggling to get your exercise mojo back after a lazy summer, why not try out a new class? I’ve picked four of the best the city has to offer this autumn, that promise to get you great results minus the workout boredom. Beautcamp Pilates: Everyone who tries this class always goes back for [...]
Men: get yourselves groomed for Autumn September 13, 2010 B ROWN’S Hotel on Albermarle Street is a smart, debonair sort of a place and so is its spa, The Spa at Brown’s Hotel (www.roccofortecollection.com), which has launched a series of men’s treatments in conjunction with skincare brand NuBo. The Ultimate Performance System Facial (£100) takes in volcanic lava mud and something called a “moisture [...]
The Berkeley regains an old hero September 13, 2010 Koffmann’s The Berkeley, Wilton Place, SW1X 7RL 020 7235 1010, www.the-berkeley.co.uk FOOD SERVICE ATMOSPHERE Cost per person without wine: £45 PIERRE Koffmann closed his famous London restaurant, La Tante Claire, back in 2003, and promptly vanished from the restaurant scene. Rather than dissipate, the reverential awe that people attached to Koffmann and his cooking – [...]
TASTING NOTES September 13, 2010 THIS is not the first time London’s best – and smallest – bar, 69 Colebrook Row, has made it into these pages. And it won’t be the last. Because it is still the only bar we know of in London with an actual lab upstairs where mixologist and owner Tony Conigliari and his crew hide [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS September 13, 2010 HEL YES! FINNISH POP-UP Another month, another pop-up. The latest high profile temporary eatery, to open alongside London Design Week, is HEL YES!. It’s Finnish (get it?) with 120 covers, a bar and an exhibition created and executed by a creative team of Finnish designers and food connoisseurs. Highlights include “archipelago bread”, made from wheat [...]