Discover Pompeii and the Gulf of Naples, a luxury destination in the shadow of Vesuvius June 22, 2016 So this huge cloud of scalding steam, which reached temperatures of around 600 degrees centigrade and contained toxic gases, caused people’s brains to basically boil and explode through their skulls, after which their skin began to melt off,” says historian Dr Francesca Del Vecchio to her frankly horrified audience, who are hanging on her every [...]
Working Lunch review: Gordon Ramsay’s Maze has an Express Menu that serves up three courses, petit fours and coffee in 45 minutes June 22, 2016 Maze 10-13 Grosvenor Square, W1K What? Gordon Ramsay’s outpost in Mayfair, which plunders classic French cuisine then sprinkles some Asian elements over it. Or you can go full-Asian by booking a spot at the Sushi Bar. The new Express Menu showcases both, offering three courses for £44 (£30 sans booze). Where? A smart spot off [...]
Our resident master-chef Mark Hix says there’s nothing to lift a dinner party like a sophisticated take on a classic egg dish June 22, 2016 I don’t think we make the most of eggs in the UK. In fact, I don’t think most countries do. I’m talking savoury dishes here, not desserts – what would we do without the good old egg in a cake or soufflé? I’ve been a big fan of Clarence court eggs for years now and [...]
The Frog restaurant in Shoreditch review: Masterchef contestant Adam Handling launches an intense new venture that defeats our critic June 21, 2016 Pop quiz: who invented molecular gastronomy? Was it Heston Blumenthal, with his test tubes full of liquid nitrogen? Or Ferran Adria in his beach-side epicurean lair, churning out unholy delicacy after unholy delicacy? No, no, no. That’s all PR. Like most things, molecular gastronomy – a term most chefs, including Heston, hate – was created [...]
Learn to sword-fight with Adrian Paul, star of TV show The Highlander June 21, 2016 The idea: Adrian Paul, star of the ‘90s fantasy TV spin-off Highlander: The Series, now travels the globe training fans in the art of stage combat. I expected the gathering to be attended exclusively by middle-aged men called Gareth. In reality, it was far more varied, with a more or less even split of men and [...]
Range Rover Evoque car review: Are you convinced by the daring of this big topless release from Land Rover? June 20, 2016 The Range Rover Evoque has been around since 2011 and is in danger of becoming last year’s must-have. With an ever-increasing number of upmarket SUVs on the market (including competition from within JLR – Jaguar has recently launched the larger F-Pace SUV), how could Land Rover make a statement by offering something a bit… daring? [...]
Long Weekend review: Discover a cave of historical paintings, open air theatres and a taste for sweet wine in the Dordogne June 17, 2016 The weekend: Get away from the crowds of Bordeaux in south-west France’s rural, second-home paradise. The Dordogne is the perfect summer escape; you can either wile away lazy afternoons sipping wine in the shade or, experience the region’s three Cs – countryside, culture and, most importantly, cuisine, a weekend tour of medieval market towns and [...]
The six best boutique and art hotels in Tel Aviv, Israel, from the eye-popping Artplus to The Montefiore June 17, 2016 Until about 2008, if you wanted to stay in Tel Aviv without slumming it, your options were limited to the hulking, ageing concrete corporate hotels lining the beach. Embarrassing, really, for a city so flush with style in art, design, food, and fashion. But in the last eight or so years, Israel’s biggest city has [...]
Richard III at Almeida Theatre: Ralph Fiennes puts the bunch-backed toad and the bottled spider into Shakespeare’s villain June 17, 2016 Richard III | Almeida | ★★★★★ Richard III is the ideal play for these post-facts times, where rhetoric is no longer anchored to reality and fear is the prevailing political currency. We approach a referendum whose result will be decided by whichever apocalyptic vision of the future the public chooses to believe. Across the pond a [...]
Tale of Tales film review: Salma Hayek is brilliant in this gory fairytale June 17, 2016 Tale of Tales | Dir. Matteo Garrone | ★★★★☆ Italian film maker Matteo Garrone, best known for his realist Mafia drama Gomorrah, makes a surprising choice for his English language debut in this 17th century fairytale. We follow the interweaving stories of three monarchs – an ageing ruler (Toby Jones) who acquires a strange [...]