Oscar Wilde’s grandson Merlin Holland on Dorian Gray, censorship and posthumous pardons February 3, 2016 After years in the back room, Oscar has finally found his way onto the Oxford English syllabus,” says Merlin Holland, with both pride and indignation. Most of us in this noisy cafe off Carnaby Street wouldn’t be on first name terms with Oscar Wilde, but as his only living grandson and the sole executor of [...]
How the Jaguar F-Type bagged us an invite to party with Kendall Jenner February 3, 2016 There are four bungalows situated behind the high walls of the notorious Chateau Marmont, each one the location of countless rock n’ roll parties. Mine has a particularly macabre claim to fame; the master bedroom was where comedy icon John Belushi checked out permanently. It’s a modernist LA pad, with floor-to-ceiling windows, whitewashed brick walls, [...]
The best restaurants in Reykjavik, Iceland reviewed February 3, 2016 Egill Skallagrímsson, one of Iceland’s most beloved folk heroes, wrote his first poem aged three, was an alcoholic by six and a murderer at seven. He’s famed for his acerbic wit, vicious temper and handiness with an axe, which he was more than willing to drive through the skull of friend or foe alike. His [...]
Brace yourselves, City folk, pick-up artist Daryush “Roosh” Valizadeh is coming to town February 2, 2016 Jilted lovers and misogynists often find February’s romantic festivities hard to swallow, so to keep solidarity up they’re meeting at the Royal Exchange this weekend. Daryush “Roosh” Valizadeh, a self-proclaimed “pick-up artist” who was famously interviewed by the BBC over the Men’s Rights Movement and his attempts to teach blokes to chat to womenfolk, is organising [...]
Three Little Birds in Brixton Jamaican restaurant review and the Shuang Shuang Chinese hot pot conveyor belt disaster February 2, 2016 Last time I didn’t like a restaurant, someone got so cross they threatened to report me to the Independent Press Standards Organisation for the sheer gall of having an opinion, which, in this case, happened to be that their restaurant was rubbish. So in the interests of not making someone else cross, I shouldn’t write [...]
How Threadneedle Street’s M restaurant is bringing Japanese fishing tradition Ike Jime to London February 2, 2016 M restaurant's executive chef Michael Reid on being the first restaurant in London to make sashimi using Ike Jime king fish. Ike Jime King Fish Sashimi I was first introduced to the Ike Jime fishing method during my time in Melbourne and it is without a doubt the most ethical and sustainable way to fish [...]
Common gym injuries and what to do about them February 1, 2016 Plantar Fasciitis What is it? One in ten people will develop this painful foot condition at some point in their lives, and it’s a blight among keen runners. It’s often – but not always – caused by over-pronation (rolling inwards on your feet) and is more common in people with low arches. The pain is [...]
Fashion for spring 2016, from Stella McCartney to Christian Louboutin January 29, 2016 Our stylist Ozzy Shah picks out the brightest, fiercest looks to see you through til summer; photographs by Zoe McConnell
Is Parma ham really bad for you? We sent someone to Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region to eat as much as they could January 29, 2016 W e had only meant to stop for a light lunch. But in a quiet square in the tiny town of Piacenza, waiting staff at the Taverna In busied themselves bringing plate after plate of unbearably delicious looking fare. There was a platter of cheese featuring crumbly gorgonzola, fat chunks of salty parmesan and creamy, [...]
Yen at the Royal Court review: A candid exploration of teenage poverty, sexuality and neglect January 28, 2016 Royal Court | ★★★★☆ In the new post-Benefits Street dispensation, references to “poverty porn” have become commonplace. Initially this meant a sort of guilty pleasure at watching the pitiful antics of a presumably scrounging underclass, but the term has become ever less metaphorical. Earlier this month social commentators flaunted their sincerest outrage at popular trouser-free [...]