New homes on sale in London this weekend: from flats on “Billionaire’s Row” to Regency style mews in Wimbledon June 24, 2016 Buxmead, Hampstead From £6.9m to £17m Though it’s only recently been dubbed “Billionaire’s Row”, Bishops Avenue in north west London has housed media magnates, Saudi Princes and A-List celebrities in its gated mansions for over a century. Criticised in some circles for its empty homes, a rare new build development went on sale last week [...]
Culture, coffee and cocktails. A tour of arty and historic Vienna June 24, 2016 The commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the death of Franz Joseph I of Austria – head honcho of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for nearly 70 years – presents a grand opportunity to delve into Vienna’s imperial past while catching up on some of its more contemporary delights as well. Franz Who? No, not Archduke Franz [...]
Focus On Harrow: Why this north west London suburb is popular with families and first time buyers June 24, 2016 The north west London suburb of Harrow is all too often synonymous with the prestigious boys’ boarding school with which it shares its name. Certainly, the school has influenced the growth of central Harrow through the centuries; following a big expansion of the school in the 19th century, housing was built for its staff resulting [...]
Property of the Week: We visit the Clerkenwell house that’s half tech-savvy palace and half Georgian period treasure June 24, 2016 If you love the charm of a period townhouse, but want all the convenience and comforts of modern living, this completely remodelled house in the heart of Clerkenwell might be for you. It appears to be a completely typical three-storey Georgian house from the outside, but there’s a lot going on behind those closed doors. [...]
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? [...]