International money bolsters central London property boom August 27, 2012 INTERNATIONAL cash is flooding into the London property market, as foreign buyers capitalise on weak sterling, a report released today by Cluttons claims. The property consultants predict a 3.2 per cent annual increase in prime central London house prices, driven by cash buyers – in turn driven by the weak pound. Compared to the 2007 [...]
Pop-ups are everywhere but The Seagrass shines August 27, 2012 RESTAURANT THE SEAGRASS 74 Chapel Market, Islington, N1 9ER Tel: 020 7837 5270 FOOD **** SERVICE *** ATMOSPHERE *** Cost per person without wine: £30 POP-UPS. They’ve become a thing, haven’t they? If it’s not located in the loft of an abandoned Victorian insane asylum, it isn’t worth a dime. You can’t move for the [...]
For a taste of Peru in Fitzrovia try Lima August 27, 2012 RESTAURANT LIMA 31 Rathbone Place, Fitzrovia, W1T 1JH Tel: 020 3002 2640 FOOD **** SERVICE *** ATMOSPHERE **** Cost per person without wine: £45 PERUVIAN FOOD has soared in popularity in recent years, which would explain why Lima was packed out, even on a Monday night. There are countless restaurants in London that offer bland [...]
Beat the back to work blues with a revamped daily routine August 27, 2012 FITNESS & DIET EXPERT NOT KNOWN as “the ugly cousin of hangovers” for nothing, post-holiday blues can be at their worst this time of year. They are helped along by the knowledge that the last Bank Holiday until mid-winter has passed, a new school term is around the corner and there are no more Olympics [...]
Bank on a great holiday weekend August 23, 2012 NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL 26-27 August; all day; free; Ladbroke Grove; thenottinghillcarnival.com Since Notting Hill Carnival’s debut in 1966, people have flocked to take part in this Caribbean spectacle. Buzzing crowds, live music and a mass of colourful dancers and processions will all get you in the party spirit. The main parade takes part on the [...]
Shadow Dancer is provocative, dramatic and brilliant while The Watch and The Three Stooges are unwatchable August 23, 2012 FILM THE WATCH Cert 15 | By Steve Dinneen * The canon of movies starring Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn is turning into something of a machine-gun (I count at least five). In The Watch, the lovable goofballs form a neighbourhood watch scheme. But wait, get this… They find an alien! And it eats people’s [...]
Where to drink August 23, 2012 In recent times, London has witnessed a renaissance of the private members’ club, updated dramatically from traditional gentlemans’ clubs, yet retaining much of their DNA. This Spring, Robin Birley (of Annabel’s stock) opened 5 Hertford Street in Shepherd’s Market, a beautiful bordeaux-coloured 23,000 square foot building featuring elegant dining rooms, oyster bar, terrace courtyard, cigar [...]
AW12: Get the looks August 22, 2012 By Albany Bell FULL LEATHER The full leather look brings a sleek sexiness to this autumn season. Hakaan shows us how to wear it with a peplum tailored burgundy waistcoat being layered over an elegant leather pencil skirt. Zips, laser-cut and chiffon detailing add extra interest, whilst khaki and maroon tones move away from the [...]
Let the games commence! August 22, 2012 1. FIFA 13 Release date: 28 September Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U EA knows what it is doing with Fifa. It’s gone from being sluggish and cartoony to a bafflingly complex, photo-realistic football sim. Post a screenshot from the latest version online and you’d have to look closely to distinguish it from real life. [...]
Why tablets, like me, are finished August 22, 2012 Last night I dreamt the tablet was dead. The entire industry – the jobs, the billions of dollars spent on R&D, the network of subsidiary industries that suckle from its teat like a litter of helpless electronic piglets – was rendered instantly, completely, hopelessly obsolete. Microsoft had abandoned the Surface (its tablet, rather than the [...]