Women’s watches: fashion houses May 23, 2014 Chanel J12 White Classic, £3,300, chanel.com There are many subtle nuances of snobbery in the world of watches. One particular favourite is when a group of watch journalists gather and someone inevitably asks: “what are you wearing?” Those with Swiss-made, in-house movements look down on those whose watches contain an off-the-peg one. Those wearing [...]
Fun, fun, fun on the autobahn May 23, 2014 The Porsche 911 Carrera Germany’s roadways offer the ultimate high-speed driving experience From Fawlty Towers to ‘Allo, ‘Allo!, we have a rich history of making fun of the Germans. If 1970s and 80s sitcoms are to be believed, they’re earnest, serious, ever-so-slightly humourless. Most of all, they like making rules and following them. The [...]
The Chic Geek’s guide to fashion: intellectualisation May 23, 2014 Raf Simons T-shirt, £155, mrporter.com (click the image to buy) Fashion labels want to have an intellectual conversation about your jeans. What do your style choices say about you? To some, fashion is just a way to hide your nakedness. It’s about putting a shirt on your back, adding a tie if you have to, [...]
Review: Ting at the Shangri-La Hotel May 20, 2014 @steve_dinneen RESTAURANT TING 31 St Thomas Street, SE1 9QU Tel: 0207 7234 8000 FOOD Four Stars VALUE Three Stars ATMOSPHERE Five Stars Cost for three with wine: £270 Ah, the Shard, that icy middle finger to the London skyline. No guile hides behind those panes of glass, no hidden architectural easter eggs lie waiting to [...]
Mix it up: Brave the World Cup with Brazil’s national cocktail May 20, 2014 @philip_salter There is a high probability England won’t be playing in the later matches of the World Cup in Brazil, if the conclusion of a recent Home Office report is to be believed. So it looks like we’ll need a drink or two just to get though Group D. Cometh the Cup, cometh Brazil’s national [...]
A view to dine for May 20, 2014 SOUTHERN GEMS Now we’ve told you to go to Ting, we can’t ignore the other brilliant restaurants inside The Shard. Hutong is also an Asian-inspired affair, while Oblix and Aqua Shard are focused on modern British cuisine – all massively capitalise on the panoramic views. Book in at Skylon brasserie in the Royal Festival Hall [...]
Five of the best: Rooftop bars in London May 20, 2014 Skylounge This summer, the rooftop bar in Tower Hill has partnered up wtih tequila brand Jose Cuervo to serve cocktails, sangria, and Mexican food, while you enjoy the skyline to the soundtrack of a mariachi band. Coq d’Argent The restaurant and terrace bar near Bank station has also transformed itself for the summer into Yacht [...]
Mid-market, middle of the road May 19, 2014 The new Jeep Cherokee arrives with plenty of fancy tech, but does it do enough to justify the price tag? The new Jeep Cherokee is stuck between a rock and a hard place – and that’s nothing to do with its off-road ability. The American brand is still something of an outsider in the UK, [...]
Not convinced? May 19, 2014 CHECK OUT THESE ALTERNATIVES… AUDI Q5 2.0 TDI QUATTRO SE PRICE: £34,155 0-62MPH: 0.9 secs TOP SPEED: 124mph CO2 G/KM: 159g/km MPG COMBINED: 47.1mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Three Stars PERFORMANCE Three Stars PRACTICALITY Three Stars VALUE FOR MONEY Three Stars RANGE ROVER EVOQUE SD4 PURE AUTOMATIC PRICE: £32,710 0-62MPH: 8.0 secs TOP SPEED: 121mph CO2 G/KM: 159g/km MPG COMBINED: [...]
Learn to cook with a legend in the world of haute-cuisine May 18, 2014 French chef Michel Guérard has opened his very own school. Laura Ivill investigates. SUNDAY lunch in south west France: carpaccio of langoustines, followed by roasted milk-fed lamb and peach melba. It is as delicious as you would expect from the hands of venerated French chef Michel Guérard. But the clincher: three courses under 630 calories. [...]