Best British staycations May 23, 2014 In the space of just over twenty years, a remarkable resurgence in the quality and quantity of luxury British hotels has transformed the fortunes of our seaside resorts and rural destinations. Pioneers like millionaire industrialist Jim Ratcliffe, Robin Hutson (of Hotel du Vin and The Pig fame) and Olga Polizzi have given the industry a [...]
Luxury holidays… to the moon May 23, 2014 The Virgin Galactic zero gravity holiday plane As the global super-rich multiply, their travel demands get more and more extravagant. These days, a stay in a five star hotel fails to impress… Meet the companies who say the next frontier in luxury tourism is above the clouds. The rise of the global super-rich [...]
Roger Federer interview May 23, 2014 Roger Federer is celebrating the birth of his second set of twins As one of only seven male players to win all four grand slams, one of four to win the junior and men’s title at Wimbledon and one of two to win four different tournaments at least six times, Roger Federer can already [...]
Perfect watches for summer afternoons May 23, 2014 Nomos Glashutte Lux Weissgold, £13,800, available at Wempe, 43-44 New Bond Street, wempe.com You might assume that the more hands and functions you add to a watch, the more interesting it gets; and by extension, there’s nothing terribly exciting about a time-only timepiece. It tells the time; it does so cleanly and simply. Done, [...]
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 [...]