‘Always say yes to a bag of testicles’: A defence of offal June 26, 2025 Like a character straight out of a Carry On film, the Turkish butcher leaned forward, looked my partner in the eye, and, with a heavy accent and an evil glint, said simply: “Testicles. Testicles.” Then, by way of explanation: “Sheep’s balls.” Though things had taken a surreal and vaguely vulgar turn, his strange sales pitch [...]
Review: Is Porto Zante in Zakynthos the ultimate CEO retreat? June 26, 2025 We have plenty of talented journalists at City AM to tackle foreign travel stories. But we only have one person qualified to discover if Porto Zante is, as claimed, the ultimate CEO retreat. As the only CEO available at the time of writing, the assignment fell to me. So I dusted off my notebook, roped [...]
Eat, drink, sleep, repeat: Foodie delights in Dubai June 25, 2025 Martin Williams is one of the judges for our first Toast the City awards. Here he tells us about his recent trip to the gastronomic paradise of ever-sunny Dubai. The Serpentine Summer Party never disappoints. After a wonderful lunch at Petrus, I found myself enjoying Mujen Sochu Cocktails, created by the bar legend Tato Giovannoni, who [...]
Lunchtime Tourism: Discover The Café Below a St Mary-le-Bow June 25, 2025 If you fancy a cup of Rosie Lea and a slice of Give and Take, then the Café Below in St Mary-le-Bow may be right up your Field of Wheat. Famously, those born within earshot of the Bow Bells are considered true Cockneys, a term that originated as a way for countryfolk to mock their [...]
Dolder Grand: Inside the Lionesses’ luxurious hotel for Women’s Euro 2025 June 24, 2025 If the Lionesses needed any extra motivation to defend their title at next month’s Women’s Euros to the bitter end then the thought of leaving their hotel for the tournament might just be it. Perched on top of a hill overlooking Zurich, the Dolder Grand is the very definition of luxury, boasting suites with views [...]
Inside the Belfast boutique hotel taking on Airbnb June 20, 2025 Can this hotel-private home crossover concept take on Airbnb? Julia Khamissa checked in to delve deeper THE CONCEPT Room2 bills itself the world’s first ‘hometel,’ a hybrid between hotel convenience, boutique design, and Airbnb-style autonomy. Think flexible booking, pet-friendly policy, and a kitchenette in (almost) every room. Room2 Belfast is set in a modern, curved [...]
Howl like a wolf and imitate monkeys and this new London spa June 20, 2025 At new London spa Shoreditch &Soul, strangers laugh like wolves in a 40-person sauna. Could this be London’s most joyful answer to the wellness boom? One of my favourite TV quotes comes from Samantha in an early Sex and the City episode: “You can’t swing a Fendi purse without knocking over five losers.” I recycle [...]
Inside the Caribbean island that’s becoming a secret AI hub June 20, 2025 Anguilla is where high-rolling lawyers from New York go to work remotely in tranquillity. It is also becoming an unlikely world-leading beacon for AI due to one lucky coincidence. Adam Bloodworth went in search of answers The Sunset Bar on St Maarten’s Maho Beach is one of the weirdest tourist attractions in the world. Go [...]
Has the Greek island of Santorini become a tourist hellscape? I went to find out June 20, 2025 I was stirred, not shaken, by the boutique Sandblu resort on Santorini, you’ll be pleased to hear. Santorini was hit by a succession of small earthquakes at the start of this year, which prompted more than 13,000 of its 15,500 inhabitants to evacuate the Greek island by ferry and air, and left its three million [...]
Lunchtime tourism: The wonder that is St Stephen Walbrook June 19, 2025 This new regular feature will bring you a guide to the best hidden spots you can visit in your lunch break, by Chris O’Donnell. This week: St Stephen Walbrook Sometimes a lunchtime walk is best done alone. Without the well-meaning chatter of a friend or colleague, you can better hear the story that a place [...]