Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons: Behind the culinary icon July 2, 2025 During my first visit to Le Manoir I could neither speak nor talk. This is not hyperbole about dumbfounded luxury – I was just a baby. But my parents still tell the story of how Raymond Blanc, in full chef’s whites, came to ask them if I had enjoyed the fresh pasta and butter the [...]
Is Atlantis The Royal ‘The most ultra-luxury resort in the world’? June 27, 2025 The phrase “Disneyland for adults” is thrown around to describe everything from Monaco to Miami, to certain Soho House outposts. At Atlantis The Royal, the 795-key mega-resort on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah, the comparison actually holds up, except this time Mickey is wearing Balenciaga, and demanding tableside caviar bumps. This isn’t so much a hotel as [...]
Inside the most expensive rehab clinic in the world June 26, 2025 Upon checking in at £10,000-a-night rehab centre Paracelsus Recovery, I find myself transported into a world that revolves entirely around me. Bequeathed with a 15-member entourage of therapists, clinicians, masseuses and personal chefs, I am part of a collective powered by a single goal: my betterment. If you can think of a celebrity who’s been [...]
‘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 [...]