The Vineyard in Berkshire is the perfect pre-summer holiday May 6, 2025 With the weather improving but summer holidays still a way off, it’s the perfect time to cast around for mini-break options closer to home. The UK’s luxury spa market has recovered strongly from the hospitality-wide hit at the beginning of the decade, but how to distinguish between the many options? The Vineyard in Berkshire has [...]
In memory of Richard Vines, a sage and a gentleman May 6, 2025 My friend Richard Vines, chief restaurant critic of Bloomberg for 25 years, passed away this week. A champion of both genius chefs and restaurateurs, he was a wonderful man who I admired hugely. Over the last few days, I have been reminded of some magnificent City lunches with Richard; at Kym’s by Andrew Wong, after [...]
Giant play review: Roald Dahl show is great but not perfect May 3, 2025 Giant play review and star rating: ★★★★ Roald Dahl defied the image we cherish in our minds. He was charismatic, but in a way that masqueraded his poisonous views. He was also an anti-Semite, writing in the New Statesman in 1983 that “there is a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity, maybe [...]
Why Florence, Italy makes the ideal spring break from London May 3, 2025 If I were searching for heaven on Earth, Florence is the first place I would look. The Italian city‘s Renaissance art and architecture make my spirit soar with their otherworldly beauty, the mountainous backdrop refreshes my eyes and soul, and the food and drink? Well, a Tuscan feast is exactly what my body ordered, in [...]
What’s On in London This May 2025 May 2, 2025 | City Talk As May ushers in longer days and warmer weather, London comes alive with an exciting array of events and activities. From sporting events like the London Sports Festival and family-friendly outings to historic celebrations such as VE Day and fine dining, the capital offers something for everyone this month. Here’s your curated guide to the [...]
Rolls-Royce celebrates 100 years of its flagship Phantom May 2, 2025 The Rolls-Royce Phantom celebrates an important birthday this month, 100 years after the luxury saloon was first introduced. Now into its eighth generation, the Phantom has long been the flagship of the British marque’s range. It has also earned an important place in automotive history. Although the Rolls-Royce Phantom saw breaks in production during the [...]
Inside the Wes Anderson exhibition at the Design Museum: ‘fans will be blown away’ May 1, 2025 The Wes Anderson exhibition at London’s Design Museum opens in November Somewhere in Kent, on the edge of a field, stands a warehouse full of old props from Wes Anderson films. Ahead of the launch of the new Wes Anderson exhibition at the Design Museum this November, curator Johanna Agerman Ross got to do what [...]
Bentley Flying Spur Speed review: Luxury limo or super saloon? May 1, 2025 Finally, the car industry has some clarity. The prime minister confirmed this month that hybrid cars – i.e. those that combine a petrol or diesel engine with an electric motor – can still be sold in the UK until 2035. Going fully electric from 2030 would be “too soon”, said Keir Starmer, who expressed his [...]
The Friend review: Naomi Watts stars in celebration of pets May 1, 2025 Dogs are a guaranteed tear-jerker. Cities can be blown to pieces in action movies, but the unwritten rule is that the cute dog must make it out ok. In dramas, they often help us understand the human experience, something that is illustrated beautifully in comedy-drama The Friend. Naomi Watts plays Iris, a teacher and writer [...]
Michael B Jordan is sublime in Southern Gothic horror Sinners May 1, 2025 Star Michael B Jordan and director Ryan Coogler have risen together to the top of the Hollywood mountain, making hits such as Creed, the Black Panther films, and their breakthrough 2013 drama Fruitvale Station. Their latest doubles down on that collaboration, as Coogler sees double in the magnificent horror Sinners. Set in 1930s Mississippi, it [...]