Dave’s Wine Bar: Why I think it’s a Toast the City star September 10, 2026 Dave’s Wine Bar is one of our Toast the City finalists. Libby Brodie visits to find out what makes it such a special drinking den Dave’s Wine Bar is tucked up St James Passage, a handily central space for a glass of great wine in the City. Named for David Howden, the CEO of Howden [...]
BMW goes into Fast & Furious mode with the new M350 September 10, 2026 BMW’s replaced the M340i with something more mischievous, the M350 xDrive, a 437bhp straight-six that can turn itself into a full rear-wheel-drive drift car at the touch of a button. Most performance cars try to convince you they’re fast. BMW’s new 3 Series M350 xDrive is trying to convince you it’s fun, and it’s doing [...]
Laphroaig turns to cocktails to drive growth September 10, 2026 The Scotch whisky industry faces well-documented challenges. Changing consumer habits and increased competition mean even the most storied brands must adopt new strategies to keep up. Laphroaig is one of the most established brands in the Scotch industry, and there’s not a single bar in the country that doesn’t have a bottle firmly established on [...]
Pernod Ricard’s results highlight the challenges for Scotch September 10, 2026 In this month’s issue of Whisky Business, Ian Fraser takes a look at the results of the drinks giant Pernod Ricard and how the company is dealing with the headwinds hitting the sector. Scotch whisky makes up roughly a quarter (23 per cent) of Pernod Ricard’s global sales, but barely got a look-in at the Paris-based [...]
Are Peugeot’s 208, 2008 and 3008 good enough for the city? September 9, 2026 Peugeot has pushed hard on the 208, 2008 and 3008, with 0% finance across the range until the end of September. But do they actually stack up for driving in and around London? Not every car is suited to London life. Tight streets, scarce parking and low-emission zones all reward something compact, efficient and easy [...]
Battle of Prestige: BMW X3 vs Mercedes GLC September 9, 2026 BMW’s X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC go head-to-head in the executive SUV stakes – but which German marque makes the stronger statement? Image and functionality go hand in hand when it comes to premium SUVs. Whether you’re heading to a high-stakes meeting in Canary Wharf or travelling out of the capital for business, your choice of [...]
Open House Festival: The best guided walks in the Square Mile September 8, 2026 As we celebrate the Square Mile with our Toast the City Awards 2026, here are some amazing City-based Open House Festival tours, including close looks at some of our nominees. Money, money, money What is the City of London most famous for? Money, of course. This Open House tour, of the Square Mile’s financial past [...]
The Bayeux Tapestry, British Museum review: believe the hype September 8, 2026 The Bayeux Tapestry, British Museum review and star rating: ★★★★ Art history is not always held in the highest regard as an academic discipline, dismissed by one columnist at this newspaper as “a degree for posh girls too thick to do real history”. It stems from a notion that reading books is more demanding than [...]
We desperately need more negative hotel reviews September 8, 2026 When you read a restaurant review, you expect it to be critical. The same is true of theatre reviews, which often reward shows with one star. The same can not be said for the travel industry. In that sphere, journalists are far less likely to say that something is bad. Barring those trashy TV shows [...]
The St Paul’s Cathedral Fabric outrage is a ridiculous moral panic September 8, 2026 St Paul’s Cathedral has announced a four-year collaboration with Fabric nightclub that will see DJs being brought into the capital’s most lauded pews, designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The four-year project has provoked outrage among groups including traditionalist Christians and historic preservation societies. Descendants of Lord Nelson called the events “an insult” to his memory, [...]