Vauxhall Mokka GSE review: on-track in the most surprising car of 2026 August 4, 2026 The Vauxhall Mokka GSE marks the return of a classic performance nameplate – now applied to an electric crossover SUV. John Redfern finds out how this retro reboot fares on the road and track. Vauxhall has a lengthy back-catalogue of performance cars, ranging from hot hatchbacks and the formidable Lotus Carlton, through to Australian-built V8 [...]
Humble Grape is a wine bar like no other: Here’s its origin story August 4, 2026 Is a bar only as good as its origin story? The calibre of the drinks and service are of, of course, of vital importance but it’s the mythos of a place that gives it that je nais se quoi. Humble Grape, one of our Toast the City Awards 2026 Finalists, has one of the best [...]
Luke Combs, Wembley review: as personal as a Texas honky-tonk August 4, 2026 Luke Combs, Wembley review and star rating: ★★★★★ If you noticed an inordinate number of Stetsons, cowboys, and cowgirls heading to Wembley Stadium this weekend, it was for good reason. Luke Combs, one of Country music’s biggest artists, was in town. Country, the quintessential American genre, may feel like an odd match for the Home [...]
Commonwealth Gold Medallists Return to the Court That Helped Inspire London August 3, 2026 When Central London Alliance transformed Paternoster Square into a vibrant destination for sport, community and wellbeing with a pop-up 3×3 basketball court, it set out to demonstrate how innovative use of public spaces could inspire participation, animate central London and bring people together through sport. Now, just months later, that vision has come full circle. [...]
Why Albania’s Tirana could be the city break of the future August 3, 2026 “Tirana is like a cross between Mumbai and Las Vegas,” I was told by a teenage traveller a week before I arrived in Albania’s capital city. “I’ve never been to either place, but at least that’s how I imagine them to be.” I’m not sure if Tirana is really like either of those cities, but [...]
Cleansed is still the most harrowing play you’ll ever see August 3, 2026 Cleansed | Almeida | ★★★★☆ There’s a hint at what you’re in for with Cleansed when the Almeida staff tape over everyone’s phone on the way in to prevent any photography; there is a lot of nudity in this play, and none of it is the good kind. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Sarah [...]
Is the Maybach GLS the most excessive SUV? July 30, 2026 The facelifted Mercedes-Maybach GLS arrives with updated styling, a mild-hybrid V8, an even more lavish cabin and a new Night Series edition aimed at the luxury SUV elite. The Mercedes-Maybach GLS, now badged GLS 680, has been updated with fresh styling, more technology and an even greater emphasis on personalisation. If the standard Mercedes GLS [...]
Hélène Darroze à la carte is the ultimate lunchtime luxury July 30, 2026 When it comes to fine dining, who says we shouldn’t have a choice, writes Carys Sharkey There is a continual grumble in fine dining, a tedious debate that flares up every now and again when a critic complains about a sore arse from sitting through a tasting menu. I love tasting menus. I should get [...]
People read less: Do we still need the Booker Prize? July 30, 2026 The world and it’s reading habits have changed – but has the Booker Prize changed too? And what purpose does it fulfil, asks Eliot Wilson What is the point of literary prizes? The longlist for this year’s Booker Prize was announced on Tuesday, 13 works of long-form fiction by writers of any nationality, which must [...]
Martin Williams: My top picks for the Toast the City Awards 2026 July 29, 2026 The Toast the City Awards 2026, for which I am honoured to be a judge, is down to its final stage – the public vote! Now in its second year, the awards give you the chance to celebrate the most amazing places in the Square Mile (and slightly beyond). So to help inspire you to [...]