By: Steve Dinneen

Life&Style Editor I'm the editor of City A.M. The Magazine, and editor of the daily newspaper's Life&Style section. We cover food, wine, going out, culture, technology and travel. I'm also the head judge of our Toast the City awards that celebrates hospitality in the Square Mile. Find me on X @steve_dinneen

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Rockets and Blue Lights at National Theatre review

September 3, 2021

First performed in March 2020 at the Royal Exchange in Manchester, Rockets and Blue Lights ran for just three weeks before the pandemic yanked down the curtain. Now this strange, urgent, flawed, exasperating and occasionally brilliant play finally opens in London on the National Theatre’s Dorfman stage. Winsome Pinnock’s play focuses on the legacy of [...]
Playhouse, a shrine to video games, launches at Selfridges as industry sales surge

August 31, 2021

Video games have been big business for decades, with the top titles vastly out-grossing the most popular cinema releases. Were there any remaining doubts over whether the medium now represents one of the cultural megaliths of our time, lockdown answered those. Almost two third of UK adults played video games over 2020, with every age [...]
Working Lunch: Isabel is as bouji and buzzy as anywhere in Mayfair

August 27, 2021

In the decade I have lived in London, I must have walked down Albemarle street a hundred times. And, gun to my head, I would have sworn that Isabel had always been there. Despite opening in 2017, it has the feel of a classic Mayfair restaurant-cum-nightclub, with a neat row of understated outdoor seats giving [...]
The Two Character Play at Hampstead Theatre reinvigorates Tennessee Williams’ late work

July 28, 2021

There’s something comforting about the way Hampstead Theatre, always a bastion for experimental works that tease at the boundaries of mainstream theatre, has emerged from the pandemic. At a time when the pressure to stick on something that’s guaranteed to fill seats must be overwhelming, it instead decided to revive a tricky series of plays [...]
Somerset House brings all the fun of the fair to its courtyard

July 21, 2021

The Somerset House courtyard has become a staple of the winter calendar with its picturesque ice rink and warming cocktails. But a new summer installation by artist-architect Yinka Ilori could make it one of the most sought-after summer hangouts, too. The huge courtyard has been transformed into a “a joyful spectacle of colour, sound and [...]
‘I told staff to delete the app’: Hospitality reacts to pingdemic crisis

July 20, 2021

While the government was hailing the arrival of so-called “freedom day” yesterday, the threat of rising Covid cases and the “pingdemic” forcing staff to self isolate has left the beleaguered hospitality industry with little to celebrate. One restaurateur told City A.M: “Our ability to operate hangs in the balance by some fairly crude geolocation tech”, [...]
Euro 2020: Where to watch the England Italy final in London

July 8, 2021

After a harrowing year, it seems difficult to believe that Euro 2020 (as it’s still known) is coming to a close on Sunday and that England are one of the two teams left in the competition. For fans without tickets to the final, which kicks off at Wembley at 8pm, you will want to make [...]
Fiena is London’s first female-only ‘adventure’ members’ club

July 6, 2021

As we approach the beginning of the end of Covid restrictions, it seems clear that the way we work and socialise will be drastically different going forward. Despite most firms being desperate to see a full return to office life, it seems likely that we’ll settle into a more flexible routine. But even those who [...]
Restaurant delivery boxes are here to stay: We review 48 of them

June 29, 2021

Before the pandemic, most top chefs would have turned their nose up at home delivery services. There’s the lack of control, the logistical nightmare, not to mention the wafer-thin margins. But necessity being the mother of invention has led to dozens of outstanding delivery services, and even with restaurants back open and looking forward to [...]
Staycation time: Take a break at Locke in East London’s Dalston

June 25, 2021

The government’s new travel traffic light system is now crystal clear. We have “green”, which means you shouldn’t go, but it’s totally okay if you do. There is “green watchlist” which means you can book your holiday if you like, but don’t expect it to actually go ahead. There’s “amber”, which is for those countries [...]

Modernisation and missteps: Lloyd’s of London struggles for a new era

New York Knicks could be first publicly traded NBA team in 24 years

Hirundine whisky: Pierre Schoeman and Duhan van der Merwe unveil 38-year-old masterpiece

By: Steve Dinneen

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