Koffman’s pop-up proves that he’s still the king of London fine dining November 9, 2009 NOSTALGIA is a wonderful thing. When it was announced that Pierre Koffman would come out of retirement to run a restaurant on the roof of Selfridges for one week only, the phones rang off the hook with former customers who remembered his Chelsea restaurant Tante Claire, which closed several years ago. But the crowd wasn’t [...]
Koffman goes for one final foodie push November 2, 2009 WE ARE the Napoleons of the kitchen,” chuckles the affable Pierre Koffman. He is sitting with his trusty lieutenants, fellow Michelin-starred chefs Eric Chavot and Bruno Loubet, in the lounge area of his restaurant on the roof of Selfridges, sipping a ristretto after the lunchtime service. They have certainly earned it. Since Koffman came out [...]
When you are betting on the oil price, timing is all-important October 28, 2009 JUST how high can the oil price go? It broke through $80 last week, and in the past few days Barclays Capital analysts said that they think that oil has now made the transition into a higher trading band and a sustained improvement in demand should continue eating into excess inventories. The chances of oil [...]
On women, work and savoir faire October 25, 2009 MEETING the author of French Women Don’t Get Fat, the bestselling diet book, is a rather daunting prospect for someone who is neither particularly thin nor remotely French – certainly not when it comes to Gallic standards of stylishness. I expected Mireille Guiliano to be scary – judgmental, fearfully immaculate and devastatingly tiny. I was [...]
Smart British food brightens Soho October 19, 2009 Hix66-70, Brewer Street, London, W1F 9TRTel: 020 7292 3518 www.hixsoho.co.uk FOOD SERVICE ATMOSPHERE Cost in restaurant per person without wine: £55 IF I had a friend who was sceptical about the claims of British food to be world-class, I might well take him to a Mark Hix restaurant. Hix was formerly the executive head chef [...]
No more pain: how health farms became spas, and we got a bit soft October 19, 2009 WITHOUT FAIL, my grandmother and her mother used to go to a “health farm” for a week. It sounded like my idea of hell: a week of deprivation, nothing fun to do or eat. The end results spoke for themselves, though – they’d lose six kilos in a week and come home with wonderfully tapered [...]
Top lady shot takes the helm at a new City member’s club October 11, 2009 CLAIRE Zambuni could be dangerous. A leggy blonde with Baywatch-style features and a big smile, I’d not be surprised to hear that men routinely fall at her feet. But its her way with a gun that makes her particularly worth buttering up – she’s the UK’s best lady shot, in the top three best shots [...]
Take yourself out for a lovely dinner alone October 7, 2009 IT’S not just about where you eat, but who you eat with. Nothing says quiet confidence like dining alone. Indeed, Suzanne Pirret, the pin-up chef, wrote a whole book called The Pleasure’s All Mine, about the joys of dining alone. If the thought of sitting at a table for two on your own puts you [...]
A new star appears in the East October 5, 2009 Eastside Inn38-42 St John Street, Farringdon, EC1M 4AY; tel: 020 7490 9240, www.esilondon.comFOOD *****SERVICE ****ATMOSPHERE ***Cost in restaurant per person without wine: £70 WALKING into the Eastside Inn, the first impression was unfortunate. The rain that was falling hard outside was also falling inside, and we had to step round three champagne buckets to get [...]
OTHER GOLF VENUES September 28, 2009 BROCKET HALLJust 22 miles north of London, Brocket Hall is a spectacular location with two championship courses which are at their most beautiful in autumn. There is also a driving range, a putting green and you can hone your skills at the Faldo Golf Institute. To make the most of the location, you can also [...]